University telephony changes
The University’s existing telephony service (Chorus) is being replaced by Microsoft Teams Phone. There are three key reasons for the change:
- the current contract for the Chorus service is due to end in July 2026 and the University has taken this opportunity to assess suppliers
- manufacturer support for the existing desk phones that are used across the collegiate University has ended. Continued use of the handsets are currently considered to be a low security risk but they need to be replaced
- British Telecom are switching off all analogue telephone services by January 2027 with some exchanges being switched off as early as January 2026
St Antony’s College is scheduled to change in tranche 2 of the telephone replacement project, which means we expect the change to take place in spring 2026.
Page last updated: 21 January 2026
Frequently asked questions
Physical desk phones in office spaces will be removed and all telephone communications will now take place via the Teams application using the call icon. Microsoft Teams Phone will allow users to both make and receive Teams calls and traditional telephone calls.
No, telephone numbers will not change.
We plan to migrate everyone to Teams Phone by the end of March 2026.
Yes. All office phones will be removed from desks and you will need to use Microsoft Teams Phone once the switch is made.
The University has established a team to manage the project and within St Antony’s this is being dealt with by St Antony’s Head of Finance & IT. As each key step is reached further communications will be shared with colleagues providing guidance on what to do.
Calls can be made using the in-built microphone on laptops and PCs that we use in College. However, in open plan areas of areas where there are shared workspaces a telephone headset will be provided in order to minimise the disruption to colleagues when calls are being made.
At the moment there is no action required for most colleagues. However, if you have any accessibility issues or immediate questions please contact accountant@sant.ox.ac.uk.
Yes. Most features of the existing phone handsets will continue to work.
No, only one telephone number can be associated with a colleague’s Single Sign-On. That number will follow you wherever you are located on a particular day as it connects to the device where you are logged into Microsoft Teams. Further advice will be provided on this in the coming weeks.
Yes. Colleagues in the Latin America Centre, Nissan and elsewhere who are situated in College buildings will also switch to Microsoft Teams Phone as part of the same project. We are liaising with OSGA to ensure no-one falls through the gaps. The OSGA Business Continuity and Projects Manager will follow up with any issues that impact on OSGA colleagues. Staff from other departments or organisations with existing handsets will be contacted separately.
Microsoft Teams does meet many accessibility requirements. Where deemed necessary, a suitable handset will be provided.
Most analogue lines in College are in lifts and work is already underway to replace these with suitable replacement devices. There are 2 or 3 communal analogue lines outside of lifts and these lines will no longer work once British Telecom have switched off the analogue phone service. There is no plan to replace these devices.
Teams Phone will be part of your Office Teams application and will look like this:
The University website provides detailed information about using Teams Phone. Access the University guide here.
More information will follow in the coming weeks on the essentials of how to work with Teams Phone, including how your Microsoft Teams App will look once you have switched over.
You can find more information on the project on the University project web pages.
These pages include a wealth of information, not all of which will be relevant to St Antony’s College, but there are a host of other answers to frequently asked questions which may answer any questions you have.
More information will be provided in the coming weeks. If you have any questions or concerns then message accountant@sant.ox.ac.uk.