In the rapidly evolving landscape of telecommunications, there is a crucial date that charities should be aware of: the switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in December 2025. This transition will mark a significant milestone in the journey towards fully digital communication infrastructures. After this date, all traditional copper phone lines will cease to work.
With the clock ticking towards the deadline, nonprofit organisations must prepare to adapt their communication infrastructure to the digital age. In this article, we share how Microsoft Teams Phone can help you achieve this.
Understanding the PSTN Switch-Off
The PSTN switch-off represents a pivotal moment for charities, signalling a shift away from traditional phone lines towards digital communication technologies. As charities rely heavily on effective communication to mobilise volunteers, engage donors, and support their beneficiaries, the transition to digital telephony is paramount to ensure continuity and effectiveness in your organisation’s operations.
Enter Microsoft Teams Phone
Microsoft Teams Phone is a great solution for charities seeking to modernise their communication systems. Built upon the Microsoft Teams platform which most nonprofits already use day-to-day, Teams Phone provides charities with a suite of tools to streamline communication, enhance collaboration, and drive impact:
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Streamlined Communication Channels
Teams Phone integrates voice communication seamlessly into the Microsoft Teams platform, consolidating disparate communication channels into a single, unified interface. Charities can make and receive external calls, host virtual meetings, and collaborate with team members—all within the familiar Teams environment. No more plastic desk phones, no more separate phone apps!
Simplified management and admin rights are also managed within the Teams Admin Centre, so no separate portal is required.
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Enhanced Productivity
By centralising communication within Teams, Microsoft Teams Phone fosters collaboration among volunteers, staff, and stakeholders. With features like chat, file sharing, and real-time co-authoring, charities can work more efficiently and effectively towards achieving their mission.
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Robust Security
Security and compliance features are inherited from Microsoft 365 – including data encryption, compliance tools, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) – providing peace of mind that your call data is protected
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Flexibility and Accessibility
Volunteers and staff can communicate from anywhere, at any time, using their preferred device. Whether working remotely, in the field, or at the office, Teams Phone ensures uninterrupted connectivity and accessibility simply by them installing the Teams app on their device and signing in with their work account.
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AI-Powered Insights
With Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams Phone, charities can utilise AI-powered features such as transcription services, sentiment analysis, and virtual assistants to streamline call handling processes and gain valuable insights from their conversations.
As the PSTN switch-off looms closer, adopting Microsoft Teams Phone allows charities to future-proof their operations and ensure scalability, reliability, and adaptability in an increasingly digitalised sector.
For a more detailed overview of the features and benefits of Teams Phone, please download our datasheet here.
How we can help
Smartdesc provide connectivity and voice solutions designed specifically for charities.
Our Teams Phone telephony solution includes all the minutes to landlines and mobiles you need, from only £7.60 per user per month (including the Microsoft Teams Phone license) – which is cheaper than going directly via Microsoft!
Our experienced team are on hand to do the migration, train your staff, and provide ongoing support staff as required. We also leverage Microsoft non-profit licensing to ensure maximum cost savings for your charity.
If you have any questions about migrating your charity to a new internet connection and/or Microsoft Teams telephony solution, please get in touch.
