Review Zoom Phone Basics
We realize many Departmental POCs may have very little understanding of what Zoom Phone is at this point. Here are some references for your review:
- Zoom Phone at UWF, especially the videos, provide a brief overview
- Zoom Phone Reference Guide a more comprehensive guide of typical features and functions
- Getting Started with Zoom Phone an article which will be shared with all users who are assigned a Zoom phone closer to cutover time
Zoom Phone Devices & Hardware
Before completing the questionnaire, it is important to understand the University’s hardware philosophy for the transition to Zoom Phone:
Zoom Phone is designed to function primarily through the Zoom Workplace app on desktop or mobile devices.
Each user is provided one funded device, typically a headset that connects directly to your computer (via USB or Bluetooth) and is fully compatible with the Zoom app.
A business justification is required to evaluate the need for traditional physical desk phones (see below for additional details).
All requests for traditional physical desk phones will be reviewed and discussed with the department.
Because traditional physical desk phones are expected to be used only in limited scenarios, they may result in additional cost to the department.
Users with a functional headset, or are currently comfortable with using just their computer's microphone and speakers during a videoconferencing call, do not need to request new hardware.
Business Justification For Physical Phones
If a physical desk phone is needed, provide a clear business justification explaining why a softphone solution is not sufficient. Justifications may include safety requirements, shared use, public access, accessibility needs, or operational constraints. Describe how the device will be used (e.g., reception desk, lobby phone, conference room, emergency use, shared workspace). Please add this business justification to the notes section for each line.
Available Hardware Options:
| Hardware Option | Link | Picture | Connection Type | Best For... |
| Bluetooth Wireless | Logitech 981-001468 | Wireless | Users needing high mobility. Note: Some desktop computers may require a USB Bluetooth adapter (dongle). See below for additional details. | |
| Physical Desk Phone | Poly Edge E350 | Corded | Requires Business Justification. Reserved for shared spaces, reception areas, or high-volume use cases (long on-hold times, etc.) |
Fundamental Differences for Individual User Phones
The move to Zoom Phone shifts campus phone service for a particular person from being tied to a physical device to being tied to a user account. In a traditional phone system, a phone number belongs to a desk phone in a specific location, and features like voicemail and call forwarding are configured directly on that device. With Zoom Phone, your number belongs to you, and your desk phone (if you are issued one) is just one of several ways to make and receive calls, alongside the Zoom app on your computer or mobile device. This change improves flexibility and accessibility. Voicemail is no longer limited to a desk phone - it is tied to your account and can be accessed through the Zoom app or email, often with transcription and easy sharing options. Call handling is also more dynamic. Instead of manually forwarding calls from a phone, Zoom Phone allows calls to ring multiple devices at once and supports advanced routing such as business hours, after-hours handling, and delegation—all managed through a web portal or app rather than the device itself. A key operational difference occurs when an employee leaves. In a traditional system, the desk phone often remains active, allowing someone to physically go into the office and forward calls to another number to prevent missed calls. This creates a temporary safety net even before IT reconfigures the line. In Zoom Phone, however, all call handling is tied to the user account. Once a user is removed, their phone number, voicemail, and any forwarding or routing settings are also removed. The desk phone (if one was assigned) will no longer receive calls until it is reassigned, and there is no ability to forward calls from the device after the user is deactivated. Because of this, planning ahead is critical. Before removing a user in Zoom Phone, their phone number must be reassigned or call coverage must be set up (such as forwarding, delegation, or call queue routing). If this step is missed, calls may not reach the appropriate person. Key takeaway: Traditional phones are tied to a place. Zoom Phone is tied to a person. Call coverage must be intentionally configured in advance - not handled at the device after the fact. Pro tip - Separation Clearance Info Tips for departments who advertise services via specific phone numbers |
Section 1: The Intake Questionnaire
The intake questionnaire serves as the blueprint for your migration. The information provided will directly inform number porting, call routing configuration, hardware procurement, and system setup.
Deadline: Please complete all required sections within two weeks to avoid migration delays. Your particular deadline is indicated on your Zoom Phone Migration Jira ticket.
Where did this data come from?
The pre-populated Intake Questionnaire was created based on information from three sources:
- department lines advertised in the Campus Directory for your department(s)
- phone numbers listed in the Campus Directory for your primary employees (see below for which employees are included on your list)
- telecommunications data from existing records indicating the line belonged to your area (this information may override what was collected from the campus directory, if there were any conflicts)
Because this information may be outdated, POCs are responsible for auditing and correcting this information. If lines or users are missing, add them to the bottom of the worksheet. If lines are no longer needed, or can be combined with other departments (for example, a digital on-line fax to replace a physical fax machine), mark the lines to be deleted.
Step-by-Step: Completing the Intake Questionnaire
- Open the spreadsheet provided by ITS. It has been shared as edit to all Departmental POCs reported on the department hierarchy spreadsheet. If you find it helpful to have more eyes on this information, we recommend sharing this spreadsheet as “view only” to others. Editing access should be limited to Departmental POCs only.
Start with the Departmental Lines tab. See below for detailed explanations of what you see pre-populated, and what answers we need from you.
Then complete the User Details tab. See below for detailed explanations of what you see pre-populated, and what answers we need from you.
- Check for completeness. Verify that you have responded to all required fields and provide notes for any entries that may require clarification. If you are uncertain about a line or user, include it anyway - ITS will verify and confirm all details. At any point during this process, comment on the Zoom Phone Migration Jira ticket for clarification/assistance.
- Respond on the Zoom Phone Migration Jira ticket that the spreadsheet is complete. Once we hear from you that your part is complete, we can start the configuration and hardware ordering/staging process, which gets us one step closer to cutover!
The following sections provide additional guidance and context to assist you in completing each part of the intake questionnaire accurately and efficiently.
How to Successfully Complete the Intake Questionnaire
To make this process more manageable, POCs are strongly encouraged to leverage existing communication channels (through supervisors) rather than gathering all information independently. If you're not quite sure how to get started, here are some ideas for ways to gather the information. It may be necessary to use a combination of strategies to obtain all the answers you need. If you are struggling, please don't hesitate to reach out on the ticket.
Recommended Approach
- Collaborate with Leadership: Work with your area's leadership to confirm staffing needs, shared lines, and operational workflows. Ask them to gather the information for their direct reports.
- Use a Team Meeting: Leverage an upcoming staff meeting(s) to review departmental lines, hardware needs, and call handling. This helps gather input efficiently and ensures consistency, and allows everyone to ask questions.
- Survey each person individually: Reach out individually for role-specific details such as feature needs (SMS, international calling) or hardware preferences. Below is a sample draft email you can use to obtain the necessary information, and it provides a link back to frequently asked questions.
Resource: Email Draft
Subject: Action Required: Zoom Phone Migration & Information Request
You are receiving this email because you currently have a physical desk phone assigned to you in your office.
The University of West Florida is migrating from its current phone system to Zoom Phone. This upgrade will provide a more flexible, modern communication experience by allowing you to make and receive calls directly through the Zoom Workplace app on your computer or mobile device.
What This Means for You
Our department will be adopting a “soft phone” approach, meaning most users will no longer use a traditional desk phone. Instead, calls will be handled through the Zoom app on your computer (or your personal cell phone, if so desired).
Each user is eligible for one funded device (typically a headset), and traditional desk phones will only be provided in limited cases where there is a clear business need (e.g., shared spaces, reception areas, or specific operational requirements). Modify this statement based on your department's willingness to purchase desk phones for each person.
Information Needed
To ensure a smooth transition, I need a few details from each of you. Please review and reply with the following information:
- Office Location: Please include your current building & room number
- Phone Number: (Keep, Delete, or Change)
- Hardware Needs:
- No Hardware Needed
- Wireless Headset (Bluetooth) without adapter
- Wireless Headset (Bluetooth) with adapter
- Physical Desk Phone (requires business justification)
- Enable SMS/Text Messaging on Zoom: Yes or No
- International Calling Needed: Yes or No
- Full Voicemail Transcription: Yes or No
If you select a Physical Desk Phone, please include a brief business justification explaining why a Zoom (soft phone) solution will not meet your needs.
Timeline
Please reply with your responses by [INSERT YOUR INTERNAL DEADLINE, GIVING YOU TIME TO SUBMIT THE INTAKE QUESTIONNAIRE] to help us stay on track with the migration timeline.
If you’re unsure about any of the options, feel free to reach out - I’m happy to help.
A. Departmental Lines: Managing Your Operations
The Departmental Lines tab captures all departmental and shared (non-personal) lines. Follow the steps below to ensure your data is complete and accurate:
Step 1: Review All Departmental Lines (Column D)
Confirm that all existing phone lines currently published, assigned, or in use within your department are listed.
Common examples:
Main office/reception lines and fax lines.
Lobby, courtesy, and common area phones.
Departmental classrooms, labs, and training room phones.
- Conference rooms, and meeting room phones.
- Phones needed for emergencies in your area.
Step 2: Perform a Directory Audit
To ensure accurate public-facing information and internal call routing:
Quick review of all departmental listings in the UWF Campus Directory.
Confirm that all phone numbers are accurate and up to date.
Document any inaccuracies so that both public contact information and internal routing remain accurate after migration.
Now would be a good time to work with your department to ensure that the UWF Campus Directory information is up-to-date, but please note that we will use the information you provide in the intake questionnaire for the Zoom Phone migration.
Step 3: Confirm the Display Name for Each Department Line (Column B)
Provide the Display Name that will appear on caller ID and within the Zoom interface.
Guidelines for Display Name:
Clearly represents the department, phone location or line function.
Avoids abbreviations that may confuse callers.
ITS may need to adjust the line display name to ensure uniqueness. If no Display Name is provided, ITS will default to the Purpose or Function line name listed in Column A.
Step 4: Confirm the Location of Any Physical Phones (Column C)
For any line associated with a traditional physical desk phone, provide the building and room number.
Accurate room-level information is required for installation planning and asset tracking.
Step 5: Indicate the Migration Action for Each Line (Column E)
For each department line, please indicate the desired action for the phone number by selecting one of the following options:
Keep: Retain the existing line and extension during migration.
Delete: Remove the line; the line is no longer in use or will not require migration.
Change: Indicates our records are inaccurate. Use this if a record needs updating or if a new number is required. Provide details in the Notes column.
Move to User: Use this if a general departmental line should now be assigned to a specific person.
Step 6: International Calling Needs (Column F)
- Indicate if the line requires international direct dialing (outbound calls outside the U.S. and Canada).
- International calling may incur additional charges and should only be requested for roles with a demonstrated business need.
Step 7: Notes & Configuration Details (Column G)
The Notes column is one of the most important parts of the questionnaire. Providing detailed context here helps ITS accurately configure your department’s phone system and reduces the need for follow-up clarification.
Provide additional details for each line to guide ITS configuration, including but not limited to:
- Business justification for physical phones
- Shared line details
Call queues and hunt groups
Auto-attendants
After-hours routing
Voicemail expectations
Call restrictions
- Faxing requirements
Clear and detailed notes ensure accurate configuration and setup of proper call routing.
B. User Details: Managing Your People
The User Details tab captures individual-level information for all employees who require Zoom Phone service.
The information collected will be used to migrate existing phone numbers, assign new numbers as needed, and configure user phone services appropriately.
Who should be on my list?
Users you should expect to see are anyone that meets all of the following criteria:
- they are claimed as primary in your department (your DISRep can look that up for you if you aren't sure) AND
- they have a physical phone in their office they do not share with others AND
- they are not already on Zoom phone
Examples of users who will not have entries on the User Details tab include:
- employees who share an office and single telephone (instead, a departmental line should be assigned to this office)
- employees who are claimed by your department, but not as the "primary" membership (regardless of what index is currently charged for the monthly phone, to ensure the employee is listed only on one spreadsheet, ITS used the employee's primary department membership to determine where they should be listed.)
- employees who have listed their personal cell phone number as their campus phone number (they appear to be currently operating without a physical phone provided by ITS Telecommunications, so they are not part of this migration)
- employees who do not have a physical phone in their office (they are currently operating without a physical phone provided by ITS Telecommunications, so they are not part of this migration)
- employees in offices such as TeacherReady, UKCOH Advising Center, the Emerald Coast campus, and Institutional Effectiveness, because they have already migrated to Zoom Phone
Step 1: Review Staff Members (Column A-D)
- Confirm all staff members who require phone service are listed.
- Review and/or input all staff member details, including their name, email, office location, and direct line assignment.
- Include new hires or temporary staff who will also need a Zoom Phone license assigned in the secondary section below.
Step 2: Indicate the Migration Action for Each User (Column E)
For each user, please indicate the desired action for the phone number by selecting one of the following options:
Keep: Retain the existing line and extension during migration.
Delete: Remove the line; the number is no longer needed.
Change: Indicates our records are inaccurate. Use this if a record needs updating or if a new number is required. Provide details in the Notes column.
Step 3: Confirm Hardware Needs & Device Type (Column F & G)
Please review the Zoom Phone Devices & Hardware section above for additional information.
Select the one funded hardware option per user:
- No Hardware Needed
- Wireless Headset (Bluetooth) without adapter
- Wireless Headset (Bluetooth) with adapter
- Physical Desk Phone
If you are unsure whether a user requires a USB Bluetooth adapter, confirm whether they are using a desktop or laptop. In most cases, laptops have built-in Bluetooth and will not require an adapter. ITS can assist with determining compatibility as needed.
Users with a functional headset do not need to request new hardware.
Step 4: Confirm Core Features (Columns H-J)
To ensure users have the appropriate level of access, please verify the following functional requirements:
SMS Messaging: Determine if the user requires the ability to send and receive text messages via their UWF-assigned number
International Direct Dialing: Identify users whose role requires calling outside the United States and Canada. International calling may incur additional charges and should only be requested for users with a demonstrated business need.
- Voicemail Transcription: Zoom Phone allows you to receive full voicemail transcriptions via email. If enabled, the Zoom Phone system will send an voice recording and text transcription of your voicemail to your email.
Step 5: Notes & Configuration Details (Column G)
The Notes column is one of the most important parts of the questionnaire. Providing detailed context here helps ITS accurately configure your department’s phone system and reduces the need for follow-up clarification.
Provide additional details for each line to guide ITS configuration, including but not limited to:
- Business justification for physical phones
- Shared line details
Call queues and hunt groups
Call restrictions
- Faxing Requirements
Clear and detailed notes ensure accurate configuration and setup of proper call routing.
The quality and completeness of your intake questionnaire directly impacts the success of your department’s migration. Taking the time to gather accurate information now will significantly reduce delays, rework, and post-migration issues.
Section 2: Migration Logistics
The transition to Zoom Phone is designed to be a highly supported experience.
The Migration Overview
The journey from legacy Siemens or Cisco systems to Zoom Phone follows a structured three-stage process:
- Assessment phase: 2 weeks
- Configuration phase: 6-10 weeks
- Cutover phase: cutover “day” and the following few days
The "Day of" Experience
On the scheduled cutover date, your legacy Siemens or Cisco phone will stop receiving calls.
Instant Activation: Your university number becomes instantly reachable via the Zoom app on your desktop and mobile device.
Communication: All migrated users will be sent the Getting Started with Zoom Phone page, which provides detailed instructions to guide your account setup.
- On-Site Activity: Zoom Phone onsite teams will be on-site to collect legacy physical phones and assist with any new device setups.
Post-Migration Support
We are committed to service continuity. Following your migration, the following support structures are in place:
Immediate Assistance: POCs have a direct line to the project team via commenting on their Jira migration ticket to resolve routing discrepancies immediately.
Technical Troubleshooting: Individual users should contact the ITS Help Desk at (850) 474-2075 or helpdesk@uwf.edu.
Customized Trainings: The Help Desk is available to schedule 1-on-1 or group training sessions for departments requiring a deeper dive into modern features.
See the Zoom Phone Migration FAQ for more information on Zoom Phone project process & expectations.
