Communication and collaboration tools have never been more valuable for government agencies. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other cloud-based platforms have become front and center as agencies support remote work employees. As employees move back to the office, they come with the realization that collaboration solutions have made the work experience better and have increased productivity. The next question for agencies is what to do with their legacy voice environment.
Like most places, government employees have been tethered to a private branch exchange (PBX) connecting office phones and enabling inbound and outbound calling. Most if not all agencies have offices supported by a private branch exchange (PBX) system built to federal requirements. However, maintaining the traditional services required to support the mission while integrating modern collaboration tools is a daunting task. Plus, continuing the upkeep on legacy hardware is expensive to maintain.
Agency IT leaders facing the challenge of migrating employees to a fully integrated collaboration solution should first look at their starting point. Legacy PBXs and Centrex systems are probably not worth saving. You’re dealing with fully amortized hardware and a legacy architecture that does not lend itself with collaboration solutions. More modern voice platforms like IP-PBXs allow for an easier integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams. Given the size and scope of your migration project, making a smooth transition becomes a critical component.
If you’re eyeing a move to a unified platform for all your communication needs but can’t quite break free of your traditional voice system, we can help. Our market-leading Session Border Controller (SBC) portfolio provides seamless Direct Routing capabilities with Microsoft Teams, using your current IP-PBX for call control. For U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, Ribbon’s SBC is exclusively included in the System Under Test (SUT) for Teams’ JITC certification. Our solution is available on the DISA Approved Product List (APL) as a virtual or physical device, deployable on premises or in the cloud.
In my next blog post, I’ll examine the economics of moving to a unified collaboration platform over time and what this means for your agency.