As the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand, Nelson College has an impressive heritage. However, it was also dealing with a heritage phone system based on outdated on-site infrastructure with complex technical support requirements.

While the College had switched from the old copper phone wires to an internet-based phone system (Skype for Business) in 2016, changing security requirements meant its existing on-site systems would soon become out of date. In 2020, they decided it was time to strengthen their business continuity plan by migrating to a modern, secure cloud-based platform that would enable them to continue teaching and performing administrative operations in case of a major event, like an earthquake or a pandemic.

The College needed a modern solution that could be seamlessly rolled out across the school for teachers and students alike. Upon Telesmart's recommendation, they decided to do away with traditional phones completely, instead switching their entire communication system to the cloud: Cloud Calling for Microsoft Teams. At Telesmart, we understand that fast migration and deployment is essential for any organisation. Microsoft Teams provided the perfect solution; it was not only cost-effective, but also allowed them to swiftly make the transition without causing disruption, within the desired timeframe.

The Telesmart team rolled out the installation of Cloud Calling for Microsoft Teams to over 70 users and six common areas within just one week, ensuring business continuity throughout the process.

“With wires, you're very much tied to your building, whereas Teams provides much more mobility. It's more than just the next step in the communication evolution,” says Casey, IT Systems Engineer.

“It's your teaching environment, it's your meeting environment. Many people still think of a phone as a handset on a desk, but this pulls everything together in one place.”

As it turned out, the new system arrived at exactly the right time for the South Island school. The following month New Zealand went into Alert Level 4, forcing all businesses and schools to close their doors and move online. Thanks to Microsoft Teams, staff and students were able to continue learning and stay connected throughout a global pandemic.

“Teams telephony could hardly have arrived at a better time for us. With COVID-19 forcing everyone into lockdown, our receptionist was still able to field calls from home through Telesmart's Cloud Calling for Microsoft Teams, which meant students and caregivers were able to stay in touch with the school over those weeks," says Casey.

Senior Solution Specialist at Microsoft, Sam McNeill, says what Nelson College achieved in just a few short weeks is revolutionising how schools in New Zealand engage and communicate with their communities.

“When it comes to using Teams for both telephony and digital education, Nelson College is ahead of the curve by adopting a truly unified communications platform. Their team has always been willing to explore the potential of new technologies ever since their adoption of OneNote in 2013, but their work with Microsoft and Telesmart is an example of how all schools - not to mention organisations - are going to connect and collaborate in future.”

At Telesmart, we have an education and charity offering that provides special offerings to any entity that qualifies for academic and charity Microsoft licensing.

We are committed to supporting these groups and helping them to operate as effectively as possible, with the help of our smart technical solutions.