CH Architekten replaces its phone system. In two months.

In addition to modernising the telephony infrastructure, we also moved the entire IT infrastructure of CH Architekten AG to the cloud, enabling more efficient workflows and improved cross-location collaboration. In the written report you will learn everything about the modernisation of the telephony infrastructure, and in the following interview Patrick Lüthi discusses the comprehensive IT modernisation.

The ageing phone system of the dynamic architecture firm could no longer keep up with the constantly growing requirements. Since the employees were already using Microsoft Teams in their daily work for meetings, chats and internal calls, deploying Enterprise Voice as a future-proof communication solution was the obvious choice. We delivered the project with the integrated, virtual phone system from the Microsoft 365 cloud and migrated the telephony infrastructure of CH Architekten AG within two months.

CH Architekten AG

CH Architekten AG was founded in 1998 under its then company name Schweizer Architekten AG. The name was changed in 2002. The architecture firm currently employs around 30 people. They design, plan and realise new builds and conversions of varying size and use. Their field of activity is wide-ranging. It covers residential buildings, schools, office buildings, depots as well as the development of entire sites and urban landscapes.

Patrick Lüthi, architect FH and member of the management board, is pleased with the new solution:

{{Referenz (/ch-architekten) | Patrick Lüthi}}

Facts & Figures

Starting point and objective

The ageing phone system no longer met the future wishes and requirements of CH Architekten AG for a modern and creative working environment. The employees were already familiar with using Microsoft Teams for meetings, chats and internal calls. Deploying Enterprise Voice with the virtual phone system from the Microsoft 365 cloud as a future-proof all-round communication solution was therefore the obvious choice.

Solution

Even before the project started, CH Architekten AG was already using Office 365 services including Teams for internal communication. A Sunrise UPC SIP Trunk "IP PBX for MS Teams" was set up, terminating directly in the Microsoft 365 Teams tenant. For Direct Routing, a direct connection from the existing provider Sunrise UPC (IP PBX for MS Teams) to Microsoft 365 (Teams) was set up and registered.

Results

The implementation of Microsoft Teams Enterprise Voice went smoothly and efficiently. The advantage: because Microsoft Teams could be set up independently of the old PBX phone system, there was no significant interruption to ongoing business operations. Fixed-line telephony with Microsoft Teams could be carried out during ongoing operations and realised without any interruptions in communication.

The new Microsoft Teams Enterprise Voice solution creates the following measurable added value for CH Architekten:

• There is no longer any need for stationary hardware; employees simply use their own notebook with a headset or the Teams app on their smartphone.
• The costs for electricity, maintenance and licences of the old phone exchange could be saved entirely.

Challenges

For many years, employees had made calls using a traditional solution. Saying goodbye to the good old desk phone was a little difficult for some at first. But thanks to hands-on training, all employees soon recognised the advantages of the new solution and would not want to be without it now.

Many thanks for the great collaboration

We are delighted that the employees of CH Architekten AG can now communicate more independently and efficiently thanks to Microsoft Teams Enterprise Voice.

We particularly appreciate, of course, that the collaboration with CH Architekten for our construction project is now even more straightforward and pleasant thanks to Microsoft Teams.