Microsoft has announced that it is ending Teams integration with older desk telephones, including the legacy Polycom VVX501 desk phones used by some University departments. Access to Microsoft Teams contacts, calendars, presence status, and other Teams features will not be available on Polycom VVX 501 desk phones after June 30, 2023. Individuals can continue to access all Teams features using the Teams desktop and mobile apps. 

To ensure that legacy Polycom VVX 501 desk phones can continue to make and receive calls after June 30, Pitt Information Technology will install an update on affected phones. After the update, users will need to sign in again to their Polycom VVX 501 desk phone. 

Desk Phones Signed In with Primary Accounts

About 1,200 legacy desk phones in various departments are currently signed in through an individual’s primary University Computing Account.

• Pitt IT will notify IT Partners, Responsibility Center Account Administrators, and phone users of the date that legacy desk phones in their units will be updated. See below for a tentative schedule. 
• Desk phone updates will be scheduled after 5 p.m. on a weekday. The next day, the desk phone user will need to sign in again using their Pitt credentials.
• If you want to continue accessing Teams features directly through a desk phone, you may ask your department to purchase a Teams-compatible calling device to replace your legacy Polycom VVX 501 desk phone. 

Tentative Schedule

• June 1: Student Affairs (101) and Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (184)
• June 6: Office of the Chancellor (19), Office of Research (21), Office of the Provost (37), College of General Studies (6), David C. Frederick Honors College (1), Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration (5), and School of Education (160)
• June 13: Office of the Dean, Swanson School of Engineering (42), School of Law (87), Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (2), School of Social Work (2), Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences (5), School of Dental Medicine (5), School of Nursing (23), School of Pharmacy (81)
• June 20: School of Public Health (191), School of Medicine (186), SOMD Administration (25)
• TBD: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (84), Office of Facilities Management (6), Learning Research and Development Center (56), Athletics (1), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (7), Office of Human Resources (17), School of Computing and Information (24), Miscellaneous (100)

Desk Phones Signed In with Sponsored or Resource Accounts

About 300 legacy desk phones are currently signed in through a sponsored account or resource account.

• Pitt IT will notify IT Partners, Responsibility Center Account Administrators, and account owners in units with these desk phones.
• Desk phone updates will be scheduled after 5 p.m. on a weekday.
• If the phone does not need a voice mailbox, the department may contact the Technology Help Desk to request a Common Area Phone account. This allows Pitt IT to sign in to the phone remotely after the update instead of the account owner having to sign in.  
• If the phone does need voice mailbox, the account owner will need to sign in to the desk phone with the account’s credentials after the upgrade.
• If you want to continue accessing Teams features directly through a desk phone, you may ask your department to purchase a Teams-compatible calling device to replace your legacy Polycom VVX 501 desk phone.  

A schedule for updating these devices has not yet been determined. Pitt IT will communicate directly with affected units before their phones are updated. 

Desk Phones Not Currently Signed In 

About 500 legacy desk phones are not currently signed in. Because the phones are not signed in, departments and individuals do not need to take any action. A schedule for updating these devices has not yet been determined.