Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) embarked on a transformative journey to modernise its communication infrastructure in 2023. The University partnered with Trustmarque to transition from an outdated, locally hosted phone system to a more efficient and cost-effective Microsoft Teams telephony platform. In parallel the University needed to improve results from the annual Clearing process – the critical time in any University’s calendar. This case study explores the challenges, solutions, and outcomes of the project.

Background

CCCU's existing communication system was nearing end of life and becoming increasingly expensive to maintain. The University needed a solution that would leverage the existing Microsoft licensing. The goal was to transition from the older phone system to Teams Phone System, which would be more cost-effective and better suited to the University's evolving needs.

Project Initiation

The project began with a thorough investigation of potential vendors and suppliers. CCCU considered various solutions, and the decision to partner with Trustmarque was influenced by their demonstrated expertise and successful projects with other organisations, including Kent County Council.

Challenges and Goals

The University’s primary challenge was to transition from an on-premise phone system to cloud-hosted Teams telephony, and to deliver performance improvements for the Clearing Contact Centre. The requirement was driven by several factors, including the need for a more cost-effective solution, changes in working culture in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and the desire for a more consistent user experience.

Deliverables

A key part of the solution was the implementation of Horizon Contact for CCCU's contact centres.

Gamma’s Horizon Contact was chosen because it offered a robust, cloud-based contact centre platform that integrated with Microsoft Teams. This allowed CCCU to deliver a consistent, high-quality service to both students and staff across various departments.

With features like real-time analytics, intelligent call routing, and supervisor dashboards, Horizon Contact provided CCCU with the visibility and control that were lacking in the legacy system.

The flexibility of a cloud-hosted model also supported the University’s hybrid working ambitions, making it the ideal solution to modernise contact centre operations and staff engagement.

Implementation

The implementation process involved several key steps:

• Project planning: Regular meetings were held with experts from Trustmarque and Gamma, to lay out the project's goals, and define timelines, and deliverables. This collaborative approach ensured that both parties were aligned and that the project was well-organised from the start.
• Scoping and discovery: Trustmarque conducted several scoping sessions with CCCU's contact centre staff to understand their specific needs. This involved discussions with the Professional Services team and other stakeholders to ensure that the solutions would meet or exceed the University's requirements.
• Number “porting”: The University needed to retain 20,000 telephone numbers. Gamma and Trustmarque fully appreciate the concern that clients have around moving numbers, and agree that smooth delivery of this element is often a critical success factor. They used their many years of experience, from moving hundreds of thousands of numbers, to deliver a smooth migration, known as “DMA”, that also removed any ongoing dependency on previous provider networks.
• Licensing and configuration: The project involved understanding how the business units functioned to ensure that services, licencing, and configuration would interact to deliver the intended benefits. This required detailed planning and regular progress meetings to ensure everything was on track.
• User training and support: Trustmarque provided training and support to ensure that CCCU's staff were comfortable with the new system and could quickly realise the benefits that the technology enables. This support included regular catchups and refinement of the solutions based on user feedback.

Outcomes

The transition to the Teams telephony platform was a success, with the rollout taking place on in November 2024. This marked a significant technological upgrade and operational improvement for the University.

The project with CCCU achieved several key outcomes:

• Cost savings

The new system was more cost-effective than the old one, resulting in significant savings for the University.

• Improved flexibility

The Teams telephony platform supported hybrid working and hot-desking, allowing staff to work anywhere. A key benefit for many organisations looking to improve employee engagement and productivity.

• Enhanced user experience

The familiarity and ease of use of the Teams platform improved the overall user experience. Staff were able to use the system effectively, leading to better communication and collaboration.

• Increased success at Clearing

The Contact Centre increased agent productivity, improved management information, enhanced student engagement, and delivered a successful clearing programme in 2025.

Toby’s suggestion for other organisations considering a switching to Teams calling:

“Don't be afraid to make the change - with Trustmarque and Gamma it was a smooth process. Ensure you have regular and open communication with your chosen vendor, it's crucial to have a collaborative approach where both parties are aligned on goals, timelines, and requirements. This helped to build trust and ensure the project was tailored to meet our needs.”

Conclusion

The partnership between Canterbury Christ Church University, Trustmarque and Gamma demonstrates the importance of collaboration and careful planning in successful project implementation. By transitioning to a modern telephony platform, CCCU was able to achieve significant cost savings and improve flexibility, and has set the University up for successful Clearing and year-round student engagement for the foreseeable future.