Service overview

For most staff, Teams Phone is now the primary telephony solution; Webex Calling remains in use only for specific cases (e.g., physical phones, collaboration rooms or certain departmental lines). For details, see the About: Teams Phone.

IT Services provides telephone services for the downtown campus, Macdonald campus, the Gault Estate (Mont St-Hilaire), and McGill Residences.

Webex Calling complements McGill’s existing communication tools, allowing employees to make audio and video calls to phone numbers inside and outside McGill from virtually any internet-connected device (desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile). 

When used on campus, audio and video data stream across McGill's upgraded network, providing high-speed and high-quality connections.

Basic features:

• Access through a Cisco telephone set or the Webex software application
• Standard calling features such as hold, transfer, conference and call forwarding
• "Single-number reach" to ring on multiple numbers (e.g., when working remotely).
• View and listen to voice messages from Webex and Outlook.
• Place audio calls to external phone numbers within Canada and the continental United States (international calling available on request).
• Integration with the Webex desktop and mobile clients; ideal for organizing and participating in meetings, webinars and events.

Features available on request:

• International calling
• Multiple lines associated with one account (primarily for administrative assistants who take calls from multiple numbers for their department)
• Hunt groups and/or interactive voice response menus

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Who can use it

Administrative staff and full-time instructors and lecturers, who require telephone service to conduct their work, are provided a phone number, and access to the Webex softphone application.

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How to request & access the service

Employees must contact their Telephone Coordinator, ho can make the following requests:

• New Cisco account (assigns a new telephone number to an individual)
• Add, modify, remove features (e.g., international calling, shared departmental line, etc.)
• Advanced Telephony Features (e.g., Hunt groups or IVR menus)

Departments are responsible for purchasing additional equipment (Cisco phones and/or headsets) for new hires, or to replace broken/lost items from McGill MarketPlace. For purchasing support, contact IT’s new Workplace Technology Advisory Services team using the Computer equipment purchase support form. 

Installing the Webex app and setting up the Cisco physical phone

See the Training & documentation section below, for installation and user guides.

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Frequently asked questions

• How do I check my voice messages?
  Voice messages are sent to your McGill email. You can listen to them in Outlook, through the Webex app, or on your physical phone (if you have one).
• Can I access the voicemail system when I'm away from the office and don't have access to my computer?
  Yes, you can call the voicemail system from any phone at 514-396-1000; you will be prompted to choose either the legacy call pilot voicemail system OR the Cisco voicemail system. To access your voicemails, please provide your McGill phone number as the ID and your Cisco PIN. In addition, you can access your voicemail from a mobile phone using the Webex mobile app.

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Cost

There is no cost to request a new phone account and assign a phone number. 

• New phone lines or additional devices must be purchased at the department's expense. Cisco phones and headsets will be available for purchase through McGill MarketPlace.

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Availability

Telephone service is available 24 x 7, except during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Check the IT Support site homepage for announcements regarding service interruptions.

Telephone service requests are processed during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

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Best practices & policies

• For internal collaboration (chat, channels, file sharing), continue using Microsoft Teams. Use Webex or your physical phone to make phone calls to people outside McGill, or when you want to conference with McGill and external contacts.
  
  
• If you need to make a phone call to a McGill colleague, you will have two options: clicking on their McGill Work number makes a call as you would on a telephone; the "Call on Webex" option is equivalent to making an audio/video call in Teams and does not make use of call forwarding or Single Number Reach.

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Training & documentation

Video: Introduction to Webex features

How-to guides and documentation:

• Get started with Cisco Webex softphone calling
• Get started with your Cisco physical phone
• Index of Cisco / Webex telephone documentation and training

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Support

Submit the appropriate webform:

• Report a telephone issue (all users)
• New Cisco phone account (Telephone Coordinator)
• Add, modify, remove features (Telephone Coordinator on behalf of a user)
• Advanced Telephony Features (e.g., Hunt groups or IVR menus)

For other questions, contact the IT Service Desk.