ClientInsurance
ServicesDynamics 365 Contact Center / ACS / Azure Communications Services
Date2025
01
Initial situation
Our client is an insurance company with 1,600 users. When the project began, the telephony environment was based on a legacy architecture, typical of organizations that have evolved in successive stages.
Skype for Business was still in place. An Alcatel on-premise infrastructure managed part of the traffic, particularly the Hunt Groups. Several remote sites were interconnected. Special 0800 numbers had to be maintained with strict service level agreements. And at the heart of the system, a SBC high-availability system ensured the continuity of SIP traffic.
The system worked, but it was based on end-of-life technologies and a fragmented architecture. The tools coexisted without any real unification. Administration was more complex than it needed to be, and the transition to a modern model was becoming inevitable.
At the same time, the company wanted to modernize its customer service by implementing Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
But to build a robust contact center, the foundations first had to be modernized. Before adding a new application layer, the telephony itself had to be transformed.
The project was therefore conceived as a comprehensive, gradual, and controlled transformation.
02
Goal
The goal was not simply to migrate users from one tool to another.
The aim was to rethink the voice architecture as a whole.
The strategy had several objectives:
- Replace Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams Phone.
- Gradually transition the Alcatel infrastructure to a cloud integrated with Microsoft 365.
- Maintain the SBC existing system in a high-availability configuration to protect the investment and maintain control over routing.
- Maintain special numbers and carrier agreements without interruption.
- Prepare the organization for the implementation of Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
But beyond the technical aspects, the project also had to guarantee:
- Uninterrupted service at every stage.
- Smooth adoption by users.
- The autonomy of IT internal teams.
- A scalable and sustainable architecture.
The ambition was clear: to move from a legacy telephony environment to a unified, modern platform ready for advanced contact center uses.
03
Concept
The project naturally fell into two major complementary stages.
1. Migration to Microsoft Teams
The first phase involved finalizing the migration full Skype for Business to Microsoft' Teams Phone.
Users were migrated gradually, with the Direct Routing. The SBC existing high-availability system was integrated into the Teams architecture, ensuring full continuity of SIP traffic and proven resilience.
Switchover, resilience, and service continuity tests were carried out to ensure each stage was secure before rolling out the system across the board.
At the same time, the Alcatel infrastructure was modernized.
The legacy hunt groups have been replaced by Teams , Call Queues, and Auto Attendants. This change has made it possible to centralize management Microsoft 365, simplify administration, and improve the user experience.
Remote sites have been integrated into the new architecture. The 0800 numbers were migrated in close coordination with the carrier to ensure that calls are properly displayed, correctly routed to Teams , and that existing SLA s are maintained.
The transformation wasn't limited to technical aspects. Short, practical user guides were rolled out to facilitate the transition. Administrators were trained in managing call queues, auto attendants, and Direct Routing. This approach led to rapid adoption and a significant reduction in post-implementation incidentsmigration.
Once this initial phase was completed, the organization had a modern, stable, and unified telephony system based on Microsoft Teams.
2. Integration of Dynamics 365 Contact Center
With this foundation now stable, the second phase of the project could begin: the implementation of Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
At that time, Teams Native Phone for D365 Contact Center was not yet available. So we deployed an architecture based on Azure Communication Services Direct Routing.
The architecture was based on a clear chain: operator, SIP Trunk, SBC high availability, Azure Communication Services, and finally Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
The project covered four distinct environments: DEV, TEST, UAT, and PROD.
Each had its own dedicated configuration, separate TLS certificates, isolated routing, and independent technical validations. Managing multiple domains and certificates was a key factor in ensuring strict isolation between environments.
The architecture was also designed to be hybrid: some call flows were routed to Dynamics 365 Contact Center, while others were routed to Teams Call Queues, depending on business needs. This approach allowed for maximum flexibility while optimizing license utilization.
The migration process was carried out in stages, including an analysis of the numbering plans, comprehensive SIP tests, verification of codecs and certificates, failover tests, business validations, followed by migration a gradual rollout of the numbers into production with enhanced monitoring.
Each phase was validated before moving on to the next, ensuring a secure production launch.
04
Result
At the end of the project, the organization transitioned from a fragmented, legacy telephony environment to a unified, modern, and scalable architecture.
- Skype for Business has been fully migrated.
- The Alcatel infrastructure is in the final stages of being phased out.
- High SBC High availability is fully integrated into the Teams , and ACS architecture.
- Hunt groups have been updated to use call queues.
- 0800 numbers and remote sites are integrated and secure.
- The four Dynamics 365 Contact Center environments are operational and isolated.
The company now has a consistent, stable voice platform that is ready for future developments in the Microsoft ecosystem.
This project illustrates that a successful contact center transformation does not begin with the agent interface, but with a solid telecom architecture.
Modernize the voice layer, secure routing, support users, and structure the migration : it is this comprehensive approach that has made this end-to-end transformation a success.
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