We received feedback from customers and partners that number porting is a complex topic to understand. While most of the complexity comes from processes in the background - carriers need to transfer phone numbers from one to another - we added and updated a number of assets to make planning and execution easier as part of our "SOF Successful Engagement Release".
For more information on the "SOF Successful Engagement Release" our blog article SOF Successful Engagement Release March 27th and our recording on Skype Academy.
What is Number Porting?
For organizations to retain existing phone numbers - both toll and toll-free numbers - when implementing Cloud PBX with Microsoft PSTN Calling and/or Microsoft Cloud PSTN Conferencing, the phone numbers can be transferred from existing service provider(s) to Skype for Business Online - subject to market availability and regulatory approvals. To accomplish this, organizations can leverage number porting service that will coordinate the process of transferring phone numbers end to end.
How does SOF help?
While number porting has been part of SOF from the beginning, the latest SOF release elevated the topic of number porting as part of SOF journey, by increasing the awareness of processes that surround number porting and how number porting can affect implementation or migration timelines at the Plan phase. Relevant SOF assets have been updated to increase awareness the processes associated with number porting, risks, and timelines involved with number porting.
By ensuring increased awareness of number porting, project team can sufficiently plan Cloud PBX with Microsoft PSTN Calling and/or Microsoft Cloud PSTN Conferencing implementation or migration based on reasonable timelines, and set the right expectations of all stakeholders from the beginning.
When the implementation or migration project that you are about to or currently working on includes number porting for Cloud PBX with Microsoft PSTN Calling and/or Microsoft PSTN Conferencing, then it would be recommended for you to take advantage of the updated SOF assets.
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