NTU Singapore teams with Microsoft to enhance Smart Campus

Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has partnered with Microsoft to enhance its Smart Campus with cloud telephony.

Ahead of the pandemic, the institution signed up for Microsoft 365, marking its first step towards cloud adoption. The foresight enabled NTU Singapore to adjust quickly to the changes resulting from the pandemic.

Additionally, Microsoft's Teams Phone, an add-on for Microsoft 365 that links local landlines to Teams accounts, enabled NTU Singapore to quickly adopt remote teaching and learning.

As of January 2022, the university moved over 2,600 fixed phone numbers to the Microsoft Teams Phone system.

The cloud-based phone system allows NTU employees to make and receive business calls using any internet-enabled device, using the same tool they use for chat and video conferencing.

“By eliminating the need for existing physical phone infrastructure, NTU Singapore enjoyed cost savings in equipment, maintenance, and international call costs from cross-border research center projects and the provision of online exams and classes for stranded students overseas,” explained Microsoft.

To support NTU Singapore's Vision 2025, IT managers at the university also created an asset tracking system using Microsoft Teams and other integrated tools within the platform to improve IT asset reviews and pre-emptive checks.

Besides Microsoft Teams Phone and Microsoft 365, the university plans to implement a cloud-based student management system built on Microsoft Azure, among other initiatives leveraging chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI).

Earlier this month, Microsoft won a contract to develop Singapore's first sovereign cloud. The deal will allow domestic services, such as the police and civil defense, to provide improved security and safety for all citizens, residents, and visitors, according to Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX).