Case Study: From On-Prem to the Cloud—Sight & Sound Theatres Modernizes with Microsoft Teams Voice

How Group9 and CallTower helped one of the nation’s largest live theatre organizations transition from on-prem voice to a modern, cloud-based Microsoft Teams solution

The Challenge

With two performance locations, over 700 employees, and a high volume of internal communication needs, Sight & Sound Theatres recognized it was time to re-evaluate their aging, on-premises phone system. Licensing renewals, dedicated SIP trunk replacements, and hardware end-of-life were stacking up fast—costing time, money, and valuable IT resources.

The organization’s policy to reassess technology at contract renewal gave their IT leadership the perfect opportunity to make a strategic move to a modern UCaaS platform that would reduce overhead and increase productivity.

The Group9 + CallTower Solution

After evaluating options, Sight & Sound selected CallTower’s Microsoft Teams Direct Routing solution, deployed in collaboration with Group9. The migration replaced their legacy infrastructure with a native, cloud-based calling platform that delivered enterprise-grade voice through the Microsoft Teams interface their users already knew and trusted.

Key Solution Highlights:

• Cloud-based Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams

• Fast, low-disruption cutover during a holiday weekend

• Voice-enablement without added hardware complexity

• Reduced reliance on in-house support with CallTower’s management and monitoring services

• Enhanced mobility and work-from-home capabilities

The Results

• 📞 Seamless Voice Transition: Users barely noticed the shift—calls continued without disruption

• 💻 Eliminated Desk Phones: No more hardware replacements or desk space clutter

• 🏠 Improved Remote Work: Security teams and staff now stay connected, even off-site

• 🙌 Reduced Support Tickets: Helpdesk requests have become simpler and less frequent

• 🤝 Top-Tier Support: Group9 and CallTower’s teams delivered flawless implementation and training

Conclusion

By moving to a cloud-native Microsoft Teams voice solution, Sight & Sound Theatres was able to eliminate hardware dependency, streamline communications, and gain a future-ready voice platform—all with minimal user disruption. With Group9 and CallTower’s expertise, the transition was not only smooth, but positioned them for operational efficiency and collaboration long-term.