How Cancer Council Queensland improved softphone call handling and reduced interruptions for 250+ staff
Results
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Fewer missed calls. A dedicated Teams ringer solved low PC speaker volume.
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Less interruption. Presence became visible in the office, especially valuable for the Helpline.
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Better Teams experience. Faster, easier call handling and clearer availability.
3 quick facts
- Industry: Public health
- Team size: 250+ staff
- Rollout approach: Deployed alongside Microsoft Teams adoption, chosen over external speakers for added functionality
The situation
Cancer Council Queensland rolled out Microsoft Teams across the organization. They quickly discovered a practical barrier to a smooth softphone experience. PC speakers were too quiet for reliable call alerts.
In an open-plan environment, staff move around. When a call comes in, it must be obvious and actionable, otherwise calls get missed and colleagues get interrupted trying to track down the right person.
The problem in human terms
The issue wasn’t Teams itself. It was what happened around Teams. Calls were easy to miss, and availability was unclear. That creates stress, extra follow-ups, and unnecessary interruptions, which is especially problematic for a busy helpline environment.
The constraints
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Low PC speaker volume: Teams call alerts weren’t dependable.
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Open-plan movement: People aren’t always at their desk when calls come in.
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Softphone adoption: The solution needed to improve the Teams experience without adding complexity.
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Interruptions impact service: The Helpline benefits directly from better availability signaling and reduced disruption.
The solution
Cancer Council Queensland implemented kuando Busylight to add two capabilities to their Teams setup:
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Dedicated call alert with multiple ringtones (eight options)
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Visible presence indication in the office, so colleagues can see who is on a call or available
They could have bought external speakers. They chose Busylight because it added presence visibility and call flashing, not just louder sound.
Rollout
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Implemented as part of the Teams deployment
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Adoption was quick because the value is immediate. staff hear and see calls better, and presence becomes easy to read
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Presence visibility supported better in-office etiquette, reducing mistimed walk-ups
Results
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Improved Teams user experience for staff
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Clear call alerts so fewer calls were missed
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Less interruption in the office, particularly beneficial on the Helpline
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Incoming-call flashing helped staff identify which Teams client is ringing when multiple users are nearby or people are moving around
What they would tell another buyer
If Teams is your softphone, reliable call alerting is non-negotiable. Busylight solves the “quiet speakers” problem, and the presence visibility bonus reduces interruptions at the same time.
“The speakers were too quiet to use for call alert, so we needed a ringer for Teams to ensure our staff wouldn’t miss calls.”
“It’s great to have clearly visible presence. We interrupt each other less when on a call, and it’s become easier to approach the right person at the right time.”
Busylight.com is the sales and marketing department for Plenom A/S, the creator of Kuando Busylight.
Our mission is to increase awareness of Kuando Busylight products, ensuring workplaces worldwide understand the significance and value of implementing our products in the office environment.
We take pride in our products and enjoy inspiring our customers to explore and make use of the diverse features that these small indicator lights offer.