"Why does the Peregrina Foundation choose peoplefone? Because data security is our top priority."
The Peregrina Foundation has been operating asylum accommodations on behalf of the Canton of Thurgau since 1986. In the year prior, the federal government had mandated the cantons to create structures for housing asylum seekers. By the end of 2024, the Peregrina Foundation was represented at 17 locations, providing 20 accommodations and a total of 690 beds. Currently, around 90 employees work for the foundation.
Which telephony solution did you use at the Peregrina Foundation before switching to MS Teams at the beginning of September 2025?
We had Swisscom landline connections at our various locations and an XPhone solution for our administrative staff. We were no longer satisfied, particularly with the fact that we did not have a uniform block of numbers and could not set up uniform configurations.
Why did you need a new solution?
We used to source part of our IT from the Canton of Thurgau. However, since the Canton of Thurgau discontinued the telephony and IT services we had previously received as of mid-2025, we were forced to look for a new solution. At the same time, this situation gave us the opportunity to modernize our entire IT infrastructure. We didn't just want to find a successor solution, but wanted to seize the opportunity to switch to a more uniform and contemporary telephony system.
Why did you choose Upgreat as the installation company and MS Teams?
Upgreat won the public tender. We are very pleased with their offer and the cooperation. It was clear to us that we would switch to MS Teams, as we were already using Microsoft 365 programs at the time. In addition, we wanted a solution that includes telephony and chat functions. And finally, compared to similar cloud offerings, MS Teams was clearly the most attractive solution in terms of price.
In your opinion, what are the biggest advantages of the new setup?
In addition to the good price-performance ratio, the many configuration options that can be adapted specifically to our needs are clearly a huge advantage. Different teams are deployed at our locations, and they are now easily and straightforwardly connected to each other via a shared phone number. The effort required to make such configurations is not particularly high once MS Teams is set up.
What role did the installation company Upgreat play in the transition?
They took over the entire setup for MS Teams in the tenant. I was able to pass on our preferences, for example for call forwarding, to the responsible system engineer in an Excel sheet, and she then took care of the integration. We are now largely responsible for the operations ourselves.
How did the transition go? Were there any reactions from the employees to the new solution?
Upgreat did a very good job. The switch went smoothly, and we didn't have a single problem with the telephony. The internal transition was received very positively by the employees and went better overall than I had expected. (laughs) Previously, classic mobile phones were used in the asylum accommodations, but now the employees make calls using headsets—and they managed well right from the start.
How do you assess the cooperation with Upgreat and peoplefone as partners?
The cooperation with both companies is straightforward, accommodating, and very satisfactory. We received good advice from Upgreat right from the start and got exactly the solution we wanted. At peoplefone, we highly appreciate the strong awareness of data privacy, which is reflected, among other things, by the exclusive data storage in Switzerland. As a public-law foundation, we have stricter data protection regulations than other organizations or companies, so that is a big plus for us.
From an interview with Robin Scherpenhuyzen, Head of IT at the Peregrina Foundation