One major goal of the UB 2020 Information Technology (IT) Transition is to do away with the old and make room for the new. In this case, a high-tech Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system will replace UB's older, analog system.
Campus-wide changes have been made to UB's current telephone system since May of this year.
"We are replacing existing Verizon Centrex Service and all various individual phone systems across the campus," said Barbara Vasbinder, project manager of the VoIP telephone system replacement project.
Upgrading from the University's current communication system, consisting of 80 separate telephone systems, to a uniform VoIP telephone system will take around three years, Vasbinder said.
The project was put in place to reap in the benefits of having a uniform telephone communication system rather than many telephone systems.
According to Vasbinder, the switch is being made for consistency and to offer VoIP's new features to all faculty and staff. She said that the three-year implementation plan aims to replace approximately 8,000 telephones on North, South and the new Medical Campus Downtown.
"Today we have about 900 Cisco telephones working on the system," Vasbinder said.
Four different new models of Cisco brand phones will replace analog phones on campus. The new phones will be able to connect to existing computer jacks, allowing the telephones to work on the computer network.
The VoIP phones will permit for smoother call forwarding, transferring, conference calls, new voicemail and access to directory services. Telephone features may be accessed using an individual's voice on the computer network.
"Everyone will have direct-dial numbers, voicemail and the possibility of upgrading to unified messaging in the future, which is the ability to integrate your voicemail and email messages," Vasbinder said.
According to Vasbinder, one of the main goals of the project is to achieve cost-reducing benefits.
"One of the major goals is to reduce the cost for the University in providing telephone service," Vasbinder said. "The new infrastructure is based on servers that will be housed on campus as opposed to the Verizon central office."
Due to the unification of all old systems to one new system network, when a person places an emergency call on one of the new VoIP phones, the University Police and other emergency services will know from where the call was placed.
"Another benefit is to be able to update and maintain correct location information for the purpose of a 911 database," Vasbinder said.
Each telephone will also come with a direct dial number that will eliminate extension numbers in the departments where they are not needed. A faculty or staff member who already has a direct-dial number will have the same telephone number at the end of the telephone communication transformation. Staff and faculty members who do not have one will be provided one by the end of the transition.
And for a more seamless transition, after having the VoIP telephone installed, training sessions will be provided about the Cisco phones.
