[IP] The Phones They are A-Changin'
Begin forwarded message:
From: Stuart Gannes <sgannes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: July 19, 2004 3:30:12 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: The Phones They are A-Changin'
Dave, of interest to IP readers.
Stuart Gannes
Stanford University
http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/about/news/2004/06-voip
The Phones They Are A-Changin'
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/images/news/06-voip-7912.jpg>
Related topics
* VoIP background
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/resources/network/telecom/fac-staff/
voip-bg.html>
* Faculty/staff services
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/resources/network/telecom/fac-staff/>
Change is good. Change that makes life easier is even better. That's
the rationale behind Dartmouth's conversion to "voice over Internet
protocol," or VoIP, for faculty and staff with 646 numbers this summer.
The new system will converge the College's telephone and computer—and,
eventually, video—networks into one. For users, this translates to more
services, expanded mobility, and increased flexibility.
"Installation has already started," says Bob Johnson, director of
network services. "We are in the 'discovery' stage now—building the
system, collecting the data, aligning old features with the new. The
phones will be on faculty and staff desks on or about August 12." The
new system will be implemented for Residential Life over the next 12–24
months.
Much of the change will be nearly invisible to users. The new phones
will resemble current models and their operation and basic features
will stay the same. The 646 exchange will not change. However, the new
phones will plug into Ethernet jacks instead of phone jacks or
electrical power, and the system will provide better protection against
power outages, so users will experience enhanced performance.
VoIP also will be less expensive for the College to operate and
upgrade. Dartmouth purchased its current phone system, called a Private
Branch Exchange (PBX), from AT&T in 1988, and upgraded to Ericsson 10
years ago. While state-of-the-art for its time, the PBX infrastructure
has become increasingly expensive to maintain and offers relatively
limited features. The new system, by contrast, boasts a range of
benefits for users, including an on-screen directory; voice mail
improvements, such as a "message-waiting" indicator; and the capability
to use a laptop computer over the campus wireless network as a
telephone.
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/images/news/06-voip-staff.jpg>
Network Services staff will train faculty and staff with 646 numbers
and install Internet phones this summer.
Dartmouth will keep the PBX system for a few years as backup and will
resell or recycle the old phones, says Johnson. "Unfortunately, the old
phones are not worth much money," he adds.
Beginning the week of July 25, Computing Services will host a series of
one-hour training sessions over two weeks for users to get acquainted
with the new system. For more information on the changeover to VoIP,
visit the Telcommunications
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/comp/resources/network/telecom/> pages on
the Computing at Dartmouth Web site.
By Anita Warren
6/29/04
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