Telephone and Voice Mail Services

Welcome to the Telephone Services' upgrade to VoIP information wiki. If you are seeking general Telephone Services guidance, please use go/phone.

Project Objectives:

The objective is to replace the current legacy TDM voice system with a Voice over IP system. Legacy vendors have discontinued TDM products. Installing a VoIP system will bring an open-ended set of features and functions that can be integrated with future technological functions.

Business Goals

• Current telephone system is near end-of-life and all manufacturer support ends on March 15, 2015.
• Voice over IP will be a platform to build application features such as mobility, softphones, integrated conference calling via audio or video, unified messaging, and one number reach among others.
• A VoIP system will integrate with our existing monitoring infrastructure for measuring service availability
• Potentially lower expenses for telephone equipment as less desk sets required.
• Voice services will become part of the network and will no longer be a separate maintenance cost for support of the infrastructure.

Scope of Work/Intended Results:

• Identify available technologies (include integration possibilities with remote campuses).
• Prioritize technologies in order of importance.
• Either write RFP or hire a consultant to write it.
• Evaluate proposals and narrow choices.
• Engage campus users of system on what they would like (buy-in from project stakeholders).
• Provide capital budget for project (Including network upgrades required, e.g. PoE).
• Arrange vendor presentations.
• Choose vendor and negotiate contract.

Scope Exclusions:

• Implementation. (a separate project or part 2).
• Management of system and training (part of separate implementation project).
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy with regard to mobile applications.

Measurements:

• Having a prioritized list of features and technologies for a new telephony system.
• Having a RFP in hand.
• Having a cost estimate that we feel comfortable with.
• Engagement & consensus from stakeholders.
• Milestones achieved.

Resources:

A summary of UCLA's ACUTA survey