Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. Some VoIP services may only allow you to call other people using the same service, but others may allow you to call anyone who has a telephone number – including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. Also, while some VoIP services only work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, other services allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP adapter.
VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter. In addition, wireless “hot spots” in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP),
The What, Why, and the Competitive Advantage
You may have heard about the VoIP project, or better yet, you may have received a new telephone with additional features and functionality. VoIP services have been working on upgrading and advancing the voice and data communication infrastructure and deploying new VoIP telephones. There will be nearly 1000 new VoIP enabled telephones in use in UMB schools and departments this fall. VOIP SERVICES will continue to roll-out these new phones over the next couple of years. The following information explains what this technology is, and why we are implementing it at UMB.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other IP-based communication services are contemporary and mature technology solutions. Voice “traffic” can now be transmitted over a packet-switching technology, which essentially means that voice “packets” can be sent and received like data and video “packets” over a converged campus network and across the Internet. IP communications provides the foundation for future developments in networking and telephony services. It increases the availability of modern communications products, features and functionality to our campus community while at the same time controlling infrastructure costs.
The fact is that Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) is rapidly becoming outdated and VoIP provides services that POTS never imagined. At UMB, our current telephone equipment is at end of life, and we need to advance to a more contemporary solution. The current VoIP solution offers many new features as compared to the existing UMB telephone service, such as:
• Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Screening, Three Way Calling, Automatic Redialing, Call Forwarding and Call Logs of Missed, Received and Placed Calls, etc
• It provides much better Call Conferencing capabilities.
• It offers enhanced 911, so that the physical location of the phone is automatically transmitted to emergency services.
• Simplification of adding, moving, and deleting phones on the system.
• Location independence within the UMB VoIP enabled network, i.e., VoIP phones can be moved from one location to another without a technician’s assistance.
• Secure calls are made using standardized protocols.
• Potential to save toll cost to dedicated off-site locations
• Unified messaging that provides access to e-mail and voice messages on one device
• Mobility for users to log onto any networked telephone and have calls to their extension routed to any phone from which they are working, including cell phones
• Person directory look up and calling capability
• Speed dialing
• Integration with other services over the network and Internet, including emergency notifications, video conversations, message or data file exchange with the conversation, audio conferencing, managing address books, etc.
• Advanced telephony features such as screen pops, interactive voice response and other possibilities, because the VoIP phone is on the same network as a computer
• Mobility will be increased with VoIP enabled cordless phones which will provide Wi-Fi and WiMax connections.
• Ability to follow a mobile employee with a fixed telephone number between and away from offices.
• More cost effective to support one network for voice, data and video as opposed to two – 1 for voice, 1 for data and video
• The infrastructure and technology allows for other benefits, including: improved organizational efficiency, e.g., improving help desk call centers, strengthening disaster recovery and business continuity plans since the recovery of a single converged network typically takes less time than recovering separate voice and data networks, etc.
IP convergence is happening throughout higher education, at other academic health, human services centers and law schools, and in companies across the globe. All organizations are looking to add value to their operations and to remain competitive in pursuing new opportunities and recruiting and retaining personnel. IP telephony helps build that competitive advantage. With converged networks come additional services, including better security, messaging, collaboration and more. UMB is poised to take advantage of opportunities with IPC and VOIP SERVICES is preparing for this transition and looking forward to working with and collaborating with schools and departments to make it happen.