Editor’s Note: This version of the story corrects the spelling for the phone system vendor, Cisco Systems, and updates the link for more information.

By PAIGE ARCANO
Reporter

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — UCM’s campus is getting a major change over spring break: a new phone system.

With the new system, information will no longer be sent via a wire system, but rather a data network system. This will make communication more efficient, using more than just one path for a message, according to a handout from AT&T about voiceover internet protocol.

The proposed cost for set up, activation, equipment and the phones is a one-time fee of a little more than $986,000, according to the contract between AT&T and the university. The annual fee for services is quoted to run about $352,000, with the five-year cost projected to be more than $2.75 million, excluding taxes and additional fees.

Mel Gross, manager of the Technology Support Center at UCM, said this new phone system has single number reach, where one number can be connected to multiple phones if desired.

“You can accessorize the phone, depending on what you need to do,” Gross said.

Gross said the new phone system has Bluetooth and USB capabilities, as well as the option to make video calls.

“There will also be a campus directory on the phone, making it a little more of a menu-driven type interaction,” Gross said. “I’m going to say it; I can’t get away from saying it. It’s a computer in the shape of a phone.”

The board of governors voted to change the phone system during a meeting in June 2016. Mark Schlueter, assistant director of Network Services in UCM’s Office of Technology, said changing phone systems was included in the existing budget since the vote took place before the recently announced budget cuts.

The new system is scheduled to be deployed March 20-24, replacing approximately 1,750 current campus phones, according to a university press release.

“Wherever there is a campus phone, there will be a voice over IP phone,” Gross said.

Gross said there are currently eight different models of handheld phones deployed across campus. She said most of the phones are very basic.

The new phones will be provided by Cisco Systems, with AT&T taking care of service and support. Schlueter said this phone model came out on the market a little more than a year ago.

“This model has pretty much become the business standard phone that Cisco and AT&T employs everywhere,” Schlueter said. “We did research of other models throughout our relationships we have with Cisco and AT&T. We received a very good price offer, competitive price offering on the phone.”

Kevin Carman, the director of education segment marketing with AT&T, said this system is used by a number of businesses and universities like UCM.

“With a migration to this system, there are usually two drivers: it is cost saving, and they want to take advantage of new collaboration tools,” Carman said. “Overall, it is much nicer in terms of these features.”

Schlueter said UCM has had its current phone system since November 2001, so this change was needed.

“General upgrades of what we’ve got on campus were needed due to the age of the system,” Schlueter said. “We are seeing components of it that are starting to wear out.”

Gross said some features that are included in some on-campus phones are not available to all phones, like caller ID and speaker phone, which is a perk of the new system.

“We can’t necessarily give that to all of our customers right now because of our limitations,” Schlueter said. “(The new system) is much more like the intuitiveness of a cell phone to where it is menu driven. A lot of the features and functionality we have on our phone system now are not across all lines of service on campus.”

Gross said there will be preprogrammed buttons for different functions, but the phones will also allow the user to program contacts themselves.

“If you have a frequent contacts list and things like that, you’ll be able to program your own phone for the conveniences you want,” Gross said.

Gross said the phone will be easy to use, but training will be provided to those who need it.

“Because the system is so intuitive, it really is point-and-click kind of a system, I’m not sure how much formal training we’ll do,” Gross said. “Training will probably be available online, video clips to show you how to do things.  We’ll have some written documentation, too.”

For more information about the new phone system, visit https://www.ucmo.edu/ot/unified.cfm.