University at Buffalo goes completely VoIP

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.

VoIP telephones to replace all campus telephones

Tags: VoIP, Cisco, Cisco telephones, analog phones, communication system, UB 2020, University at Buffalo