General
When will Tech get its new telecommunications
system?
The initial phase of the conversion to the new system
will take place in the calendar year 2006.
Will campus phone numbers change as a result
of the new system?
No, students, faculty and staff with campus phones will
retain their existing numbers.
What will the new telephone system include?
The new telephone system will include local and long
distance services, maintenance, and support by an on-site dedicated team.
In addition to the phone on your desk, it will also include modems, elevator
phones, fire alarm notifications, fax machines and hearing and speech
impaired devices.
Telecommunications technology continues to evolve.
How can we ensure our new system won't quickly become obsolete?
We are committed to ensuring that our new system will
be enabled initially with interfaces to rapidly emerging, innovative technologies.
Who is the vendor that will be providing our new
system?
BellSouth has been selected to replace campus voice
services.
Will the recent AT&T acquisition of BellSouth impact Georgia Tech's conversion to the new system?
No, the same BellSouth personnel will remain dedicated to the project, and AT&T has pledged that all existing customer contracts will be adhered to.
What is our current telephone system?
Our current system is an ESSX Centrex provided by the
Georgia Technology Authority (GTA). It will be replaced by a state-of-the
art-system that will provide us with the flexibility to adopt emerging
technologies.
How do you know we even need a new system?
Because we surveyed our customers and the findings revealed
that we had exceeded the service expectations of our existing Centrex
system. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) survey of campus units
clearly determined that the Institute needed a new telephone system. As
a result, a business case was prepared and the decision was made to replace
our existing system.
How will you ensure our new telephone system is
secure?
As with any endeavor Tech pursues, we focus on
the most secure architecture and design. Ensuring that our voice system
has been conservatively designed and built for secure, stable voice services
was a primary consideration in our vendor selection process.
My organization will be moving to a new building
in 2006. Should we wait on the new telephone system or proceed as
normal?
You should proceed as normal. It is important to remember
that the first phase of the new system (which will occur beginning summer,
2006) will simply replace existing telephone service.
Will locations other than the main campus convert
to the new system?
Yes. The main campus will be converted first, the Savannah
campus will be phase two and the GTRI Cobb County location will be phase
three (if the options are exercised).
My College has different Schools located in different
buildings. Will we cutover to the new system by College or by building?
We will cutover by building. Our plan is to cutover
multiple buildings on multiple weekends.
What is the length of our new contract with BellSouth?
Five years (one year plus four maintenance options).
Will units be able to influence when a building
is converted to the new system?
We will work with units to determine the conversion
date. Building readiness is a major factor that will influence the cutover
date. We can’t convert a location until the facilities have been
installed. Once buildings are ready we will coordinate, with the building
tenants, to find best times for cutover.
Will the new system enable me to view my organization’s
bill on-line?
The final billing strategy has not yet been determined.
When implemented, our goal is to make the process user friendly, current
and accurate.
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Equipment and Features
How can I be sure that I will have Caller ID?
You must be sure that your telephone set will support
caller ID. For example, many Panasonic phones currently on campus do not
provide the Caller ID feature whereas some of the AT&T models (958,
959, 960) do. It is important to check for Caller ID capability prior
to purchasing a set.
My Business Unit has unique needs. How can I be
sure someone from my organization is involved in this effort?
As the project develops, we will ask the Business Units
to identify a resource to work closely with us to ensure unique needs
are understood, configured and implemented properly.
What about my telephone set—will it have
to be replaced?
It depends - your campus telephone set will be replaced
if you have a digital/ISDN set. Analog phones will not have to be replaced.
When we get the new system, what new or improved
features will it provide?
To name just a few, the new system will provide improved
voice mail capabilities, call waiting, call forwarding, call center software
and web-based conferencing calling. More importantly, improved services
for adding, moving or changing equipment and features will be provided.
My organization is considering going to Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Should we wait?
Yes. Many factors will impact this decision including
money and timing. We would want to make a conversion to a new technology
part of our agreement with BellSouth.
What is the responsibility of BellSouth versus
Nortel?
Tech’s contract is with BellSouth and BellSouth
has sub-contracted with Nortel for the equipment.
Does the contract cover cell phones, BlackBerry
devices or pagers?
No.
Does the new contract include long distance service?
The new contract gives Tech the flexibility of choosing
the most cost effective long distance provider.
Will Georgia Tech be implementing authorization codes for long distance?
Georgia Tech is not implementing authorization codes for long distance at this time. However, it is possible that they will be implemented in the future.
We are in the process of purchasing some new ISDN
phones. Should we proceed?
We recommend no additional purchases of ISDN phones
because they will not work with the new system.
What will we do with the ISDN phones that are
currently on campus?
We will surplus them in accordance with Procurement
guidelines.
Will the new system impact the campus blue
phones?
Yes, the blue phones (emergency phones) will
be cutover to the new system. A specific plan will be developed to ensure
that there is no disruption in emergency phone service.
What about alarms—how will building alarms
be handled? Fire alarms? Silent Nights? CO2 monitors?
The present plan would be to leave alarm terminations
in place and not change to new systems.
When I get my new voice mail, can I just enter the system and change my password or do I have to listen to the entire tutorial?
You must complete the tutorial or the password that you have attempted to change will revert back to your ten-digit phone number.
How long can a voice mail message be saved in the new system?
In the new system, a voice mail message can be saved for 14 days.
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Training
Will I be trained on how to use the new system?
Our approach will be to put as much information as possible
on the web in the form of tutorials and useful information. We will offer
classes for those wanting hands on experiences.
How far in advance of a building’s conversion
to the new system will training occur?
A variety of Just-in-Time training tools, including
user guides, web tutorials and information, and hands-on training will
be provided.
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Contact Information
Who should I contact for additional information?
Please contact Sam Rundles, T3 Project Director, at (404)
894-0497.
Go to the Comments and Questions page of this site and submit your question or request.
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