eCommunicator for Faculty & Staff

2006 Faculty/Staff Edition - Volume 3 > The VoIP Buzz

The VoIP Buzz: A Progress Report

June 2006

The NU Network Soon to Take on Voice Traffic
Every big project needs a big timeline, be it rebuilding the Dan Ryan or constructing Chicago's new Trump Tower. Northwestern's VoIP project is no exception.

Though it will take years to complete the vision of the converged communications plan, the first phases are well under way and off to a good start. And just like road construction, a lot of work upfront now will yield great returns in the years to come.

This summer, Chicago campus users will be the first who can switch from plain old telephone service (POTS) to an Internet protocol (IP)-enabled service that operates via the NU Network. To make the switch, a freeze on phone changes will occur.

"The user won't notice a difference when these switches happen, but from an infrastructure standpoint, changing over to IP-enabled service is a major milestone," said David Carr, NUIT's director of Telecommunications and Network Services. "In the next phase, SIP-enabling, users will notice the difference because they'll be able to use the services of a typical VoIP phone, like being able to make calls from a computer."

SIP stands for session initiated protocol, an industry-standard protocol that integrates the delivery of voice, audio and videoconferencing, call forwarding, and secure instant messaging over the NU Network. Laying this kind of infrastructure is the next logical step for the University's aging phone system, allowing for new forms of productivity and greater efficiency.

The converged communications team anticipates that the advanced features of SIP will be available to all Northwestern users as we move forward.

Once Chicago phones are running on the NU Network, it will be Evanston's turn to switch over to IP-enabled service, scheduled for late 2006 through early 2007.

For more information, NUIT's converged communications Web site provides additional information about this multi-year conversion plan for SIP and VoIP.

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