Converged Communications in Higher Ed:
Coming to Campuses Near You
May 2007
Change is in the air for Northwestern's telecommunications infrastructure — and we are not alone. A majority of colleges and universities are deploying voice over IP (VoIP) in some capacity, according to a recent survey of technology professionals in higher education.
In particular, large research institutions are especially likely to be deploying converged communication technology.
"The impetus here at Northwestern is similar to that of our peers," said Dave Carr, NUIT's director of Telecommunications and Network Services. "We must respond to the obsolescence of our traditional phone network — but the good news is that the replacement technology is going to bring some really exciting capabilities for the University."
Some of these opportunities include new services, greater mobility, and new ways of communicating. All of this is made possible by delivering several communications services over a single network, made possible through Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP is an industry-standard protocol which enables the delivery of services over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the NU Network.
Like Northwestern, many other colleges and universities see great potential for SIP on their campuses. Most anticipate improved messaging systems and expanded emergency response capabilities on the horizon. For example, at Northwestern, the geographical diversity of the new system makes the campus more secure in case of a disaster — if the network fails in Chicago, the Evanston equipment can jump in to continue service.
For more information about telecommunications trends in higher education, visit the Association for Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education (ACUTA) Survey on VoIP Deployment in Higher Education at www.acuta.org.
For more information about Northwestern's converged communications initiative, visit the NUIT Web site.
