New Telephone System for SIUC in 2003

NEW TELEPHONE SYSTEM FOR SIUC IN 2003

The University will see a new telephone system placed into operation during 2003. The SIU Board of Trustees approved an upgrade to SIUC's telecommunication system at their November meeting. Shared Technologies Fairchild, a Division of Allegiance Telecom, Inc., was selected from eight bidders.

The changeover process to the new system is planned for May 30, 2003, and will be transparent to campus telephone users. All telephone instruments on campus will remain the same, as will telephone features and long distance authorization numbers. However, the new voice mail system will require using different access methods than what is in place with the present voice mail service. There will also be new applications and features available with the new system for those departments desiring to take advantage of them. These will be introduced across campus on a planned basis beginning this summer.

Updates about the new system and training information will be posted on the Telecommunications Services website (SIUC Telecommunications Services). Press the "News" button for the most up-to-date information, and check it often.

For those more technologically inclined, we offer the following information about the new system.

The new system is a Nortel MSL100. It consists of the base switching system, telecommunications management system, voice mail system, automatic call distribution software, and first year warranty on all new equipment and software purchased and installed by Shared Technologies. Also included in the contract award are four years of additional maintenance on the new equipment and software, as well as a total of five years maintenance on all other existing telecommunications equipment presently working on the Carbondale campus.

This system will allow the Nortel remote switching centers purchased in 1986 to work with the new hardware and software of the Nortel switching platform, thus extending their service life. There are three switching centers on campus. The main switch is located in the Student Center and the two remote switches are located in the Communications Building and Grinnell Hall.

At no additional cost, Shared Technologies included fiber optic switching equipment to replace existing outdated analog telecommunications equipment linking the two remote switching centers to the main switching center. This equipment can also be utilized for transporting video and data communications at high speeds across the campus in the future. This equipment also has the capability to provide a self-healing ring in case of a failure of any of the switching centers.

A wireless gateway server was also included at no additional cost. This server will support the University's venture into voice service over the Internet and provide a solid footprint for convergence of campus voice, video, and data communications into a single network rather than the current multiple infrastructures currently being utilized.

Another benefit the University will receive from Shared Technologies at no additional cost, will be the next software upgrade estimated to be in 2004.

The Nortel MSL100 will provide the University with the same reliability and component redundancy utilized over the past 15 years through Verizon's switching center located in the Carbondale downtown office, and at the same time, provide the University with ownership of the system.

For more information about the new telephone system, access the Nortel Networks website at www.nortelnetworks.com/products/01/sl-100.

Nortel Presentation to SIUC on the Meridian SL-100.