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About VoIP @ UIC and the Benefits of VoIP VoIP (Voice over IP) refers to the technology that allows special telephone handsets to work over the UIC network. Early adopters may already know a bit about VoIP; if you have used services like Skype, and certain Instant Messengers you probably have already experimented with transmitting your voice over the internet using their proprietary software and technology. The implementation of VoIP at UIC is a major improvement upon these early VoIP products and services. Through the use of specialized hardware, software and servers we are now able to deliver high quality, high reliability telephone service over the network. How does it work? Using specialized equipment from Cisco corporation (a pioneer in the development of totally integrated enterprise VoIP systems) we are able to deploy handsets that have all of the same functionality as traditional handsets. These handsets interact with a server over the internet and allow you to place calls to regular telephone users, as well as other VoIP users. The handsets have tons of features and functionality - they are the evolution of a traditional telephone. What are the benefits of VoIP? Through our VoIP deployment at UIC we are able to achieve institutional cost savings; in addition VoIP handsets support fuller and more customizable featureset giving departments more control over the way their telephone equipment operates. By converting to VoIP you will be able to take advantage of more features and gain efficiencies by customizing your configuration for the way that you do business. The convergence of these technologies over the network will allow us to focus our development efforts at improving TCP/IP communications. With VoIP the possibilities are endless! I Want a VoIP Phone - Can I Have One? While the long term plan is to deploy VoIP everywhere on campus, we are in the early stages of the implementation. Certain technical requirements (routers, wiring, etc.) present barriers to implementation in certain locations on campus. We are currently working on converting wiring and hardware in these "VoIP challenged" locations, but in the short term there are many locations on campus where the deployment is feasible. To find out if you and your department qualifies for VoIP please visit our "Location Check" guide to see a listing of the status of your building and office. I Want to Learn More! Please take a look at the rest of these VoIP pages to learn more about VoIP @ UIC. |