Introducing I-Phone
IP Telephony Services
for the
University of Florida
I-Phone is a new solutions-offering presented by OIT-Telecom that takes
advantage of the convergence of voice and data networks.
The I-Phone service is part of the “services-to-wallplate”
model that is offered by OIT-Network Services and is designed to ultimately
provide an enterprise communications solution for the University of Florida.
What is IP Telephony?
IP Telephony, also known as Voice-over-IP (VoIP),
represents a new method of providing telephone service. Historically, telephone
systems have used dedicated equipment to provide only telephone service. The
equipment includes telephone switches, circuits to connect the switches,
telephone sets, and so forth. Rather than using dedicated equipment, IP
Telephony will use much of the same infrastructure as a data network. It will
achieve this by converting sound into small packets of data and transporting
them via the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) between telephone sets.
There are
various ways to implement IP Telephony and they include the following options:
1.
Replace
circuits (trunks) between telephone switches with VoIP.
2.
Replace the
telephone sets, dedicated telephone lines and smaller telephone switches with
IP Telephony equipment.
OIT-Telecom is
primarily focusing on option "2".
In this scenario, the telephone set actually plugs into the data network
"jack" rather than a telephone "jack." As part of the
“services-to-wallplate” model, the network infrastructure and management will
need to be in place so that your I-Phone service will be ensured
the highest quality of service.
What are the Advantages of IP Telephony
What are some of
the current issues being worked on?
What features
are available?
When will on-campus IP telephone service be available?
Now --- as part of the “services-to-wallplate” model, I-Phone service is currently available. Current projects that have deployed I-Phone service include the new Rinker School of
Building Construction building and the Health, Pharmacy and Nursing Professionals
(HPNP) facility (via HealthNet).
Upcoming projects will include the Fisher School of Accounting Building
and the Constans Theatre Addition.
Description of I-Phone deployment:
The current I-Phone deployment consists of Cisco System’s AVVID
technology. This converged technology
includes the use of four distributed, physically redundant Cisco
CallManagers. The CallManagers operate
as a single cluster and provide a current capacity of approximately 5,000
devices. OIT-NS and OIT-Telecom have
also deployed Cisco’s Unity server for voice mail features. A unified communications offering that
integrates voice mail and email will be provided as a future service. Each core PoP location has vlans for IP
Telephony. The voice vlans are secured
using access lists defined on each core PoP.
All production I-Phone sets are in campus “service-to-wallplate” buildings and are connected
with Cisco switches capable of providing in-line power insertion. Access to the public telephone network is
provided using two physically redundant Cisco 6608 VoIP gateways, each
connected via the BellSouth SmartRing to PRI circuits. These Gateways also
provide conference bridge resources for the voice conferencing capabilities
available with this service.
Who do I contact for I-Phone
Telephone Service, Installation or Repair?
Please call
OIT-Telecom at 392.1146.
How do I use my new Cisco IP Telephone?
Link to Cisco
IP phone Tutorial
For Additional Information Please Contact:
John Madey
Associate Director
OIT-Telecom
Tel: 392.1146
jmadey@ufl.edu
and visit: University
of Florida VoIP Service
Advantages of IP Telephony:
- Decreased costs - as the investment for I-Phone service is maximized, the University of
Florida will realize a significant cost savings in its total costs of
ownership and operation. The
immediate cost savings benefits will include:
1.
Single
cable and backbone infrastructure supporting both Voice and Data
2.
Decreased
cost of telephone moves (see below)
3.
Reduced
Centrex services line costs.
- Long distance savings - As IP Telephony deployment matures across the
country and into various business enterprises, there will be some savings
in long distance services, especially for our international calling
users.
- Mobility (moves, adds, changes) - When someone moves offices today, there is a
corresponding change in the cabling path to reach their telephone set in
its new location. With IP Telephony, in many cases you will be able to
simply move your phone from one place to another. Without any additional
changes your telephone number will move with the telephone. This is part
of the expected significant savings the University will realize with an
enterprise wide voice / communications solution.
- Increase in service options - As IP Telephony gains in popularity there will
be an increasing number of applications and capabilities.
1.
Open
systems architecture and non-proprietary devices - With standards, many people
will be able to create applications
2.
Unified
Messaging – voice mail, email accessible seamlessly through various interfaces
3.
WEB enabled
call centers - It will become easier to integrate communications capabilities
like web pages, telephones, pagers, voice-mail, e-mail, etc.
4.
Corporate
Directory and other portal services from your I-Phone.
5.
Integration of video and
teleconferencing: Large scale
teleconferencing is available today using IP telephony services via the video
MCU provided by OIT’s Video and Collaboration Services unit.
- Future campus “dial
tone” services -
With IP Telephony it will eventually be possible to simply take your
telephone set to other locations, even off campus, and it will still
function as if it were on campus.
Additionally, wireless IP telephony opportunities will be explored
as those solutions emerge. VoIP
Gatekeepers will also be deployed that will allow for H.323 based calls
over the Internet and Internet2 networks.
What are some of the current issues being
worked on?
- Line Power - Today's telephones are reliable, in part,
because they are powered through the telephone cord and telephone systems
have battery backed up power. The
network infrastructure for a campus building will have to be addressed and
will include an analysis of the line power requirements before an IP phone
can be deployed. IP telephones
will receive battery back-up power through the communications cable via a
power-insertion switch, therefore making it as reliable as current phone
systems.
- Availability/Reliability/Redundancy - Telephone systems are 99.999% available and
people have come to expect that. Data networks must be modern and reliable
to provide the expected level of IP telephony service. This is one reason why the IP telephony
service is delivered as part of the “services-to-wallplate”
solutions-offering by OIT-Network Services.
- E911 Service - When you dial 911 on a regular telephone, the
system delivers the number and usually the owner’s name of the telephone
that made the call. This same service is available on IP telephone systems
and works correctly if the location of the telephone set was entered
correctly. E911 Service is also being
addressed by OIT-Telecom for the whole campus under a separate project.
- Security - People expect a high degree of security in telephone
use. Since IP telephony is
available on the network, OIT-NS and OIT-Telecom have designed in specific
security measures to ensure that critical IP telephony components are
available. This includes the use
of vlans and filters to manage the VoIP traffic.
- Quality of Service - Telephone systems today set up a temporary but
dedicated link between the two parties who are speaking. In contrast, IP
networks do not have dedicated network capacity and therefore the quality of
the network may affect IP telephony calls. QoS management will be part of the service offering via the
“services-to-wallplate” solution from OIT-Network Services and will ensure
that VoIP traffic is handled with a priority status.
- Standards - IP Telephony systems today are proprietary.
This includes the telephone sets, the "call manager" and other
components. Forth-coming standards will eventually solve this problem.
Until that time, all components must be from one vendor.
I-Phone Service- Features:
q Answer/answer release
q Call connection
q Call coverage
q Call forward—all (off-net/on-net)
q Call forward—busy
q Call forward—no answer
q Call hold/retrieve
q Call park/pickup
q Call pickup group-universal
q Call status per line (state, duration,
number)
q Call waiting/retrieve
q Calling Line Identification (CLID)
q Calling party name identification (CNID)
q Direct inward dial (DID)
q Direct outward dial (DOD)
q Directory dial from phone—corporate,
personal
q Directories—missed, placed, received calls
list stored on selected IP phones
q Distinctive ring (on-net versus off-net)
q Distinctive ring per phone
q Drop last conference party (ad-hoc
conferences)
q Hands-free, full-duplex speakerphone
q HTML help access from phone
q Last number redial (off-net/on-net)
q Message waiting indication
q Multiparty conference—Ad-hoc with add-on,
Meet-me
q Multiple line appearances per phone
q Mute capability from speakerphone and
handset
q On-hook dialing
q Recent dial list—calls to phone, calls from
phone, auto-dial, and edit dial
q Single directory number, multiple
phones—bridged line appearances
q Speed dial—multiple speed dials per phone
q Station volume controls (audio, ringer)
q Transfer—with consultation hold
q User-configured speed dial and call forward
through Web access
q Web services access from phone
q
Unity Voice
Mail
