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Cisco – VOIP PhonesCisco – VOIP PhonesDeployment StrategyDeployment Strategy

& & Unified Messaging Server ImplementationUnified Messaging Server Implementation

The Pennsylvania State University - College of Engineering Electronic & Computer Services (ECS)

L:\Big-Ten-Conference2003\VOIP-Implementation-Big10.ppt rev. 10/03 - sbp)

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IntroductionIntroduction

• Tom LongTom Long – College of Engineering - VoIP ‘Unified Messaging’ Administrator – Electronic and Computer Services (ECS) – In charge of the Unity ‘Unified Messaging’ Server

(Voice mail into Email)

• Sue Pysher Sue Pysher – College of Engineering - Training and Support Coordinator– Electronic and Computer Services (ECS) – In charge of providing VoIP training for users on new

phone system• Training and documentation provided to users

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Format for DiscussionFormat for Discussion

• Introduction – Introduction – Reasons for DeploymentReasons for Deployment

– Why we considered VoIP

– Pricing

– Added features

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Format for DiscussionFormat for Discussion

• Topic #1 - Topic #1 - VoIP Deployment StrategyVoIP Deployment Strategy– VoIP Implementation –

• Replacement of Existing Phones with VoIP Phone Models

• Initial implementation procedures

• Implementation timeframes

• User concerns after information sessions

– Hurdles Encountered During Initial Phase• Major issues – scheduling, phone lines, email, training

– What Worked & What Could be Improved• What we learned from our first year of implementation

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Format for Discussion (cont’d)Format for Discussion (cont’d)

• Topic #2Topic #2 - Unified Messaging Server - Unified Messaging Server ImplementationImplementation

– How Voicemail is ported into Email

– Working across borders

– Questions

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IntroductionIntroduction

• Introduction – Introduction – Reason for DeploymentReason for Deployment– University is trying to entice subscribers to convert to

VoIP• University lowered the monthly telephone cost from $18/month

to $11/month

• University lowered the monthly voicemail cost from $8/month to $4/month

• Subsidized the price of the phone

• The College of Engineering only agreed to start converting to VoIP if Unified messaging could be offered to our users. The University could not offer Unified Messaging so the College decided to add the service (College of Engineering does not charge for voicemail)

Topic #1 - VoIP Deployment Topic #1 - VoIP Deployment StrategyStrategy

Sue PysherTraining & Support

Coordinatorspysher@engr.psu.edu

www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ www.engr.psu.edu/unity

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VoIP Deployment Strategy – VoIP Deployment Strategy – Existing Phones Being ReplacedExisting Phones Being Replaced

• Existing Phone Systems in the College– Merlins– Meridians– Standard Phone Sets (and answering machines)

• Plan – Replace with Cisco VoIP Phones– 3 Cisco Phone Models

• 7910 – 1-line phone – w/ limited features• 7940 – 2-line phone• 7960 – 6-line phone

– Add-on expansion module• 7914 – for additional phone lines - expensive

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Pre-Installation, Pre-Installation, InstallationInstallation, & , & Post-Post-InstallationInstallation

• PRE-InstallationPRE-Installation - What Happens BEFORE the phone is installed?

– ‘Informational’ meeting – University Personnel

• General information about new VOIP phone system

– Capabilities– Phone Models available– Timeframe– Plan to meet with

Individual Areas

– University Personnel will contact and meet with people within an area

• Determine phone configurations – work group issues, etc., phone model requested

– Forms are completed – official request made

• 6-8 weeks prior to implementation to obtain phones

– Training & documentation provided

• InstallationInstallation – – Phones installed

by University Personnel – new phones activated

• Post-InstallationPost-Installation – What Happens AFTER the phone is installed

– Setup by User of:• Ring Type, Volume – under

[Settings]

• VoiceMail Greeting

• VoiceMail

• <any other settings>

– Download/Install ViewMail Setup for Email client (optional-Exchange clients)

• Information at www.engr.psu.edu/unity/

– Check Phone numbers & test out phone

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Timeframes for VoIP ImplementationTimeframes for VoIP Implementation

Action Date(s) & Location DescriptionInformational Meetings – Introduction to VOIP

Week 1 Brief informational meetings to provide an overview of VOIP and its capabilities (J. Stimely & ECS (formerly CEDCC) staff)

Individual Group Meetings(within your area/dept)

Week 2 Individual group meetings to discuss/identify VOIP phone set requirements & line setup (J. Stimely)

Submit phone set order & TSR

Week 3 ITS submits phone set order and TSR

Training & Documentation available

Weeks prior to actual phone installation & activation

Training on phones provided in Training Lab (153J Hammond) ECS (formerly CEDCC)

Closet equipment installation

Week 12 ITS Telecommunications closet equipment installation & patching cables to identified faceplates

Phones placed within area & accounts configured

Week 13 VOIP phones placed in offices by ITS and accounts configured – phones NOT activated

Phones activated – service cutover

Week 14 ITS & Verizon move service over to the new VOIP phone sets – old phones would not work after cutover

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User Concerns about VoIP Phones User Concerns about VoIP Phones Following Informational MeetingsFollowing Informational Meetings

• Major Issues:– Loss of ‘Intercom’ capability

• Existing Merlin phone system provided intercom feature

– Wireless phone issues• Lack of wireless phone support with VoIP

– Limited speed dials• Dean’s Office had many speed dials on Merlin system

– They didn’t want to give up the number of speed dials they had with their existing Merlin system

Hurdles Encountered Hurdles Encountered

During First Deployment of During First Deployment of

VoIP PhonesVoIP Phones

Dealing with less-than-ideal situations

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Coordinating Phone Installations, Coordinating Phone Installations, Onsite Training, & Phone IssuesOnsite Training, & Phone Issues

• 24-hour rollover with Verizon– We needed to tentatively schedule dates/times, assuming that the

installation of phones would be completed and phones activated• Onsite training needed to coincide with the phone activation date• If activation dates/times changed, it affected our scheduled training

• Dealing with phone line changes & hardware issues– Phone numbers configured incorrectly, changes, etc.– Expansion modules – issues with main office phone

• Some departments wanted to use the expansion modules for ‘speed-dial’ capabilities, others wanted to be able to see the line appearance and know when the faculty/staff phone line was in use

– Tom was available onsite and was able to correct or address any problems that occurred with TNS

• Problems were addressed immediately and we avoided user frustration

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Training Onsite – Not Ideal SituationTraining Onsite – Not Ideal Situation

• Training onsiteTraining onsite within department was not idealnot ideal, but was the only alternative– Training conducted within department’s main office area

• Interruptions – phones ringing, students needing assistance, etc.• Faculty needed to leave for class or meetings• Some faculty had not returned for Fall Semester

– Documentation was available – that saved us! www.ecs.psu.edu/training/ • Brief Overview - since some users didn’t attend ‘Informational’ meeting• Checklist for ‘Setting Up Your Phone’ – they could set up themselves• Quick reference & Quick card for each phone model

– Had users set up recorded greeting and settings, then tested out basic features among the office staff

• Transferring calls, conference calls, call forwarding, etc.

– Assisted Individual Faculty members• Time-consuming – all day• Email issues -- Eudora users (POP clients - setting options)

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Email Issues -- a Major HurdleEmail Issues -- a Major Hurdle

• EMAIL Issues VariedEMAIL Issues Varied– Primarily Outlook and Eudora users in College

• Outlook users– No problem – most were set up as Exchange clients using our ENGR mail server– Ability to access voicemail via phone, Webmail, or through Outlook

• Eudora was another issue altogether– Many users set up to use the University’s Mail Server, not ENGR’s mail server– Mail was forwarded and accessing voicemail using phone or Webmail not available

unless changes were made to the mail server configured or forwarding changed– POP clients – once mail was pulled down from the server, voicemail attachments not

accessible using the phone, Webmail or through email from a remote location– Options to ‘Leave Mail on Server’ needed to be set where they weren’t before

• Our Salvation – brief ‘handout’ of Email scenarios (POP clients)– Handout listed various email option settings and what a user could and

could not do concerning voicemail access using phone, email, and Webmail– Tom L. was also available to answer email questions and solve problems– Documentation was available online as well as hard copy

• www.ecs.psu.edu/training/networkmanual.htm

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What We’ve Learned So Far…What We’ve Learned So Far…• What Worked…What Worked…

– Inform and involve users from the beginning

• Overview meetings were really important– Allow them to see and touch the phone(s)

• Sell them on the features and capabilities– Give them some ownership in department

plans • Include them in decision-making process for

their phones– Answer questions before implementation

• Allow users to voice concerns– Explain email considerations prior to

installation• This is really important –configurations or

settings may need to be changed– Assure users they have continuous support– Address problems in a timely manner– Follow up with departments after installation– Provide documentation (both hard copy and

online)

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What We’ve Learned So Far…What We’ve Learned So Far…(cont’d)(cont’d)

• What Could Be Improved…What Could Be Improved…– Response times and coordination of timeframesResponse times and coordination of timeframes

between University personnel and our area• Quicker response time

– University personnel slow to respond at times to departments wanting to formalize phone orders & begin implementation

• Involvement with University’s final implementation plans

– Scheduling was important because of 24-hour roll-over of phone lines & training

– EquipEquip our training labtraining lab areaarea with phones • ‘Lab’ environment for phone training is the ideal

– Provide training for multiple users – user familiarity with phones as well as email capabilities before installation

– Better scheduling & communication effortsBetter scheduling & communication efforts• More advanced warning of installations – more lead

time to prepare• Notification of changes in installation plans

– Communication with University personnel/College personnel involved with planning department installations – preinstall issues, install issues, training

– We relied heavily on Tom L. to notify us of implementations and timeframes

– Provide departments with efficient electronic Provide departments with efficient electronic method (web form) of inputting phone method (web form) of inputting phone informationinformation

• Data input electronically by departments via web form concerning phone assignments and lines, office locations, etc., and accessible in database or spreadsheet format for reporting purposes

Topic #2 - Topic #2 - Unified Messaging Unified Messaging Server ImplementationServer Implementation

Tom LongUnity ‘Unified Messaging’

Server Administratortlong@engr.psu.edu

www.engr.psu.edu/unity

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HOME or Remote

LocationOFFICE(w/ VOIP phone)

At home or a remote location, to check your mail (email, voice mail, fax) , you can:

•Call 814-865-2700 to connect to your voice mail remotely (you’re prompted to enter ID (5-digit office phone #) & security password # (4-digit number) ** OR **•Log into your Exchange mail (WebMail, etc.), and check your email (if an Exchange client) ENGR: https://mail.engr.psu.edu/exchange/

University TNS (formerly OTC) ‘VOIP’ (Voice Over IP) Servers

Incoming CallNo answer –

Voice Mail left

Incoming CallNo answer –

Voice Mail left

College Servers‘Unity’ – Unified Messaging Services (handles VOIP voice mail and ties to our mail server)

Exchange MAIL Server(College’s Email Server)

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To check your voice mail, you can:

•ON PHONE--Use the [Messages] button ** OR **•USING EMAIL - Check your email (if an Exchange client)

‘Call Manager’

Voice Message is saved as a .wav sound file attachment; FAX is also a file attachment

ReceivedFAX sent toEmail server

ReceivedFAX sent toEmail server

Received

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server

Received

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Unified Messaging ServerUnified Messaging Server ImplementationImplementation

• Working across borders – Working with University deploying Unified server,

University runs the Call Manager. Initially the University put filters in place locked down the server and we had to use a second NIC to communicate with our internal network where the Exchange server was located.

– Installed a firewall and removed the router filters, this allowed use to put the filters in place to communicate with our servers and the Universities Call manager.

Questions Questions

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VOIP

VOIP