VoIP Telephone Upgrades
VoIP is the convergence of voice and data networks into a single network. This convergence will present the City of Long Beach with an opportunity for reduced costs, streamlined system management, and the introduction of innovative features. VoIP has many advantages compared to traditional proprietary telephony networks. It has matured into a stable and reliable solution and is being implemented by government agencies, private sector companies, and residential customers all over the country. As the City continues to operate in this climate of economic challenge, our customers are seeking lower costs for their technology needs. VoIP is an example of TI’s response to the voice of the customer, delivering substantial savings as a replacement for the City’s existing PBX system. TI is currently about 80% complete with the conversion project and supports approximately 4,800 VoIP devices.
VoIP offers exciting communication features that are not available on traditional telephony systems, such as:
- The Cisco Unified Personal Communicator interface, a software application that allows users to call and message people from their computer, as well as numerous other functions.
- VoIP is very flexible and can be used without a desk phone – instead, a simple headset can be used for convenience and further costs savings (as an optional desk phone replacement).
- VoIP encompasses a concept called “presence,” which lets users know when someone is available and what their availability status is at any given time.
- VoIP features “single-number reach”, which is a way to streamline communications by allowing callers to dial one number, and by rerouting incoming calls to multiple devices.
- VoIP introduces visual voicemail, which lets users manage voicemails like messages in an inbox.
- VoIP allows users to move their own devices from one location to another, which provides them with a new level of flexibility; this flexibility reduces overhead required for system maintenance on the part of TI staff.
