The IT Department at IU Southeast is bringing in a new phone system for faculty and staff called UniCom.
Indiana University’s term for UniCom is United Communication Service, which uses Microsoft Lync to emerge voice and data together. It is a unified desktop communication system that provides instant messaging, telephoning, e-mail, desktop sharing and audio video conferencing.
The new phone system will cost around $200 for each phone and an optional headset is about $150.
Danny Clements, helpdesk technician for IT, gave some insight on when these changes to the phone system are being implemented.
“We just started,” Clements said. “As far as the beta test goes, the beta test is an internal testing, which is testing out network in alimented environment,” Clements said.
Clements also said IT, the Institute for Learning and Teaching Excellence and Physical Plant already have the system.
“[On] March 3, we will be installing the new system across campus,” Clements said.
Clement said for the first couple of months people will have to adjust.
The advantages the Unicom system has in comparison to old telephones are it offers simple 10-digit dialing and no long distance charges between IU campuses.
Long distance authorization codes are needed on non-IU calls, instant messaging between Lync users, video calling from the desk, desktop sharing and integration with mobile devices.
Other advantages of the new phone system include sending e-mails to a faculty member who has missed a call or voicemail. They will also be sent to a faculty member’s cell phone from their office phone.
Clements said the system is a regular phone system, only with updated features.
The Unicom system will have a slight impact on IU Southeast because faculty and possibly students will have to adjust to a new phone system rather than traditional one.
“It’s not going to make a huge difference to users,” Clements said.
Clements also said faculty and students will have to adjust to 10-digit dialing rather than seven-digit dialing, while pressing nine to call out.
IT will also be offering advanced feature workshops in the near future.
By LYNN BAILEY
Staff Writer
lfbailey@ius.edu
