Harvard University VOIP Service Offering

UIS Telecommunications is now offering limited Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) Service to the Harvard University community. This offering provides telecommunication and IP services as described below with installation and on-going support & billing services. It should be noted that VoIP is an emerging technology standard and although it has been implemented and used within the University since 1999, it continues to evolve in its functionality, reliability and acceptance as a world-wide communications standard.

VoIP Service Features & Pricing

The Standard VoIP Service is offered at $29.75 per month with a $ 30.00 one-time installation charge. Usage will be billed at the standard University rates.

Standard Service includes the following:

• Cisco 7960 IP Display Phone
• Set & System features include:
  • Incoming Caller Line ID
  • Call Hold
  • Call Forward
  • Call Transfer
  • Redial
  • Pickup
  • Multiple Call Appearances
  • Ad Hoc Conference
  • Meet-Me-Conference
  • Speed-Dial
  • Ring Line Preference
  • Speakerphone
  • Call Waiting
• 5-digit dialing within Harvard Centrex system and access to the Public Switched Telephone Network
• Easy-to-use Softkey set featuresMeet-Me Conference Bridge Service
• On-line help information
• On-line Harvard Directory Service with search & autodial capability
• Access to a user web interface to change speed-dials, call forwarding, and more
• Subscription to “Services” such as Stock Quotes, Weather, Harvard News, Harvard Outings & Innings and more
• Billing Services
• Help Desk support

Optional Services include the following:

• Voice Mail at $ 4.60 per month with a $ 21.00 one-time installation
• Music on Hold
• Moves/Adds/Changes (MAC) to service at $ 30.00 per MAC

• Solutions for a VoIP number Change: Temporary “intercept” recommended
  • Temporary “intercept” to direct callers to the new VoIP number, $ 40.00 one-time and $ 13.00/month (1 month minimum and 6 month maximum)
  • Downgrade line to Software Defined Number (SDN) with a listen only voicemail box to direct callers to the new VoIP telephone number: $ 50.00 (line) one-time and $ 21.00 (voice mail) one-time and 75 cents (line) monthly, $ 7.00 (voice mail) monthly
  • Leave line on RJ w/listen only voicemail box to direct callers to the new VoIP telephone number: $ 42.00 (line) one time, $ 21.00 - $ 27.00 (line) monthly, $ 7.00 (voice mail) monthly.

VoIP Service Availability & Reliability Expectations

The VoIP service will be generally available 24 x 7, 365 days a year with scheduled upgrades and maintenance to be performed after-hours, M-F before 7:30am or after 6:00pm, or on weekends or holidays.

VoIP service differs from traditional voice service offerings in that VoIP service is provided over the Data Network using an IP infrastructure – a packet switched based protocol. Traditional voice service offerings, such as Harvard’s current Centrex offering is provided over a Voice Network using a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) infrastructure – a circuit switched based protocol. Typically, Data Networks using an IP infrastructure are engineered for 99.9% availability, while traditional Voice Networks are engineered for 99.999% availability. This is a difference of 5 minutes of downtime per year with traditional voice networks vs. 8 hours of downtime per year on IP networks.

Although our VoIP infrastructure and underlying Data Network is very robust here at Harvard, users may experience a difference in the general availability of this new phone system.

In addition, because the VoIP service utilizes the IP protocol for its transport, individual call quality may vary from traditional phone service. Packets transmitted over IP can be subject to jitter, echo and buffer delays based on network loads, thereby affecting individual call quality. These issues can be greatly minimized and even completely eliminated by implementing and engineering the proper underlying infrastructure, along with fine-tuning.

In an effort to increase the quality and reliability of VoIP service at Harvard, we recommend VoIP service be offered to users with these infrastructure requirements:

• CAT5 or higher data wiring
• A Switched Data Port Connection
• VLAN Capability
• 10/100 BaseT Connection
• Power provided through a Switch Port
  (network devices – Cisco Catalyst 6000, 4000, and 35xx series switches)
• Dedicated IP Data Jack

VoIP and E911 Services

The current VoIP system at Harvard supports the dialing of E911 services. However, because VoIP phones are more “mobile” than traditional phones, it is critical that users follow the proper Moves/Adds/Changes (MAC) procedures for a new installation or move of a VoIP phone. Users who wish to install or move a VoIP phone from their current office/data jack must contact the UIS DLS helpdesk at 5-8411. This will ensure that the new office/datajack location information for a VoIP phone is populated correctly in the E911 database and sent to the proper PSAP authorities in Cambridge, MA. This location information is critical during an emergency E911 call, so that the emergency authorities can 1). Automatically obtain emergency site location information and 2). Provide an automatic callback to the person/injured party making an E911 call.

UIS is in the process of testing an Emergency Responder System with our VoIP service. This system will automatically update VoIP location information into a database if a user inadvertently moves his/her phone to a new location. This database of location information can then be automatically uploaded to the E911 PSAP authorities to keep location information for VoIP phones current and accurate.

Ordering VoIP Service

To order VoIP service contact the UIS DLS Helpdesk at 617.495.8411. Please provide the following information for prompt service:

• Name, school, department, email address
• Office address including office number
• Data Jack number
• 33 digit billing code
• Local Data Network contact/coordinator with telephone & email address
  

For Additional Information:

For additional information on Harvard's VoIP service please visit our VoIP web site at http://www.uis.harvard.edu/emerging_technologies/ under Voice-Over-IP, or contact susan_delellis@harvard.edu or Candace_Holman@harvard.edu