This project will migrate the remaining 4,200+ UNL Centrex analog desktop phones to a CISCO voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networked solution. This includes coordinating with campus departments to inventory existing phones lines, schedule replacements, and conduct post-installation configuration and support. Extension site migrations are out of scope and will be managed separately.
Short-Term Benefits
- Replace end-of-life analog phones with a more feature-rich VoIP solution.
- Provide an option to replace or augment desktop phones with soft phones.
- Eliminate domestic long-distance charges to reduce costs and simplify monthly billing.
- Audit existing phone usage and eliminate unnecessary lines to reduce departmental costs.
Long-Term Benefits
- Consolidate telephony services at UNK, UNL, and UNO to a single platform which allows for more efficient support and the ability to update cost models, reducing future rates.
What phone services are being converted?
Only desktop phones across City and East Campus will be converted in Phase I, which is expected to be completed by December 2022. Phase II will include all elevators, life safety devices, fire alarms and old analog fax phone lines.
When will our department phones be installed and how do we order phones?
Your department's representative will be emailed a survey about 2 weeks before your department's install date, which will be used to order phones. The survey for your entire department will need to be completed within 7 days of receipt and then emailed back to unlphonesurvey@nebraska.edu.
The tentative rollout schedule, organized by building, can be viewed above or through Smartsheet.
How does my new Cisco VoIP phone service work?
The Cisco VoIP phone service is a network IP-based phone service and requires an active computer wall jack in your office (also called a Data Port) that is within 6-feet of where your new phone set will be placed. The phone service does not work wirelessly. You already likely have an active computer wall jack in your office that already connects to your computer or docking station. Your new Cisco VoIP phone set will use this same active computer jack.
Your voicemail will work the same; you will not lose any voicemail messages and you do not need to re-record your greeting or reset your voicemail password.
Is it safe to take credit card payments when talking over my new Cisco VoIP phone?
Yes, the Cisco VoIP Phone Service is encrypted and secure for this purpose.
If you have a credit card machine, it does not use the Cisco VoIP phone system. All campus credit card machine users should already have converted their credit card machines to a network-based computer system that would not use an old analog phone line.
