Members of the NETS IP Telephony (IPT) team, L to R: Mike Martinez, Jerome Martinez, Pete Sakosky, Teresa Shibao, and Jeff Custard show off some of the documentation they have studied and equipment they have unpacked and installed in recent months during the conversion of the UCAR phone system from PBX to VoIP.

VOIPsters!

SCD's Network Engineering and Telecommunications Section (NETS) is converting UCAR from a traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephony system to a Voice over IP (Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) system. VoIP turns human voice into data packets, which are sent over the Internet. This is a tremendous advantage, since one network infrastructure can support both telephone and computer connectivity. Phone moves, adds, and changes are also easier with the new system—of particular benefit with the many office relocations taking place throughout UCAR.

Teresa Shibao and Jeff Custard are leading the project; although most of the NETS staff have also been involved—for instance, student assistant John Tribbia has done a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, unpacking and assembling up to 60 phones a day.

"We've been getting good feedback," says Jeff. "People love the speakerphone, the caller ID display panel, and the fact that you can search the UCAR phone directory while on the phone. The headset options are nice, and the options for different rings—although we startled the SCD computer operators the first day. The ring was set to the voice that says, 'Are you there?' All around the Computer Room, voices were apparently coming out of nowhere saying, 'Are you there?'"

The VoIP conversion process began in late 2000, when NETS began testing with 25 phones at the Marshall Field Site of NCAR's Research Applications Program. After doing extensive research, talking to different vendors, and setting up testbeds with NETS and UCAR's Network Coordination and Advisory Board, NETS decided that VoIP would be a good bet for the institution. In Fall 2002, their proposal to the UCAR Board of Trustees to "VoIP-ize" UCAR was accepted, and in October 2002, NETS wired the newly acquired Center Green facility for VoIP.

NETS has deployed about 600 IP phones and moved 600 users to the new phone and voicemail system. This includes UCAR Finance and Administration, NCAR's Climate and Global Dynamics Division, the Atmospheric Technology Division's Research Aviation Facility (Jeffco), Marshall Field, and SCD. The rest of UCAR/NCAR/UOP will be converted by the end of 2003, when the installation will reach a total of 1,800 phones.

Photo: Lynda Lester, NCAR/SCD