Telecommunications

New VoIP Phone System for MSU

Minnesota State University, Mankato installed a new high tech phone system in July of 2005. This new system communicates across the network rather than using traditional phone wiring. The technology, known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), adds features and capabilities not available in standard telephones. VoIP also reduces time and costs when phones need to be moved.

Minnesota State Mankato was one of the last colleges to move off of Centrex phone service and the first major university in Minnesota to make the switch to VoIP. Several other Minnesota colleges and MnSCU have been using VoIP technology for several years. VoIP technology is predicted to be the future of voice communication for both wired, wireless, and cellular voice and video communication.

Reducing Telecommunication Costs

Throughout MSU history, traditional phone service, called Centrex, had been provided directly from HickoryTech. Every phone on campus had a separate line and was billed on a monthly basis. Most of the savings from a new phone system, commonly called a private branch exchange (PBX), is due to a computerized switch that allows many phones to use relatively few incoming and outgoing lines.

Recurring monthly costs had prohibited emergency phones from being installed in labs and classrooms. VoIP phones in the classrooms require purchase of the phone and installation, but no recurring monthly phone bill.

In the near future, long distance calls to other MnSCU institutions that have VoIP capabilities may be toll free. Additionally, as SIP protocols are implemented throughout the world, many long distance calls will be placed across the Internet resulting in low or no-cost long distance calls.

Implementation Plan

Our Centrex service contract expired on June 30, 2005.  The new VoIP phone system was installed beginning in July of 2005 and finished up in December of 2005.  We provided informational meetings where faculty and staff could see the phones and try them out, classes were available to learn how to use the features of the new system.  Phones were placed throughout the campus, and the cutovers took place through a detailed implementation plan prepared by HickoryTech and communicated to faculty and staff through the telecommunications web site.

Residence Hall phones continue to use standard analog phones rather than VoIP phones, but the lines have been integrated into the campus system.

Phone numbers remain the same as well as 4-digit dialing capabilities.