Voice Technologies at UCSB

1. Voice Technologies at UCSB Bruce Miller – UCSB Communications Services

2. Outline • Voice Technology Populations and Implementations • Voice Mail Populations and Implementations • Dynamics of the Voice Technology Landscapes • Key Campus Issues • Campus 5-7 Year “Horizon” • “Evolutionary” not “Revolutionary” changes • Potential VoIP Service Models • “Utility Network” – A network for utilities? • Issues in a shared closet environment

3. UCSB Voice Technology “Populations” 893 numbers* attached to UCSB PBX approximately 5492 Standard: 4134 Emergency Phone: 288 VoIP: 358 ACD: 50 Temporary Disconnect: 700 University Paid Cellular (non-893) Analog 4422 Dept. VoIP Systems (Trunk Attached) Verizon 467 AT&T ~300 KITP CCM ~100 Digital “Key” Systems (120) 1800 Lines Emer. Phones 288 Physics Asterisk ~125 CHEM Asterisk ~100 Other ? Comm 3CX ~15 Actual Number of sets estimated to be 5500+ ACD Digital 50 sets “Soft Phones” e.g. Skype, magic-jack ?? Campus Voice Mail

4. Hybrid Analog/Digital Phone Environment at UCSB • The telephone switch (PBX) at UCSB provides analog telephone lines which support any standard analog telephone instrument. • Telephone instruments are purchased by departments or projects. • An analog telephone line may be connected to a departmental or building digital telephone system. • At UCSB there are about 120 Panasonic Digital Telephone Systems (DBSs) which require digital Panasonic DBS telephones. Many of these were acquired as part of a building construction or renovation project. • These systems allow multiple lines to appear on a set and include features such as intercom. • Approximately 1800 of about 4300 campus customer telephone lines are connected to a Panasonic DBS system. There are more instruments than there are telephone lines. Voicemail PBX Digital Telephone System Digital Trunks Analog Lines Emergency Telephones

5. A few of the different VoIP models SIP client app. using data connection on Cellular Phone VoIP Carrier Service (e.g. Vonage) VoIP Based Carrier (e.g. Vonage, magicJack) Peer-To-Peer (e.g. Skype) VoIP Gateway Service magicJack P2P to gateway Central Gateway Central Gateway Analog to VoIP adapter (FXO) PBX “Soft” Phone Trunks Trunk to Dept. VoIP Gateway SIP Phones Analog Phones

6. Voice Mail Populations • Campus Voice Mail system provides mailboxes to “analog” lines, and ACD Digital Sets for about 2200 lines. • VoIP systems provide their own voice mail • Each wireless Carrier provides it’s own voice mail system and is generally “standard” • Some users may be using “add-on” voice mail systems such as Google Voice

7. Voice Mail Issues • It is not generally possible to transfer voice mail messages to users outside the particular voice mail system. • Caller information other than number is not generally available for callers outside the system to which the voice mail system is attached. • Presumably because of cost, many campus lines do not have voice mail. • Voice Mail delivery to email is not a standard feature of many systems (PBX, Cellular).

8. Dynamics of the Voice Technology User Populations • A growing segment embraces or prefers mobility. • Continuing use of email, texting, IM, facebook in some populations reduces the use of traditional voice technologies (including cellular voice). • Growing adoption of network based collaboration tools such as conferencing, screen sharing, video conferencing. • Some users continue to rely on “Business Features” such as shared lines, call controllers, conferencing. • Some users with only a personal cellular phone prefer not to publish that phone as their business number.

9. Dynamics of the Voice Industry Landscape • Continuing maturity of VoIP solutions, and standardization/commoditization of VoIP instruments, though vendor differences remain. • Voice Enabled applications are increasingly using VoIP technologies instead of proprietary telephone interfaces. • 2 major open source VoIP platforms, Asterisk and SipXecs. • “Unified Communications” and “Collaboration” tools continue to advance and are an adjunct and a competitor of “traditional” voice services (including VoIP and cellular). • Wireless Carriers are a major competitor of wired voice services of all kinds (traditional and VoIP). However, Wireless carriers still do not offer many of the traditional “business system” features and coverage remains problematic.

10. Dynamics of the Voice Industry LandscapeInfrastructure • Underground copper cabling becoming a “legacy” technology. • Copper cable costs escalating. • Underground copper cable maintenance skills increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. • Traditional land-line telcos have found their customer base eroding, reducing their investment in underground cable plant.

11. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology LandscapeGeneral Items • Multiple voice and voice mail systems (PBX, VoIP, Cellular). • Intense budget pressure. • Current voice recharge model causing departments to cut telephone lines and voice mail making people harder to reach. • Initiatives to improve “effectiveness”.

12. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology LandscapeCampus PBX • Campus telephone system CPUs and software level are no longer supported by manufacturer. • However, many users continue to require some of the business features provided by such systems. • Large Analog instrument base with little money for replacement, or little need for additional features. • PBX does not support direct VoIP attachment. • UCSB’s system is same as is used by County of Santa Barbara, City of Santa Barbara. Some opportunity for interconnection during emergencies.

13. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology LandscapeInfrastructure • As in the industry, underground copper cable costs are escalating. • Underground copper cable maintenance skills are increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. • Older large cable runs require pressurization to prevent water incursion.

14. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology LandscapeTelephone Instruments • Telephone instruments departmentally owned or purchased by building project. • Approximately 300 special-purpose elevator and outdoor analog emergency phones. • Campus standard Panasonic Digital systems in use have been discontinued for about 7 years and replacement parts are becoming more difficult to obtain. • Panasonic systems are not “agile”, and require field-visits for programming using a keypad interface. • Panasonic configurations are not “self-documenting” • Panasonic systems do not generally provide caller-id.

15. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology LandscapeBusiness Features • Many workgroups continue to require business features such as shared lines, hold, transfer, intercom. • Call-Queuing and Call Management features required by some high volume groups (BARC, Registrars Office, etc.) • Many departments use call trees. • Current Call Management platform not very agile. • Little integration with mobile instruments.

16. Dynamics of the Campus Voice Technology Landscape Cellular/Wireless • Cellular coverage remains problematic inside many buildings. • Wireless data network coverage (which could allow wireless VoIP alternatives) is not ubiquitous. • In some buildings RF intrusion/interference is a concern. • Wireless voice quality is generally less than that of wired voice systems. • Business type features not available. • Capacity/Availability could be problematic during an emergency.

17. Key Campus Issues • PBX becoming unsupported with current CPUs/Software. • Continued need to support analog base/business features. • While VoIP may be a cost effective alternative in new installations/renovations, little incentive or money to overhaul existing installations. • Managing multiple telephone systems is inefficient. • Cellular/Wireless coverage/features not yet adequate for many users. Cellular as an alternative is not likely to be less costly than land-lines. • Migration to telco based service “Centrex” more costly. • Potential for technology change within 10 years.

18. 5 to 7 year “Horizon” • The “next generation” of voice service could be wireless and/or data network based, but clarity has not arrived. • The campus needs a reliable and cost effective solution to continue to provide basic service for the next 5 to 7 years. • Aside from perceived issues of cost, there are many situations where things are not “broken.” • There are situations where VoIP instruments are a logical and cost effective alternative to analog lines. • There are situations where more advanced features and improved agility could provide additional effectiveness.

19. “Evolutionary” not “Revolutionary” Change • Proposal to update PBX to current CPUs and Software. • Preserve current investment and installed base. • Minimize major capital outlays. • Minimize technical complexity. • Provide enhanced voice and voice-mail features and integration where it provides additional effectiveness. • Take advantage of VoIP technology where it makes sense. • Take advantage of cellular/wireless where it makes sense. • Find ways to improve cost effectiveness and integration of mobile devices (cellular/wireless).

20. Potential central VoIP models • Support “to the desk” - a separate building network (POE switches) within the building. This would require management/tracking of moves/changes, and some coordination with departmental network administrators. • “Gateway” service – a “public” VoIP gateway available to soft-phones, and customer configured SIP instruments. Problem resolution becomes a collaborative event between provider and departmental network administrators. • What are the issues involved? • What standards/architecture should be in place?

21. “Utility Network” – a common network for utilities? • There are a growing number of utilities using the network: • Campus centrally managed wireless network • Building management systems • Building security systems (cameras) • Potential VoIP services • Do we want a proliferation of networks within buildings (multiple independently managed switches?) • What are the issues in a “shared closet” environment?