In the Trenches VOIP@Dartmouth

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In the TrenchesVOIP_at_Dartmouth

• Peter Kiewit Computing Center

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Dartmouth at a Glance

• Campus is roughly 1 mile square
• Geographically Rural
• Around 7000 extensions
• 50 faculty/staff, 50 residential
• Around 120 buildings

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Where we were-Voice Environment-2003

• Ericsson MD 110 PBX
• 1500 digital phones
• 4500 analog extensions
• Distributed Architecture-LIMs(line interface
  modules)
• Main switchroom(35 of active extensions)
• 34 LIM distributed among 5 locations

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Where we are-Dual System Environment

• Cisco (Call Mgrs) solution integrated with Legacy
  PBX(MD110)
• Faculty/Staff 100 VOIP-3100 extensions
• Resident Students(all analog) on legacy PBX-3700
  extensions
• Emergency services(analog) on Legacy PBX-around
  500 extensions.

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Where we are going100 VOIP Summer 2005

• Faculty/Staff on full featured VOIP phones
• Residents on Analog over VOIP Gateways
• All greenfield installations on full featured
  VOIP phones, faculty/staff or residential

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How We Got Here

• Legacy PBX presented problems
• Costly upgrade/forklift on the horizon
• Upgrade path expensive with move to licensed
  price plan.
• Vendor essentially pulled out of North American
  market, support difficult
• Telephony use at time of decision relatively
  pedestrian(mostly analog)
• VM system no longer supported
• Revenue generation no longer a reality

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How We Got Herecontinued

• Budget Realities made convergence of
  Voice/Video/Data operations attractive
• Cost to support separate operations for Voice,
  Video and Data network high
• Newly Upgraded network made convergence possible
• Aggressive Campus growth in 5 year plan placed
  pressure on a long term direction

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Business Case

• Upgrade/Replacement of existing System to cost
  close to 2 million(pbx, copper plant and
  Voicemail system)
• Greenfield installation costs began at 50,000
  for remote lim voice infrastructure
• Total Cost for Dartmouth VOIP installation 1.4
  million, system can support 20,000 extensions.

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Business CaseContinued

• Convergence of Voice/Video/Data operations saved
  400,000 annually
• Telecom, Network Services, CATV staffing in 2003-
  23 positions, Compensation 1,400,000
• Converged Network Services Current Staffing- 12,
  compensation 970,000
• ROI on headcount savings alone is 4 years!!!

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Conditions for Success

• Dartmouth Telephony/Network effort highly
  centralized
• Legacy Telephony deployment not feature intensive
• Most users did not understand how to use the old
  Telephone and Voicemail system.
• Old system cost prohibitive for departments to
  take advantage of better services

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Common Objections we were prepared for

• VOIP does not have the features of a PBX
• VOIP is not as reliable
• My phone always worked when the power went out
• You did not give us enough time to prepare

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Objections we were not prepared for

• Cant separate the IP in VOIP from the
  Internet, confusion led to concerns over
  privacy,spam and reliability.
• Users could be passionate about their phones,
  especially cordless

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VoIP Reality at Dartmouth

• Convergence and Integration
• Legacy forms and features preserved
• Just like the old system if you prefer
• Devices - telephones, laptops, hand-helds, etc.
• Features
• One number - many devices, or various groupings
• Dartmouth dial-tone from anywhere on the Internet
• Wireless platforms available across campus, voice
  anywhere, anytime.
• Future data, voice, and video integrated across
  applications
• Unified messaging E-mail ltgt Telephone, Text ltgt
  Speech
• Video telephones
• Cell phone and wireless phone in-one

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Path to Completion

• Step 1-Build confidence in technology
• Pilot and Seed with Key personnel
• Install Core infrastructure with small production
  deployments
• Get the Money People on board
• Package Technology as necessary for convergence
  savings
• Get the right Deal!!!
• Get Support at the Executive Level(PAF)
• Public announcement of support from Presidents
  office

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Installation Plan

• Publicize the new technology
• Spend time on discovery-meeting with all
  departments to review telephony needs
• Train Prior to installation
• Classroom training, not mandatory
• 2 active systems allowed for us to work at our
  pace

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Faculty/Staff VOIP design Deciding Factors

• Like-for-Like design
• Analog phones replaced with single line VOIP sets
• Digital phones replaced with multi-line VOIP
  sets
• All ancillary equipment replaced (headsetsetc)
• POE only provided for VOIP communication jacks
• 60 minute UPS backup for all VOIP switches

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Residential VOIP designdeciding factors-Why
Analog?

• Most Students use cordless phones today
• In VOIP model, cost is in the phones. Unknown
  Abuse cost-recovery not attractive
• Data Closets in Resident Halls lacking
• Power back-up and security an issue
• Life Safety Concerns

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Life Safety-E911

• College E911 environment
• We supply PSAP with database of phone
  numbers/locations
• We pulse out ANI to PSAP
• POE only supplied to VOIP data jacks to
  discourage movement
• Residential extensions hardwired to insure
  integrity of 911 database
• Cisco Emergency Responder being installed

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Network Enhancementsfor Production VOIP

• Core Network installed in a mesh topology.
  Routers all have dual supervisors/power supplies
• QoS enabled system-wide to insure integrity of
  Voice Services
• Layer III routing enabled to VOIP edge switches
• UPS backup for all closets and core

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Gotchas from Cisco

• Beware of the upsell
• New technology for them causing best practice
  design to change a fast pace
• QoS and layer III routing set-ups required
  network upgrade as subscriptions for phones per
  uplink changed dramatically
• Gateway boards required Hybrid mode in routers
• Bottom line, get a contract guaranteeing that
  design flaws are the vendors responsibility.

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What went right

• The phones rang, message lights lit and folks
  could make calls
• Logistics of cut went well, work at night made
  cutover almost transparent
• Building by building cut allowed us to change
  tactics on the fly.
• Users from old Analog world loved the new
  features and ease of VOIP sets
• 95 of campus thrilled

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What went Wrong

• Not enough time spent in training to explain
  subtle differences
• Reception features of new system not adequate
  with software in GR at cutover.
• Lack of a consistent phone type led to complaints
• Privacy panels on desks made placement of phones
  difficult, extending cutover

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Lessons Learned

• Train staff prior to cutover or hire in-house
  expertise.
• Make training mandatory and more detailed
• Spend more time on discovery phase with main
  call points(reception)
• Triage necessary with upgrades

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Conclusion

• For years the promise of cost savings has driven
  the advancement of networks on college campuses.
• Convergence of communications services is
  finally delivering on that promise, both
  technically and fiscally. It is no longer a
  question of ifbut when.