Aberdeen schools switch to VoIP
System enables free calls between schools
Aberdeen City Council has installed a voice-over IP system to save costs and improve communication.
The system, installed by BT on an existing broadband infrastructure, enables free calls between schools over a virtual private network.
The legacy voice switching systems has grown over time and consisted of several generations of technology, making them costly to maintain and use.
'The voice network had not developed as we had hoped due to limited funding, meaning it was neither coherent nor efficient,' said Andrew Mein, Aberdeen City Council’s network manager for Voice and Data Networks. 'However, government initiatives meant that our 2004 budget at last allowed us to contemplate a serious improvement.'
The system makes it dial directly through to selected extensions, reducing reliance upon office and reception staff out of hours, and provided advanced voicemail functionality enabling announcements to parents who ring the school to be originated and updated remotely.
Upgrade and support costs are decreased because all schools run on the same system, and changes to the systems can usually be carried out remotely by BT, making huge savings on the cost of engineering visits.
'We now have a future proof system so that when we need to upgrade we know the equipment will take care of foreseeable future requirements.' said Mein. 'Being IP-based we can also use it as a flexible technical platform, which will make it easier to implement and integrate with concepts such as the virtual classroom.'
A standard system also means that staff exchanges are easier as they do not have to learn how to use a new system when they change schools.
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