It's full steam ahead for UCT's Telecommunications Renewal Project, which aims to move UCT from the traditional telephone system to a more modern Internet Protocol Telephony (IPT) system.

The multi-year project is being driven by the university's Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department, which reports that the new telephony environment has been implemented and IPT is already being rolled out in specific areas. Once the Telecommunications Renewal Project is complete, UCT will operate within a revolutionary communications environment that integrates phone calls, teleconferencing, and video conferencing with application sharing, video streaming, and instant messaging.

Part of the new project is the installation of new telephone handsets which connect through the university's data network, rather than traditional telephone lines. These phones - which will replace the existing handsets - will run on Microsoft's Lync platform. This unified communication platform is also compatible with mobile devices and with Outlook, UCT's new email system.

In addition to an array of voice and data-related telephony capabilities, the university's IPT solution also offers convenience - allowing users to easily set up their own video conferences and voice conference calls, and to direct calls to voicemail or other numbers based on their availability. Once migrated to the new solution, users will be able to move their phones between offices themselves without having to call telephony technicians or incur costs.

For more information about the new telephony environment, visit the ICTS website, navigate to Phone & Fax | Phones, and select the Telephony Services at UCT link.