Ga. university VoIP service to cut costs by one third

Thirty six public colleges and universities from the University System of Georgia expect to cut their communication costs by a third with the introduction of a new IP-based phone system to service over 2,000 academics. The network will be based on a VoIP infrastructure from Avaya. Armstrong Atlantic State University will be the hub for the Avaya software and servers that will power the shared infrastructure. According to Avaya, voice traffic will be routed over PeachNet, a high-speed computer network connecting the state's 36 tertiary education institutions.

John McGuthry, CIO of Armstrong Atlantic State University, said he believed this is the first IP telephony network in the nation to be shared by multiple educational institutions. "We're moving to a voice network that is light years away from where we've been," McGuthry said."In the past, each site has relied on CENTREX services. That means we haven't had access to caller ID or many other features that others take for granted. With the new network in place, we not only will be able to serve our communities more effectively, but we're expecting our communication costs to drop by a third."

For More:
- Statement from Armstrong Atlantic State University

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