BY CAROL DRZEWIANOWSKI
Associate Editor, Communications SOLUTIONS™

COLLEGE PREP: VoIP On Campus

As college campuses devote more time to upgrading their technical equipment, it becomes more and more important for decision makers to spend some time researching the available options. After all, if you're interested in implementing a VoIP solution, there are plenty of choices out there, and they all claim to be "superior solutions." But if you know what your specific needs are, choosing a system can be a little easier.

Michigan Technical University (MTU) plans to migrate to a fully converged voice/data network during the next few years, and investigated a solution from Mitel Communications Systems, a division of Mitel Corporation (who just acquired Vertex Networks). According to Ken Dumont, vice president of marketing for Mitel Communications Systems, "MTU's IT department is committed to migrating to a fully converged voice/data solution, and requires a voice solution that will leverage the significant investment in its high-speed backbone and data network."

CURRENT NEEDS, FUTURE DEMAND
MTU recently deployed Mitel's advanced VoIP solution, Ipera 2000. MTU adopted VoIP to extend its current network infrastructure and support voice, video traffic, and data. The university took the first step toward IP telephony by networking Ipera 2000 with its existing Mitel SX-2000 system, to serve a combination of IP and digital telephones in its IT department. Ipera 2000 currently supports one third of the IT department users.

"We chose Mitel because it is a highly recognized voice solutions supplier," said Dr. James Cross, vice provost for information technology, MTU. "Mitel offers superior convergent voice systems that enable MTU's network to grow and meet the demands of the future. Furthermore, MTU's investment in SX-2000 technology is protected by the seamless migration path that exists between traditional PBX platforms and Mitel Ipera 2000, IP-based platforms."

The IT department at MTU is responsible for centrally managing and delivering all voice, data, and video services throughout the campus; and the MTU voice communications network is divided into a section for administrative staff and faculty and a section for resident students. By implementing Ipera 2000, MTU is able to transparently network a workgroup adjunct to its existing network (serving the residence halls), unifying common dialing plans while maintaining centralized systems management.

IPERA 2000
Ipera 2000 is a full-featured enterprise Voice-over-IP solution for extended enterprise deployments in departmental adjuncts and branch offices. The 432-port Ipera 2000 is an integrated, single-server Windows NT-based solution. It provides full SX-2000 feature sets and supports a range of analog and digital trunking, call center routing, and centralized management (including support for LDAP) all on one server. Ipera 2000 is capable of handling over 240 IP users and can also support a combination of IP and traditional digital telephones.

The Ipera 2000 architecture is based on a switched IP core with an embedded TDM bus that provides native support for legacy TDM switches and devices, without the need to employ multiple external gateways and conversion boxes that add cost and complexity to the voice infrastructure. Ipera 2000 also has an embedded H.323 gateway/gatekeeper in the NT server to support Symbol wireless H323 NetVision handsets enabling VoIP in the wireless LAN.

Ipera 2000 is based on Mitel's Data Integrated Voice Applications architecture. This is an open architecture that ensures a seamless transition for legacy platforms and provides the foundation for next-generation IP telephony applications. Mitel's IP architecture eliminates the forklift upgrades currently required to implement IP telephony systems, allowing customers to adopt converged solutions as dictated by their business needs.

ON CAMPUS AND OFF
Network efficiencies are a key driver behind MTU's move to converge its voice and data networks. The ability to include user and voice-related data -- such as telephone and extension information in the university's LDAP directory server -- will reduce the time required to add new people and telephones, and Ipera 2000's flexibility and scalability will make it easy to grow in the future. Furthermore, to meet business and service needs, MTU will be able to economically increase the number of users and the voice support within the IP domain or the SX-2000 voice infrastructure.

"The integrated, open, standards-based products that Mitel offers enables MTU to build flexible, scaleable, robust systems, and deliver innovative communications services to its campus customers," said Dumont.

Common management for both voice and data networks will eliminate the number and variations of work order processes, and significantly reduce information management with a single common network. In addition, Mitel's Ipera 2000 provides the opportunity to extend voice services to remote campuses (wireless and ISDN), and dial-in access points efficiently, using the existing data network.

With the Mitel solution installed, MTU has big plans for the future, including desktop video conferencing, voice activated network management, and integrating the existing standards-based e-mail system with voice mail via unified messaging. Clearly, Ipera 2000 is helping MTU charge full-speed ahead in its plans to implement IP telephony solutions and their investment is likely to be one that grows along with the college.

Carol Drzewianowski welcomes your comments via e-mail.