Educational institutions have unique telephony challenges that require a specialized approach. Your IP roadmap may require that you continue to use legacy systems while planning and implementing your solution, but you still want to take advantage of current technology such as unified messaging. A wide mix of email platforms on campus may make implementing unified messaging seem overwhelming, but end-of-life voicemail replacements can make this transition time sensitive. The right voicemail system helps minimize these challenges and allows you to take advantage of now- and next-generation technology to implement a phased solution that meets your unique requirements.
Challenge: Fit your unified messaging solution into a phased VoIP implementation
T3 Telecom Software products provide you with a new way of thinking how a robust voice mail and unified messaging application can fit into your technology roadmap, while simultaneously reaching out and embracing legacy voice investments.
As an educational institution with several schools or campuses, you may be grappling with a mix of hardware and applications, such as PBXs from multiple manufacturers, Centrex systems, and multiple voicemail, fax and email applications. T3main seamlessly integrates with any combination of PBXs through a unique networking capability allowing you to implement a single unified voicemail solution. Costs are lowered through centralized administration, training and by reducing the number of vendors to manage.
This networking gateway provides a superb level of redundancy and survivability in emergency situations, guaranteeing that if a PBX becomes unavailable due to an outage or disaster situation, unified messaging continues to run. And since each PBX is connected to a separate T3main, disaster recovery is facilitated, ensuring data will never be lost, and dialer applications that send emergency notifications can also continue to be utilized. In addition, the T3main platform is SIP-compliant to support your current and future infrastructure environments, whether fully VoIP, fully TDM, or a mixture of both.
Challenge: Adhere to data confidentiality and compliance regulations
You need to ensure that voicemail is accessed by the correct individuals, properly archived, and that call processing applications are secured. With unified messaging, staff members can selectively archive voice messages by saving them to a local folder through their email application, assisting with compliance requirements.
For an additional layer of security when protecting information and people, T3 Telecom Software's unique voice verification product, Viometrics, verifies an identity by matching a live voice with a digitally stored voice pattern. Functioning as a password replacement tool or supplement, it first registers a voice and later recognizes it when granting access. Call processing applications such as registration or grade requests can be secured to ensure the correct individual is accessing information. Physical access to dorms and classroom buildings can also be managed through voicemail, requiring a verbal command to enter.
Challenge: Deploy your new voicemail system with minimal interruptions
Whether you have a well-defined IP telephony roadmap, or have just begun the thought process, you worry about the impact a new voicemail and unified messaging system will have on administrators and users. A voicemail replacement made necessary by end-of-life brings the additional concern that existing users must learn a new user interface.
The T3main web-based user interface allows administrators to create multiple profiles allowing different groups to have access to different functionality, simplying your training and administrative efforts. For example, you may want staff members to take full advantage of unified messaging functionality while students only have access to a private voicemail box.
Centralized administration allows certain tasks, such as batch mailbox creation, to be automated, critical at the start of a school year. Administrator roles allow lower-level tasks, such as password resets, to be handed off while Viometrics removes password management altogether as access to voicemail is granted via an authenticated voice command. T3main also mimics the commonly used Octel® user interface, ensuring existing users have a minimal learning curve when the system is rolled out.
While other unified messaging applications require changes on the server or desktop, T3main is clientless and requires no server-side changes. Setup is managed on the T3main, further mitigating your administration load.
Challenge: Retain or create customized call processing applications
Custom call processing applications help educational institutions manage costs and resources. They can significantly free up staff time from handling rote calls, such as admissions application requests or surveys. T3 scripting allows you to create highly customized IVR (Interactive Voice Response) applications that can also include pin code authentication to front-end those telephone services that require authentication (such as a paid homework hotline). T3main also includes a robust dialer application to automate tasks such as emergency notification or callouts.
Challenge: Implement a flexible and reliable voicemail architecture that integrates with new IP or IP hybrid systems
T3main is built on Linux, using all standard Linux security mechanisms as well as internal security and licensing mechanisms. Windows®-based maintenance headaches requiring constant attention to client and server-side patches are eliminated.
T3 architecture benefits:
- SIP-compliant
- Fully redundant and scalable
- Built-in firewall
- Secure IMAP and secure http for unified messaging and web access
- Capacity to store messages as required for compliance and confidentiality adherence
