Standard Rate Information

VoIP Phone Feature Comparison

Plans for Analog Phones

Plans for VoIP Phones

Additional Charges

Standard Rate Information  - top -

The University is currently engaged in implementing Voice-over IP (VoIP) Telephony, which is a purely digital telecommunications system transmitted via the same Ethernet cable that connects your computer to the Internet. As such, IT will be replacing the phones in each building according to this schedule with a VoIP phone. In addition, IT will be instituting a new pricing policy as part of the changes in the University telecommunications infrastructure.

The rates below go into effect on July 1, 2004. Phones beyond what each department already has will be charged the rates below and each department will be responsible for the total amount.

In addition to the phone charges above, there are real costs associated with operating the campus network.

VoIP Phone Feature Comparison  - top -

Voice-over IP telephones come standard with a wide variety of features designed for ease-of-use. In addition to the standard features below, customers can also choose enhanced features such as Unified Messaging voicemail, a headset for hands-free telephone use, and even video support.

*Special features require additional intervention from IT – some features require phone programming, additional hardware / software, and may incur fees to cover the costs of equipment or services. Contact IT for further details.

Plans for Analog Phones  - top -

Although the entire campus is moving towards a completely Voice-over IP-enabled telephone network, this plan will take two years to be fully implemented. In the meantime, IT recognizes the need for business to continue as usual, including managing the decreasing number of analog phones on campus. Buildings who are not currently VoIP-enabled should choose one of the following service plans.

The Service Fee is a one-time installation fee that covers IT's costs associated with installing a new phone. Note that the monthly charges will be the same for all customers no matter which phone they are using (analog or VoIP). Also note that Standard Analog phones will be replaced free of charge by a VoIP Standard phone when each building becomes VoIP-enabled.

IT encourages customers to wait as long as possible before upgrading an existing analog Standard phone to an analog Business phone due to the increased costs of installation and operation. Since all departments will be VoIP-enabled within the next two years, departments should review the options below to plan for when they become VoIP-enabled.

Plans for VoIP Phones  - top -

Customers of IT will be able to select from one of the plans below when a VoIP phone appears on their desk. The Standard Plan is the default plan and allows customers access to the basic features available through VoIP (such as call parking, call forwarding, and voicemail). The Academic Plan is only for instructors on campus and they receive a $4 discount on their monthly fee. The Business Plan is similar to the Academic Plan and uses the same phone (7940 Model), but is designed for administrative customers. Customers are encouraged to decide which plan best suits their needs before installation as there are significant differences in pricing if a customer chooses to upgrade to a better plan after VoIP phones are installed.

* Used-equipment credits are negotiated on a case-by-case basis and should not be assumed when figuring the cost of installation.

Customers who need to negotiate a different plan than the ones outlined above (such as obtaining an Executive Plan for a new administrator who previously had no phone at all) should contact IT to obtain an estimate.

In addition to the VoIP plans above, IT will be implementing enhancements to VoIP technology in the future. Below are the enhancements that are available today (with the exception of the Video Module, which is coming soon!). As Cisco Systems develops new VoIP technology, IT will implement some or all of these new technologies on campus.

Note that if you want a phone extension, you will need to obtain an extension phone that is similar to the current telephony solution you have. For instance, if your primary phone is a voice-over IP telephone, then your extension must also be a voice-over IP telephone. Similarly, if your primary phone is an analog phone, then your extension will also need to be an analog phone.

Additional Charges  - top -

Below are the new costs associated with services provided by IT Telecommunications. These charges serve to recoup the costs of operations for IT Telecommunications. For complete details on each of these services, contact the IT Help Desk at 341-HELP or request a service using the online Help Request form at https://help.mst.edu.

Add a Network / Data Jack -- IT works with Physical Facilities to add network/data jacks to a room. Costs are negotiated on a case-by-case basis by IT with Physical Facilities and depend largely on the amount of effort involved in installing a new jack. IT will provide an estimate of the cost before installation takes place.

Activating a VoIP Jack -- No fee is charged for activating a VoIP-capable jack as part of the campus-wide deployment of Voice-over IP Technology. No fee is charged if a customer later requests a VoIP jack activation under the following criteria:

• The customer's building currently supports Voice-over IP telephony.
• A data jack already exists at the location requested by the customer.

If the customer's situation does not meet this criteria, then additional charges will apply. IT will activate a VoIP jack in a non-VoIP-capable building under special circumstances. Contact IT for details.

Activating a Data Jack -- There is a flat $25 fee for activating a data jack. A data jack is equipped with at least one standard Ethernet dataports (usually two or four dataports, but one is sometimes a VoIP-capable dataport, marked with a red dot).

Moving or Changing a Data Jack -- There is a flat $25 fee for moving or changing a Data/VoIP jack.

Activating an Analog Phone Jack -- There is a $25 service fee for activating an existing analog phone jack. Installing an analog phone jack is subject to the same rules as outlined in "Adding a Network/Data Jack" above.

Activating Voicemail -- There is a one-time $15 activation fee for all new voicemail accounts. This fee does not apply to customers who have an active voicemail account during a VoIP conversion. It only applies to customers who request a new account. This fee is in addition to the monthly fee for voicemail service and is only paid at the time of activation.

* "No Charge" only applies when a building is first converted to support Voice-over IP Telephony or if a building supports VoIP telephony and has a jack at the location specified by the customer. Otherwise additional charges may apply.