This summer, Kenyon is replacing its current phone system with a new service, based on the state of Ohio's Next Generation Telephony Service contract. Partnering with Cincinnati Bell, the College is in the final phase of installing new phones that connect directly to the campus data network and communicate with a phone switch through the Internet. The new phones will be activated July 20.
The switch to the new system will be cost-neutral to the College, with the potential for significant cost savings in the future, though the biggest advantage to the new phones is increased reliability over the current 20-year-old system.
Kenyon's current phone system is over 20 years old, and with each passing year, it becomes more unreliable. The College seized on an opportunity to make a cost-neutral change to a new phone system that delivers more features and enhanced reliability.
The new phones connect directly to the campus data network and communicate with a phone switch connected through the Internet.
When your new phone was installed, the network cable connected to your computer was removed and instead connected to your new handset. A new ethernet cable connects your computer to the phone. Your phone will send and receive data (and also receive power) using this connection while passing data to and from your computer. You should not notice a change in your computer's network performance.
On July 20, 2015, the new phone will be activated, which means the phone number will be transferred from the old switch to the new switch. At that point, you may begin placing and receiving phone calls using the new system. The old phone will stop working at the same time.