University of Maryland Baltimore Replaces Octel System with CallXpress Unified Communications
The University of Maryland Baltimore chose Applied Voice & Speech Technologies' (AVST) CallXpress to replace an aging Octel voicemail system. CallXpress was selected by the university's IT department to provide new unified messaging functionality and VoIP migration capabilities.
The University of Maryland Baltimore was planning a phased migration to voice over IP (VoIP) and determined that its aging Octel system needed to be replaced. The system would be installed on the university's professional campus, which is used to educate post-bachelor candidates in the health sciences and human services fields to become doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers and social workers. A key requirement was to find a platform that could offer new features but that required minimal training for end-users. The decision to switch voice mail platforms came prior to the initial VoIP migration, enabling the university to roll out two new technologies to end users in a phased manner.
University officials were introduced to unified messaging by Verizon Business, a partner and AVST reseller. Verizon Business positioned unified messaging as an alternative to their traditional voicemail system that offers new features and functionality that their current Octel system could not provide.
AVST's CallXpress is a unified communications solution that delivers call processing, voice messaging, unified messaging, and speech applications. The system integrates with and emulates the Octel system so that the university would not have to invest time and money in retraining its workforce.
"We were impressed with how simple it was to convert our Octel system to CallXpress," said Paul Petroski, assistant vice president in the Center for Information Technology Services at the University of Maryland Baltimore. "Our users love the new system. CallXpress emulates Octel so well, that training was easy and minimal. Our users were up and running on the system without delay."
CallXpress' call processing feature enables administrators to track and report on the number of calls coming in and the number of calls being transferred to the various departments on campus.
Another new feature is the ability to check e-mail messages over the phone. "CallXpress is changing the way I do business," added Petroski. "I use the system on my way into work everyday to screen e-mail and delete unwanted messages. Instead of having 60 e-mails when I get to work, I only have to deal with 10-20. CallXpress has made me more efficient."