Network telephones replacing tradition desk units at Vance

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  One in five desks at Vance Air Force Base no longer have a telephone - at least, not in the traditional sense.

And the occupants of those desks are learning to use the term "VoIP" as a verb, not always with a smile on their face.

In October 2013, there were 3,000 telephones connected to the time division multiplexing switch in the basement of Building 500. As of today, 20 percent of those telephones have converted to Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, a process that uses the base computer network for voice communication.

By December this year, all the telephones at Vance will be converted, said Joan Kelley, the Information Technology Operations branch manager for PAE, the service and support contractor at Vance.

The base is converting to VoIP for two reasons. First, in the long run, there will be significant monetary savings, said Kelley. Second, the current telephone switching system is old, and replacement parts will no longer be manufactured after 2017.

"They won't be making new switches," said Kelley. The technology is moving to VoIP, not just for the Department of Defense, but pretty much across the board. Many of the businesses in Enid have already switched over to VoIP.

Which begs the question: What does a VoIP look like and how do you use it?

For most users, the VoIP system, officially called Avaya after the company that markets it, will be a headset and a window on their computer.

For frequently called telephone numbers that are listed in a directory, there is a "hardphone" available that does not require logging in to the desktop computer. But they are expensive and in limited supply at the base.

"Most offices will have at least one hardphone for safety reasons," said Kelley. An emergency call can be made by a person who doesn't work there. The hardphone doesn't require logging onto a computer to work.

During the transition, one traditional telephone line will remain connected in offices in case of VoIP issues, or in the remote chance the network goes down. VoIP phones, both headset and hardphone versions, will not work during a network failure.

Fortunately, the network at Vance AFB rarely fails, said Kelley. Individual services, like email or Internet access may go down for a time, but the network itself continues to function. The last network failure was during a power outage.

The headset most VoIP users will have has a single ear cover, a boom microphone and a USB cable that connects directly to a computer.

Stereo ear covers are available to folks in noisy work areas, and several in-the-ear type headpieces are available to those who have a hard time with a headset.

"We are constantly looking for compatible alternatives, including handsets that work like a VoIP hardphone and external speaker pods for folks needing a speakerphone," said Kelley. "We want to meet the needs of our customers."

The VoIP window that appears on a user's computer screen, has icons for all the major functions of voice communication. One icon makes a phone call, another lists calls both incoming and outgoing, and for an office with several incoming numbers, an icon to pick up someone else's call.

There is an icon for checking voice mail, a feature that all 3,000 customer numbers will now have.

Instant messaging is standard as well as a place to post a photo of the user.

VoIP can be a bit frustrating for those who believe a call must be answered after the first ring. It takes lots of practice to manipulate a mouse fast enough to catch the call before a second ring. But when a call is missed, the call-log icon shows who called and a double-click dials their number.

Converting over to VoIP began in the commanders' offices, said Kelley. "We started by putting the commanders on VoIP so they could experience it and see the challenges their organizations will face," she said.

There is an add-on at Kelley's VoIP phone so she can see what the user is seeing.

It was very useful when she was trouble shooting for the commanders, she said.

"We are taking the conversion to VoIP slow because we don't want to cause any more problems than necessary," said Kelley. "It takes time for people to get used to VoIP. We don't plan to reduce or remove services. We want to figure out how to provide the same services, just with a different venue."

The 71st Student Squadron in Building 690 has completed the conversion to VoIP.

"The young guys over there are figuring this thing out. They are really into it, and that makes a big difference," said Kelley.

There are two important things to remember when your office is converted over to VoIP, said Kelley. First, check out the information in the VoIP folder under Public on the S-Drive. Basic information and recent tips and discoveries are located there.

And number two, "If you have problems, please don't hesitate to contact us so that we can help sort it out and find a solution for you," said Kelley.