Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Voorhees College Enhances VoIP with Sphericall Tools

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/08/08
Voorhees College in Denmark, SC has deployed NEC Unified Solutions' Sphericall to provide users with software-based voice and desktop communications tools as part of its voice over IP system. Sphericall provides a means for faculty and staff to interact between departments and connect with students using IP voice or desktop communication tools across the college, which has five locations in South Carolina.

"I believe that NEC Sphericall was the right solution for Voorhees College in a number of ways--first and foremost because I felt that it fit the specific communications needs of both our faculty and students," said Tim Kentopp, CTO. "The fact that we have achieved significant cost savings helps us from a budgetary standpoint tremendously. Even better, our staff has an advanced means of communicating that has fit their expectations--and this is something other area colleges currently do not offer."

Voorhees faculty and staff leverage a number of the unified communications (UC) features within Sphericall, including instant messaging, click-to-call, presence-based call routing, and unified messaging to the Microsoft Outlook inbox. The application provides centralized management features and automated failover, allowing calls to automatically re-route when service is disrupted in one of the college's locations. Students and faculty also have four-digit dialing throughout the college's multi-site network.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • abstract illustration of artificial intelligence

    CSU Shares AI Learnings in Systemwide Survey

    In a systemwide survey of more than 94,000 faculty, staff, and students, California State University recently documented widespread AI use across its 22 campuses.

  • AI logo near computer equipment

    White House Releases National Policy Framework for AI

    The White House has released a four-page AI policy framework aimed at setting a national approach to AI, with priorities including child safety, intellectual property protections, truth and accuracy guardrails, and worker training for an AI-driven economy.

  • Dana Brunson facilitates a roundtable discussion with research and higher education IT leaders

    Internet2: Closing the Access Gap for Research Cyberinfrastructure

    Internet2's Research Engagement Team brings CIOs and other campus technology leadership together with research computing and data facilitators, forming a community that enables research cyberinfrastructure at institutions of all types and sizes.

  • Silhouettes of business professionals stand against a blurred futuristic city skyline at night, with a glowing digital network data connection

    It's Time for Higher Ed to Get Serious About AI Strategy

    Without a coordinated strategy that involves multiple academic and administrative units across the entire campus, colleges risk wasting resources, duplicating efforts, and ultimately failing to deliver on the promise of deploying technology to improve learning and operations.