U Penn Takes Communications to the Cloud

cloud communications

The University of Pennsylvania is upgrading communications across all departments with a cloud communications solution from Vonage. More than 14,000 faculty and staff will gain messaging and presence capabilities, audio and videoconferencing, and a mobile and desktop app, enabling them to connect with each other no matter where they are on campus.

On the IT side, the unified communications rollout will reduce maintenance time and automate everyday tasks such as making changes to accounts, adding new users and setting up workflows, according to a news announcement. The university will also be able to scale and integrated additional Vonage services.

Penn's Information Systems & Computing Department managed the RFP and proof of concept process and selected Vonage for an initial contract of five years, with the rollout to begin early this year.

"Vonage shares the University of Pennsylvania's vision of a cloud first, next generation future," commented James Roth, vice president, Applications Group East for Vonage, in a statement. "We are thrilled to partner with Penn on their digital transformation journey, providing them with the tools and innovative solutions they need to support and serve not only their faculty and staff but also their students and the greater academic community."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • widescreen computer monitor displaying an AI-powered search engine interface with a search bar and futuristic icons

    Google, Microsoft Expand AI-Driven Search Capabilities

    Recent announcements from Google and Microsoft highlight a slough of AI capabilities for their search tools.

  • glowing shield with a lock symbol at its center, surrounded by stylized outlines of books, a graduation cap, and a laptop

    Why the Education Sector Needs to Get Better at Cyber Hygiene

    Despite the wealth of publicly available information about cyber attacks and the tactics used by malicious actors, many institutions appear unprepared to protect their students, faculty, and endowments from cyber threats.

  • illustration of a futuristic building labeled "AI & Innovation," featuring circuit board patterns and an AI brain motif, surrounded by geometric trees and a simplified sky

    Cal Poly Pomona Launches AI and Innovation Center

    In an effort to advance AI innovation, foster community engagement, and prepare students for careers in STEM fields and business, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has teamed up with AI, cloud, and advisory services provider Avanade to launch a new Avanade AI & Innovation Center.

  • glowing brain, connected circuits, and abstract representations of a book and graduation cap on a light gray gradient background

    Snowflake Launches Program to Upskill 100,000 People in Data and AI

    Cloud data platform Snowflake is embarking on an effort to train and certify more than 100,000 users on its AI Data Cloud by 2027. The One Million Minds + One Platform program will provide Snowflake-delivered courses, training materials, and free access to Snowflake software, at no cost to learners.