In January 2008, Communications Services started a project to convert as many campus departmental multi-line Panasonic Digital Telephone Systems (DTS) as possible so that they provide a visual Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) for voice mail, in addition to the current stutter dial tone MWI. In other words, a light will turn on when you have a voice mail message, and turn off when all messages have been listened to and stored or deleted.
The first step in the project has been to document the existing departmental systems to determine which can be converted to support visual MWI relatively easily, which will require rearrangement to house the two system interface cards that are needed to enable the visual MWI, and which systems will require additional equipment before they can accommodate the additional cards.
Our study showed that the majority of departmental systems have a fairly straightforward path to conversion. Communications Services will work collaboratively with those departments to document which voice mail services and telephones will get the visual MWI, and install new interface cards in the department's Panasonic DTS controller. Then we will work with the department to test the results. There will be no charges to the department for these conversions.
Some departments' systems will require rearranging existing cards to free up slots for the new cards, and Communications Services will work with the department to implement this change, and then follow the steps above to activate the visual MWI, again at no charge to the department.
Unfortunately, some departments have systems that are so old, or so full, that it is not possible to convert them to visual MWI. In those cases, Communications Services will work with the department to explore their options which may include moving some telephone lines and instruments off of the Panasonic DTS, expanding the DTS controller capacity (a departmental expense), or simply not being able to convert to visual MWI.
We plan to complete all of the possible conversions by the end of this calendar year. As we work through all the systems, a Communications Services Customer Services staff member will contact each department that has a Panasonic DTS system to discuss their conversion.
For More Information
For further information, please contact the Communications Services Customer Services section at ext. 8700.
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