HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-18; Update on the Unified Communication System {UCS} Phone System Project {Districts - All}; Rocha, LauraTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date l1}16.lZi CA ✓CC ✓
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Nov. 18, 2021
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager @ Via:
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2021210
Re: Update on the Unified Communication System {UCS} Phone System Project {Districts -All}
This memorandum provides an update on the Unified Communication System (UCS) phone
system project.
Background
On July 21, 2020, the City Council approved the purchase of a UCS to replace the legacy phone
system purchased in 1999. The Cisco UCS phone system leverages voice-over-internet-protocol
technology, commonly referred to as VoIP, to use the data networks to transmit phone calls
instead of traditional telephone services.
The new UCS phone system will be supported by the Digital Information Network, recently
completed on Oct. 16, 2021, when the final city building was connected to the new fiber
network.
Discussion
The project to implement the new UCS phone system is in progress and scheduled for cutover in
late January 2022, pending successful testing and training of city staff. When the new UCS phone
system is cutover, there will be several changes that staff, City Council, and the public will
experience.
• New phone numbers for staff and departments -The city is taking the opportunity to
move all phone numbers to the same exchange, so the area code and next three numbers
will be the same for all city users and departments (442-339-xxxx).
• Transition to new department phone numbers -For the first six months after cutover,
calls to old department phone numbers will hear a recording that the number has
changed, then automatically connectto the new number. After six months, calls to the
old department phone numbers will be connected to a city directory with options to
select a department.
Administrative Services Branch
Information Technology Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2450 t
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Council Memo -Update on the Unified Communication System (UCS) Phone Systern, Pr,qjf ~t
Nov. 18, 2021
Page 2 ' .. '
• Transition to new staff phone numbers -Immediately after cutover, calls to old city staff
phone numbers will hear a recording that the number has changed, then connect to a dial
by name directory to select the staff member.
• Auto-attendant call routing -The UCS phone system includes a new capability that
enables departments to design call routing options and recordings for department phone
numbers. Callers will hear options to select services within the department and will
connect them to the appropriate staff.
• New phones -Old phone hardware will be replaced with a combination of new digital
phone hardware at shared locations and a phone software application called "Jabber" on
computers and cell phones for individual staff. Conference rooms will receive new high-
quality speakerphones.
Next Steps
The Information Technology Department is currently working with city departments to test the
new UCS phone system and make any necessary adjustments before the cutover. In January, the
vendor Logical is will be providing training sessions available to all staff.
The Information Technology and Communications Departments are working together to provide
information to staff about upcoming training and changes. The Communications Department will
publish information about the new UCS phone system changes for the public on the city website
in January, prior to the cutover.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney