PBC installs unique voice server at Wits

Philips Business Communications (PBC) has recently installed what is believed to be the largest distributed voice server in the South African education field. The 33 node system at Wits University constitutes the highest number of nodes found on any one site in Africa, possibly even in the southern hemisphere.

The predecessor to this state of the art communications system, an eighteen year old Philips EBX, remained fully operational to the last day, thanks to the ingenuity of PBC`s technicians and the continued availability of parts. According to Wits` Senior Assistant Registrar, Rob Sharman, given the obsolescence of the old system, this is an extraordinary achievement.

"In 1999 Wits took a decision to migrate to the latest available technology, and embarked on a comprehensive analysis of its needs," said Sharman. "Tenders were called for from all major players in the South African PABX market and, with the assistance of independent consultants, the University selected the product which was not only affordable but seemed likely to serve its needs well into the future, was chosen."

The robust and versatile new Philips platform, together with the company`s evergreen philosophy, convinced Wits that this system would provide a basis for the most up to date technologies, for possibly as long as the old EBX. Furthermore, with reliability being of the essence, and taking into account the reliable performance of the old EBX, it is not surprising that PBC was the preferred provider of a system which will serve all the University`s campuses, including the medical and business faculties, linked by fibre optics.

A decision was taken that the University should not limit its options and a new category five cable network was therefore installed throughout each of the campuses. All venues in which telecommunications may in future be required were covered, giving due consideration to all new technologies.

Wits now has a single, integrated system offering the most sophisticated range of telecommunications technologies available anywhere in the world.

A new centralised voicemail system affords better communication and greater efficiencies at lower costs than individual answering machines. Associated with this is an automatic answering service which routes calls through a series of audio menus to the destination required. Substantial congestion of the University`s switchboard is thus alleviated, once again improving efficiency.

The first phase of the project, covering all academic and administration departments, has been completed and a decision has now been taken to expand the network to include all the student residences at Wits. This will entail installing a telephone next to the bed of each student, adding 15 nodes and 4500 extensions to the new network.

This latest decision is in line with Wits` proclaimed mission statement to maintain and enhance its position as a leading university in the Republic, in Africa and in the world by sustaining globally competitive standards of excellence in learning, teaching and research.

A further aim is to communicate with the people and institutions of the community in which it works so that the community will participate more effectively in meeting the goals and priorities of the University.

In an effort to succeed in these worthy challenges Wits has installed a communications system which is sophisticated enough to meet the most exacting specifications whilst being robust enough to withstand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, high volume usage.

"In spite of a certain degree of resistance to change, several members of the academic staff have commented on the efficiencies of the new system and cannot believe that we managed, for as long as we did, with the old EBX system we had," said Sharman. "We look forward to the completion of the next phase of this project which must surely count as one of the biggest yet undertaken by PBC in this country."