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Phone, Cell Phone, & Data Card Ordering

Phone, Cell Phone, & Data Card Ordering
for College Offices, Faculty, and Staff
January 2008

Requests for college phones and phone service are made using Form 105-45 (page 2) and must be sent or faxed to the IT Help Desk. (All prices are subject to change based on current state contracts.)

Introduction
These procedures cover the college standards, options, and ordering procedures for the following college telephone and cell phone services:

  • Desk Phones
  • Soft Phones (Phones on a Laptop)
  • College Cell
  • Smart Phones and PDAs
  • Laptop Air Cards

College Desk Phones

  1. All faculty, staff and adjunct desks should be provided with a college desk phone.
  2. Only CISCO IP Phones may be connected to the college network.
  3. Individual departments/campuses are responsible for the cost of new phones which must be ordered through the IT Help Desk.
  4. The current standard desk phone is the Cisco 7960.
  5. For special applications, the more basic Cisco 7910/7911/7912 may be used.
  6. There is no cost to the department for new phone service or changes that are part of the college network.
  7. Individual departments/campuses are responsible for cost of new cabling.
  8. Requests for new telephone instruments, new lines of service, changes to existing service, and new cabling must be made on Form 105-45. A signed 105-25 with the appropriate account number must accompany any request for new equipment.
  9. Requests for changes to the telephone screen programming should be sent to the IT Help Desk.
  10. Cost for phones and available accessories are:

                  Cisco 7960 Full-Feature Desk Phone ($351)
                  Cisco 7910 Desk Phone with no features ($250)
                  Cordless Phone
                  (Modes changing, limited availability. Pricing soon,)
                  Headset ($80)
                  Expansion Module for additional buttons ($295)

College Software (Soft Phones)

  1. A limited number of Cisco Soft Phones are available for laptop computers.  This software lets the laptop function as a regular college telephone on the college network when used with a standard headset and microphone.
  2. Soft Phones require that the laptop be connected to the College through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) the Internet, and may not work in all locations (such as hotels) due to local firewalls.
  3. Individual departments/campuses are responsible for the cost of the Soft Phone software and headset/microphones.
  4. Requests for Soft Phones must be made on Form 105-45 (page 2).   A signed 105-25 with the appropriate account number must accompany the request.
  5. Cost for Cisco Soft Phone ($150)
    Cost for headset/microphone – approx. $25 at local stores (avoid cheap ones)

College Cell Phones

  1. The college is required to order cell phones and cell phone service from the current state contract(s) with Cingular/AT&T.  Any exceptions require a waiver from the state and must go through the Vice President for Instructional & Information Technology.
  2. The college will provide basic cell phone service for administrative staff when approved by a member of administrative council.
  3. College cell phones are supposed to be used for official business only; the user is responsible for reimbursing the college for any extra cost incurred for personal calls.
  4. The most cost effective rate plan will be selected based on the actual minutes used or projected.
  5. Individual departments/campuses are responsible for the cost of the cell phone and any accessories.  Current AT&T cell phones and costs available on state contract can be found at the following Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) website.  Go to the following website and click on “Contract Pricing”; then enter the campus zip code; then click on “Available Phones in Your Area”:  http://www.vita.virginia.gov/services/voiceservices/cellular/pricing/
  6. Requests for new cell phones, new cell phone service, or changes to existing service, must be made on Form 105-45 (page 2).   A signed 105-25 with the appropriate account number must accompany any request for new equipment.
  7. Since the college is paying for the service, an Administrative Council Member signature is required.

College Smart Cell Phones and PDAs

  1. A smart phone is one that lets you receive and send email or access the web through the wireless cell phone network.
  2. Currently, the college only supports the following smart phones and PDAs:
      Palm Treo 750
  3. The college is required to order smart phones, cell phone/data service from the current state contract(s) with Cingular/AT&T.  Any exceptions require a waiver from the state and must go through the Vice President for Instructional & Information Technology.
  4. A description and pricing for Current AT&T smart phones available on state contract can be found at the following Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) website under “Contract Pricing”:  http://vita.virginia.gov/procurement/contractDetail.cfm?contract_id=1000525
  5. Voice costs are covered centrally, but all other costs are assumed by requesting departments/campuses, including the cost of the phone.
  6. Smart Phones typically have a one-year warranty, and comes with a battery and charger.  Accessories may be purchased by the requestor at any AT&T store or from the AT&T Website. 
  7. The call/data plan used by the college is the bundled unlimited voice/unlimited data plan, $115/mo. The cost to requesting departments/campuses for the data portion is $75/mo. These charges must be prepaid through the end of the current fiscal year. (Prepayments beyond the current fiscal year are not possible, because the central budget is charged monthly by the state, and there is no means to carry prepayments forward to future years.)
  8. The PDA plan used by the college is - Unlimited Voice and Data.
  9. Current state contract cell phone users who have service through the Alltel/Cingular standard cell phone contract can easily port their numbers to a Treo on the Cingular Smart Phone contract. There is no need to acquire a new phone number.
  10. If the user chooses to keep an old standard cell phone and phone number in addition to a new Smart Phone with a new phone number, their department/campus will be responsible for the $20.50 monthly cost for keeping the old phone after the new Smart Phone arrives. Monthly costs are calculated through the end of the current fiscal year (or for the number of months the old phone will be kept) and must be paid up front. 
  11. There is a standardized college Smart Phone synchronization process. Campus IT staff will assist in setting this up for the user. 
  12. Some users report that Treo Smart Phone battery life is shorter than on many other cell phones so it may need recharging more frequently than the phone it replaces.
  13. Special software is available for Treos that allow them to be used as a wireless modem.  This allows a laptop to be connected to the Internet through the Cellular Network.  Speeds are typically faster than dial-up through a telephone line, but much slower than broadband or regular network speeds.  Individual campuses/departments are responsible for the cost of the software.
  14. Requests for new smart phones/PDAs, new service, Smart Phone modem software, or changes to existing service, must be made on Form 105-45 (page 2).   A signed 105-25 with the appropriate account number must accompany any request for new equipment or software.
  15. Since the college is paying for the service, an Administrative Council Member signature is required.
  16. Current Costs for cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs are on the VITA Websites listed above.
         Cost for Smart Phone modem software - $35
         (http://www.junefabrics.com/pdanet/buy.php)

Laptop Data Air Cards

  1. Laptop Data Air Cards fit into a slot on most laptops and allow them to connect with the Internet through the Cellular Network just like a cell phone.
  2. The college is required to order laptop data air cards from the current state contract(s) with Cingular/AT&T.  Any exceptions require a waiver from the state and must go through the Vice President for Instructional & Information Technology.
  3. Data Air Cards do not work in all locations and speed varies with location.  Where cellular data service is available, speeds are typically faster than dial-up through a telephone line, but much slower than broadband or regular network speeds.
  4. A Laptop Data Card requires both the hardware (card) and Data Service. 
  5. Individual departments/campuses are responsible for the cost of Data Air Cards and data service.
  6. Data service charges must be prepaid through the end of the current fiscal year. (Prepayments beyond the current fiscal year are not possible, because the central budget is charged monthly by the state, and there is no means to carry prepayments forward to future years.)
  7. Requests for Air Cards and service must be made on Form 105-45 (page 2.   A signed 105-25 with the appropriate account number must accompany any request for new equipment.
  8. Current pricing:
    Air Card – ($150) AT&T Service
    Data Service – ($70)