A voice over Internet Protocol (IP) handset that will integrate with a user's main PC.
Office Communicator Server ("OCS") desktop application that enables the following:
- Enhanced 'Presence'. The presence capability shares a user's real-time status information (for example, available, offline, busy, in a meeting, in a call) with other OCS users throughout the School.
- Integration with Microsoft Outlook such that a user's presence can be seen in Outlook where a user's name appears in the 'from', 'to' or 'copy' fields of an email.
- Integration with a user's Microsoft Exchange Calendar (for example, presence status will automatically show 'In a meeting' where this has been scheduled in a user's calendar).
- Instant Messaging enabling 1:1 chats and 1:Many chats, and movement between the two.
- Whiteboard and desktop sharing to allow for simultaneous collaboration on a single document.
- Audio and video conferencing to enable a user to initiate calls and conferences from their desktop.
A Telephony toolbar that integrates with Outlook and also sits in a web browser. The telephony toolbar will enable staff to 'click-to-dial' on a contact name, initiate and answer calls from within the toolbar.
Softphones. For staff who frequently work on the move or from home, softphones will be available to deploy onto Windows laptops. These will enable users with a reliable internet connection to receive and initiate calls from those devices exactly as if they were at their desk.
Hotdesking. For staff who need to work from different desks from time to time, functionality will be provided to enable them to log onto any IP handset and to initiate and receive calls on that handset as if working from their own desk, with no further configuration needed.

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How do I know if I'm making full use of all the new features?

There are videos and detailed training guides available on this webpage. If you do have any requests for further information on any of the functionality, please contact it.servicedesk@lse.ac.uk.

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How will my department be charged for telephony services?

From 1 August 2013, all telephone extensions in the School have been charged at a standard rate of £0.47p per day. This charging model is being reviewed at project closure (October 2014) and if use of the new telephony services across the School at this time significantly exceeds forecasted usage levels, the daily rate charged to departments may be subject to variation. IMT will provide advance notification of any changes to departmental managers and budget holders.

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What are the features of standard and advanced telephones and who are they suitable for?

Key features of the standard desk telephone include:

Make and answer calls
Transfer calls
Initiate conference cals
Access and manage your voicemail

The standard desk telephone is the default option and is suitable for the vast majority of staff members.

The advanced desk telephone provides all the functionality of the standard desk telephone with the addition of:

Line status availability: allows the user to see the busy/available line status of up to 3 other staff member's telephone lines.

The advanced desk telephone is suitable for staff performing PA or receptionist roles, where visibility of the busy/available line status of another staff member's line is required (e.g. a PA monitoring calls for a manager or other staff member).

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What are the features of the standard and enhanced telephony toolbar and who are they suitable for?

As a default option all staff will be provided with the standard telephony toolbar. With the integrated desk telephone, the toolbar enables you to:

Dial a telephone number from a web page or from email
Answer and forward calls
Manage your voicemail
Search the LSE Directory for colleague details and dial from the toolbar

The enhanced toolbar provides all the functionality of the standard telephony toolbar plus 'Remote Office' and 'Simultaneous Ring' features.

Enabling 'Remote Office' allows:

All inbound calls to the office number to be transferred to a home telephone or mobile telephone number
All outbound calls made using this feature to display the office telephone number, regardless of device used (mobile call charged incurred).
Staff to inform colleagues of one telephone number only (their office number).
Calls made using this feature on the toolbar to be charged to LSE (even if call goes via staff member's home landline).

Enabling 'Simultaneous Ring' allows:

A staff member's mobile telephone or home telephone to ring at the same time as the desk telephone, when inbound calls are received.

This would be suitable for staff who:

Staff who work from home or who regularly work out of the office.
Staff members who work away from their desk for prolonged time periods but need to continue to receive calls.

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What is a Softphone licence and who is it suitable for?

The Softphone is an application that can be installed on a mobile device or home PC and used instead of a telephone handset. Calls made to LSE extensions from a softphone are routed via the LSE data network and are free of charge.

The softphone enables a staff member to:

Make and receive audio calls to any number
Browse the LSE contact directory and click to dial contacts
Conduct a video conference when a web-cam is attached.

The softphone requires:

An accompanying LSE-issued smartphone, laptop or PC, a stable internet connection and a headset if not installed on a smartphone.
Please note: Softphone licences are allocated per user per device and are non-transferrable. E.g. if a staff member has a smartphone and a laptop, one licence is required for each.

The Softphone is stuitable for:

Any staff member making a high volume of LSE calls from a location where there is a reliable internet connection (e.g. from home).
Staff members who may be permanently or frequently based out of the office in a given location (e.g. regular home worker).

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What is a hotdesk licence and does my department need one?

The hotdesk licence is assigned to a telephone handset in conjuntion with nominated staff members. This enables the following functionality:

Allows a nominated staff member on the telephone new services to log on to the telephone and the handset will subsequently assume that staff member's regular desk telephone number.

At any desk location where a hot desk licence has been assigned, any staff member who has been migrated to the new telephony services can log on to the PC and telephone and work as if they were at their own desk. This is suitable for teams where hot desking is frequently used.

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What Audio Conference units are available and can I use my own?

There are options available for IP conference units. These can be booked from Telecoms or procured separately.

Departmental Managers are requested to note that if a department currently uses its own audio conferencing unit, it is likely that this will not be compatible with the new IP telephony service.

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Are cordless telephones available?

All staff will receive a desk handset as part of standard services that will integrate with the telephony toolbar and Office Communicator applications. In addition, a softphone can be installed upon either a smartphone/laptop/tablet if mobile telephony is required.

Staff members will be requested to confirm if they wish to retain cordless phones.

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What functionality is not available in the telephony system?

All services below are unavailable in the telephony system and require the installation of a dedicated BT line:

Fax machines: An alternative option to fax includes the use of a scan-to-email facility, which is already available in numerous departments. If departments do require the installation of a BT line for thei rfax services, please be advised that this will require a new fax number.
Modems
Credit Card machines
Alarm lines

Owners of fax machines, modems, credit card machines and alarm lines that had not yet been moved onto BT lines were contact by IMT in October 2013 and asked to confirm if they wished to retain these services. If a department has not confirmed to IMT their need to retain the service, the above devices will have stopped working in December 2013.

Managers are requested to note that departments will incur a £99 installation charge and a monthly line rental charge of approximately £19.00 if a BT line is required.

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What is PCI-DSS compliancy and does it apply to my department?

Please be advised that if a department currently takes credit card payment details over the telephone, or processes these via a credit card machine, there is a requirement to install a BT line to ensure PCI-DSS Compliancy.

PCI-DSS is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a standard for organisations that handle debit and credit card information, designed to increase security and controls around this information to ensure that it is sufficiently protected, to prevent credit card fraud and the various consequences that arise from this for organisations handling the data. LSE must meet this standard to be allowed to continue processing credit card payments.

For more information on PCI-DSS Compliancy, please contact Ali Lindlsey: a.m.lindsley@lse.ac.uk

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