Information Technology has installed and activated the basic equipment for a new telephone-conference bridge. The university’s former bridge system failed in February and could not be repaired because the manufacturer no longer services that equipment.
The new bridge — which allows for conference calls — is manufactured by Latitude Communications and is called “Meeting Place.” However, the necessary server needed for automated scheduling and other added features has not arrived. So for approximately the next month, functionality will be limited.
“We felt that a quick release of this system would help WSU customers save the cost of using the commercial service from ClearOne,” said Dave Ostrom, assistant director for communications in Information Technology. “There is no charge for using the new bridge system. However, if they prefer, people can continue to use the ClearOne service at $0.15/minute/participant.”
To schedule a conference call during the time period of April 9 through May 31, contact the Information Technology phone desk at phonedesk@wsu.edu or 335-3663. By June, departments will be able to schedule their own conference calls.
“We have limited experience using the new system and have yet to complete our online documentation, so we advise users to schedule a test call with a few participants prior to scheduling a live meeting,” Ostrom said. “We do have a small supply of quick reference cards for the new system.”
Over the next couple of months, the automated scheduling functionality will be installed and training sessions will be provided. System features will include:
• e-mail notifications of conference calls
• an option to record and save the conversation for a few days
• a way to mute “music on hold” that plays when a conference participant is put on hold
For information, contact Information Technology’s phone desk.
