Ring Central Telephony Project

In Process [In Process]

25% complete, updated on Mon 10/14/24 9:14 PM by Darryl Kimak

Changed Percent Complete from 15% to 25%.

October 14 Summary

Go-Live Implementation Date: The target date for the Go-Live implementation of RingCentral will depend on whether we are renting new Poly phones or reusing the existing Cisco phones. The first projected date for Go-Live is scheduled during Winter Break, from April 21 to 25, 2025.

Employee Directory: The employee directory can either be set up at a tenant level or at the CES level, depending on the organization's preference and structure.

Departmental Contact Center: We are considering utilizing RingCentral’s Contact Center feature for departmental use. This feature would enhance customer service operations by streamlining communications and providing advanced tools for managing interactions.

RingCentral Features: RingCentral offers a range of productivity tools and advanced calling features, suitable for both individual users and contact centers. These tools include analytics and real-time reporting features, which can help in tracking performance and improving service delivery.

Call Recording Options:

• If we opt to record calls, they will be retained in the cloud for one year before deletion.
• According to Hawaii State policy (Hawaii is a one-party consent state), at least one person on the call must consent to the recording.
• For external calls, if we decide to record, we need to configure the system to notify callers that the call is being recorded, as suggested by Jose.
• For internal organizational calls, advance notification may not be necessary if we enable call recording for the organization.
• If we choose not to have a default recording system, users still have the option to record calls manually via their application, where both parties will be notified that the call is being recorded.
• HIPAA and PCI security documents have been obtained from Craig and sent to Todd Brown for review, with David and Arlene copied in the communication.
• For PCI compliance, especially regarding credit card transactions, it’s recommended to use physical phones instead of softphones when receiving credit card information.
• Departments such as Security and the IT Call Center will likely need to record conversations for compliance and operational reasons.

Unity Login: Each tenant will have their own Single Sign-On (SSO) login proxy page where users can select their organization. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and SSO integration will be managed through EIS, coordinated by JJ.

International Calls:

• Craig will investigate the metrics and reporting for international calls.
• Some countries are blacklisted by RingCentral due to fraud and spam concerns. If we need to unblock a country’s number, we will have to submit a ticket to RingCentral, which has a 3-day turnaround for responses.
• Craig will need to be informed to create the ticket, and we requested that Ramond be given the ability to submit these tickets.

Billing: Derek will be responsible for handling bill payments and coordinating with Dawn Cerasuolo. Each tenant will have a cost center in RingCentral to track both used and unused licenses.

Phone Rental vs. Repurpose:

• Renting Phones: Costs $3 per month or $36 per year. Benefits include no downtime, remote provisioning, ease of administration over time, web-based control capabilities, and coverage for damaged phones. Craig and Jose will confirm whether phones can also be purchased outright.
• Repurposing Cisco Phones: There is a one-time fee of $32 per phone. However, repurposing comes with limitations such as no RingCentral support, an update time of 45 minutes to an hour with no guarantees, and configuration after porting. Additionally, there could be user downtime for at least three hours, or more for some users depending on how fast Ramond and team can upgrade and test the Cisco Phones. Some Cisco button features may not work. Ramond will test the functionality of these phones.

Provo Surplus Team: We plan to work with the Provo Surplus Team to help resell the Cisco phones. Any money from these sales can be used to support phone rentals.

Trip in 2025 (Projected for Feb 3–14): Craig will look into the budget for this trip, and Darryl will check with David regarding the cost coverage. The two-week trip will focus on:

• Completing discovery documents for each department
• Mapping use cases
• Conducting at least 30-minute meetings with each department
• Documenting phone numbers, users, and details (including names, phone extensions, roles, departments, sites, NetID emails, licenses for RingEx, and whether the user is a student using videoPro)
• Gathering information on the number of physical phones needed

Porting: Porting requests should be submitted at least 30 days in advance, with 60 days being preferable. Craig will work with RingCentral’s Professional Services on this, while Ramond will coordinate with the local ISP.

Training: Training sessions will be scheduled 2 to 3 weeks before porting. We will need to gather agents' names in advance so they can be registered with RingCentral and access the necessary video training resources.

ATA for Elevators has already been tested by Ramond and Jose. Ramond to order 50 ATAs. Jose will contact Brian for information regarding the ATAs to be ordered.

Headsets Jose will send us a quote for recommended and tested headsets. Users existing airpods or Bluetooth headsets should work.

Fax will remain with Stratafax.

Knowledge Base Jose will send us their KB that they shared with Ensign


 

Reason for Change (RingCentral Contact Center Advantage): RingCentral’s Contact Center is an excellent tool for managing customer service, as it allows businesses to handle all interactions—whether via phone, chat, email, SMS, or social media—on a single platform. This simplifies the process for agents, making it easier to respond quickly and efficiently. It also offers powerful analytics and real-time tracking features, enabling businesses to improve service quality. Additional features like workforce management and quality monitoring make it a strong solution for enhancing both customer experience and operational efficiency.

RingCentral vs. Zoom: While Zoom is known for video conferencing, RingCentral offers a broader communication platform that includes voice, messaging, video, and a full phone system. This makes RingCentral a better choice for teams that need to communicate across multiple channels. Zoom is great for video meetings, but RingCentral’s advanced features make it ideal for businesses requiring unified communication.

RingCentral vs. Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is well-suited for businesses already using Microsoft 365, thanks to its tight integration with Microsoft tools. However, RingCentral stands out in terms of phone system features, especially for companies needing advanced call management and global reach. Teams focuses primarily on collaboration, while RingCentral offers a complete communication platform, making it a stronger choice for businesses that need both collaboration and advanced telephony features.