So what is VoIP?  Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a network or Internet connection instead of a regular (analog) phone line.  VoIP converts your voice into a digital signal for transmission.  With the VoIP phone system you will plug your phone into a network jack versus the telephone jack.

Most W&M faculty, staff, and student RAs have received a ShoreTel phone for their desk (or dorm room for RAs).  In addition, each person with a VoIP phone has the option to use a software package called Connect to manage calls from the desktop.  Connect allows management of calls, voicemail and personal system settings through a graphical user interface. 

Why is VoIP a good thing?  VoIP provides expanded phone services by leveraging this technology.  The many benefits include:

Unified Messaging	Integration of voicemail and email into a single interface.  With VoIP you can elect to have your voicemail sent to your email increasing productivity and streamlining work.
Call History	View prior calls.  With Connect you can view the last 100 calls.
Feature Rich Phones	Display, speaker phone, and feature keys (transfer, conference, hold, redial and voicemail) on all models
Call Presence	Internal callers can see if you are on the phone, in a meeting, etc.
Emergency 911	When 911 is dialed, the W&M Police Department will know where the phone is located enabling emergency personnel to reach you quickly.  Complies with E-911 guidelines.
Disaster Recovery	New system has full redundancy and is fault tolerant.
Portability	Phone numbers stay with the phones, making it easy to move from place to place.