UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 6, Page 1
October 10, 1991
Newark campus to have new phone service in '92

     The new year will bring with it a new, upgraded telephone
service at the University, with the most visible result new
prefixes in telephone numbers for the entire Newark campus.
     After the changeover, which currently is scheduled for the
weekend of Jan. 18, faculty and administrative (non-student) phones
will have a prefix of 831, instead of the current 451, 453 and 292
exchanges, and student phones will have a prefix of 837, replacing
the current 731 and 738 exchanges.
     The two, new prefixes will be dedicated to the University's
use.
     "It is our goal to make this transition to the new phone
system a smooth one for all members of the University community,"
Susan J. Foster, associate vice president for computing and network
services, said.
     Telephone extensions (the last four numbers) will not be
altered, she said, and current telephone equipment will still be
able to be used.
     According to Daniel J. Grim, executive director of Network and
Systems Services, the changeover will involve moving the University
from the Diamond State Telephone Co.'s current "analog" switch that
is nearing obsolescence to a sophisticated digital switch.
Initially, Grim said, this switch will serve only the University in
Newark.
     "This changeover is possible now," Grim explained, "because
the University has entered into a new four-year agreement with
Diamond State for Centrex services and, as part of that commitment,
the company will upgrade its central office equipment in Newark for
our benefit."
     "Our expectations for this new agreement are high, as is our
confidence in Diamond State," Foster said. "Individuals in the
company's marketing and technical teams have worked diligently to
come up with a comprehensive plan for the University."
     Grim has appointed a Centrex Transition Team, chaired by
Wilson Dillaway of Network and Systems Services, to assist with the
changeover to the new system.
     "We hope that members of the campus community with questions
and concerns about the changeover will let us hear from them,"
Dillaway said.
     He suggested some issues surrounding the changeover already
identified by the transition committee that members of the
University community should consider. These include:

     *    Stationery needs-Office letterhead and business cards,
for example, which will need the new telephone numbers, should be
ordered in consultation with the Graphic Communications Center and
the Publications Office;
     *    External contacts/constituencies- Individuals,
organizations and companies that contact you, even if only
periodically, should receive notification of the new prefixes.
     *    Fax communications-Individuals, organizations and
companies that transmit by fax to your office should be notified of
the new exchange, to avoid delays and confusion.

     Committee members are Charlene Benson, Office of
Administration; Donna Borden, Telephone Services; Richard Gordon,
CNS User Services; Mary Hempel, Public Relations; Lisa Huber,
College of Arts and Science; Mary McMahon, Library; Don Redmond,
Public Safety; Barbara Rexwinkel, Housing and Residence Life;
Jeffrey Rivell, Admissions; Lynda Ruggerio, Computing and Network
Services; and Tory Windley, Purchasing. Grim and Foster serve ex
officio.
     To share concerns and ask questions about the conversion,
contact Dillaway (Wilson.Dillaway@MVS) or Borden
(Donna.Borden@MVS), either through Campus Mail or e-mail.
     Future UpDate articles will provide more information on the
switchover, and a regular question-and-answer column about the new
system and its implications for the campus will be featured.