New Phone Numbers Coming

New Phone Numbers Coming

RICE NEWS
December 9, 1999

348. It’s coming.

Stage one of the conversion to the new telephone system with the 348 prefix will begin Dec. 20 and should be completed by Dec. 30, two weeks ahead of schedule, said Arun Jain, associate vice president for Information Technology Services.

Once the conversion is completed 348 will be the prefix for all campus phones. The campus will retain the 713 area code.

The first stage of conversion will transfer faculty and most staff to the new phone system and should be completed this month. Residential colleges and the graduate house should be converted by the start of the fall semester in August 2000.

By ramping up the transition to take advantage of the winter recess, the switch to the new phone system should be minimally disruptive to the campus, Jain said.

The switch has been a massive undertaking. A new switch room was built in Mudd. Workers installed nearly 15 miles of feeder cable and buried almost two miles of conduit. More work remains to be done, including construction of a cable pathway and fiber optic cabling to the Greenbriar offices.

Some of the upcoming critical steps include determining the order of buildings to be converted and addressing issues surrounding access and security, all of which soon will be finalized.

While the new phone system will vastly improve communications, the new telephones do require some training so that faculty and staff can use them efficiently.

“How to use the new phones and voice mail is not self-evident,” said Mary Simione with Rice’s User Services. “Training is important.”

Training classes will run through Dec. 17 every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except between noon and 1 p.m. The classes, located in Mudd 107, are open to all faculty and staff. Registration is not necessary, but only the first 20 people per hour will be admitted.

For more information visit the Information Technology Web site at http://riceinfo.rice.edu/Computer/telephone/index.html. During the transition to the new phone system or after, questions or concerns can be directed to the help desk at (713) 348-7000.

New Phone Numbers … New Stationary

In addition to welcoming in new telephones and a new 348 prefix, campus phone users may also need new stationery and business cards.

Orders for stationery may be placed with one of two university-approved suppliers–Trostan Printing or Kinko’s.

Trostan Printing can be reached at (713) 666-3394 or at its Allen Center office at (713) 527-8101, Ext. 2375.

Kinko’s has two locations where orders can be placed. Kinko’s @ Rice, located in the Ley Student Center, can be reached at (713) 737-6275 and the Rice Village location at (713) 521-9465.

Another option for ordering stationery will soon be available. Orders will be able to be placed online. Visit the Office of Public Affairs’ Web site, http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~opa/, for information.