As part of the Digital Transformation initiative, ITS has invested in a unified, modern telephony platform: Zoom Phone Services. This reliable and flexible phone service will keep UCR connected and allow everyone to communicate effectively and efficiently. Over the course of the next few months all campus telephony services will migrate to Zoom Phone Services.

In preparation for the launch of Zoom Phone Services, two pilot runs were completed on January 26 and March 23, 2023, respectively. Over 600 campus call center staff participated and the pilot generated positive feedback. Pilot testers reported increased reliability and overall better call quality.

Jasmine Salas, Academic Personnel and Human Resources Director for the School of Public Policy, was one of the first to try Zoom Phone’s features. Its reliability made it a promising tool for her team. Jasmine shared:

“Zoom Phone has been amazing! It is user friendly, and we have not had any connection issues. Individuals can easily hear us, and we can hear them, which was often a challenge [before]. The ability to control the timeframe when individuals can call is a nice feature. [I] also love how easy it is to start with a phone call and convert to a Zoom meeting, if needed.

Zoom Phone has proven to be reliable. We can once again make calls from our work numbers without having to worry about being disconnected, or not being heard by the person on the other line.”

Following the successful pilot runs, the Contact Center went live on April 18. Four of UCR’s active call centers have transitioned to Zoom Phone Services: Student Business Services, Undergraduate Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, and the Office of the Registrar.

As part of the telephony service transition, ITS works closely with our partners at Zoom to deliver user training to ensure that campus users feel comfortable and confident using the new service. Campus users will receive step-by-step guidance on Zoom Phone configuration, desktop and mobile app usage, and active call management. If you are a campus phone user you can expect to receive more information about the service transition and training resources very soon.

Zoom Phone Services seamlessly connects phone calls and video conferences as it operates on the same application client you use for Zoom meetings. It also allows you to make and receive calls from devices you already have, such as your laptop, desktop computer, or mobile phone. Since Zoom Phone Services utilizes this modern Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), desk phones and headsets are not included as part of the service. However, ITS will provide a device standards document that will serve as a buying guide if you wish to purchase additional equipment.

Stay tuned for updates on the campus rollout of Zoom Phone Services! In the meantime, visit the ITS Digital Transformation page.