We are pleased to announce that ITS will be supporting the new Apple iPhone connected to Davidson's Exchange 2007 e-mail system and our newly expanded Wi-Fi network.

Summertime is coming and many of you will be away from campus. In order to let callers know of any extended absence, you may want to use your out of office greeting on your phone. To do this, access your voice mail box, Press the options 3, 1, 3, and then 3 again and press 2 to begin recording.
You may want to let callers know the length of time you will be away or alternate ways to contact you.

If you have not tried Unified Messaging, now would be a good time to get the request in so you can try it before the summer. With Unified Messaging you will be able to listen to your messages anywhere you can connect to your Davidson email. Just send an email to the help desk with your name, extension and type of computer, MAC or PC and we can get you set up. If you have Unified Messaging and are using a PC, there is free software you can download that will enable you to set and remove your out of office greeting with a few mouse clicks.

When you return from being away, don’t forget to remove your out of office greeting by logging into your voice mail, it will tell you that the out of office recording is in effect and to remove it to press 4.

Unified Messaging (UM)
Don't forget to sign up for Unified Messaging...a free service! Unified Messaging (also referred to as ‘voice mail/email integration’ or UM) is the process of moving voice messages into email. The voice messages are converted to sound (.wav) files and can be listened to from your desktop via Outlook (internal or external speakers/sound card required). However, if you prefer, you can still listen to new voice mail messages over the phone. Here are a few things to know about Davidson’s Unified Messaging service.

UM is available for Windows or Mac clients.

UM requires no additional software for the Mac. After your voice mail is UM-enabled, you will begin to receive your voice messages in your Entourage inbox.

Client software installation is required for Windows. The install only takes 5 to 10 minutes. Detailed instructions will be sent to you after your request has been processed.

The email server becomes the primary storage location for your voice mail messages -- a copy is retained on the voice mail server for quick telephone access. Stored voice messages become part of your email quota (they don’t take up much space, though). Please note, if you delete a message from your Inbox it is also deleted from voice mail and vice versa. You can now manage your voice mail the same way you manage your email.

Although you can receive your voice mail in email, you cannot retrieve your email from voice mail. ‘Text-to-speech’ conversion is not available at Davidson at this time.

To sign up for unified Messaging, send an email helpdesk@davidson.edu to the help desk with your name, extension and wheather you are using a Windows PC or a Mac.

You can set up a conference call with your telephone for up to six parties with no degradation in quality. However, you may need to have a higher quality of line, allow a larger number to participate, or need participants to call into the conference. In the past, departments have received these types of conference capabilities from BellSouth and AT&T. Our PBX system has a conference bridge, so these same quality services can be provided from our campus.

Instead of calling the switchboard to locate a faculty or staff person's on-campus extension, try the Faculty-Staff quick search. Searches can be done by first or last name or by using only part of the first or last name.

Smartphones are feature-rich mobile telephones, available from all of the cell phone carriers in our area, enabling users to keep up to date with their calendars, contacts, and e-mail. These mobile telephones offer a number of advantages both to the College as a whole and to individual subscribers who are College employees.

FAQ

Q. Why is ITS making this offering available?
A. ActiveSync-enabled smartphones use our existing resources without additional servers or licensing fees. Smartphones are also device and carrier neutral, meaning we don’t have to specify a certain kind of mobile phone or a certain mobile phone carrier. The only requirement is ActiveSync.

Q. What is ActiveSync exactly?
A. ActiveSync is software installed in the mobile phone, allowing it to synchronize email, contacts, calendar items, and tasks with the same items stored on the College email servers. Normally you see this information only in Outlook (PC users), Entourage (Mac users), or through Webmail; ActiveSync enables our email server to send that same information to your mobile telephone.

Q. Do I have to do anything special to keep my phone synchronized, like pressing “send / receive” or some other button on the mobile phone?
A. No, it just stays in sync. This aspect of ActiveSync is called “push updates.” When a new email message arrives in your mailbox or an appointment changes, our email server notifies your phone and your phone automatically retrieves the changes.

Q. If my mobile telephone is receiving my email and appointments, do I have to pay extra for airtime?
A. Yes. To use ActiveSync you need to have a data plan with your mobile telephone carrier. We recommend that you subscribe to an “unlimited” data plan, usually around $50 per month before any discounts that may be applied. That fee is in addition to any voice plan you may subscribe to.

Q. So if I want to get my College email on my own Smartphone, that’s allowed?
A. Yes. And that’s a change from our previous position. In the past, because of the costs, we only supported College-sponsored phones for a very small number of users.

Q. Does Davidson require a certain Smartphone model or mobile phone carrier?
A. No. As long as the mobile phone uses ActiveSync to synchronize with our servers, we will support it.

Q. What about the Palm Treo phones? I’ve used a PalmPilot before and really liked it.
A. The Treo phones come in two varieties: some use the PalmOS like your PalmPilot did and other use ActiveSync. We support the Treo that uses ActiveSync.

Q. Please, just tell me which one to buy.
A. It all depends on your work style and your coverage area needs. From Verizon, we like the Motorola Q. That phone is most like a Blackberry. Cingular sells an HP iPaq that is very nice; it is more like a Palm Pilot and requires a stylus to operate. Here’s a list of carriers and models.

Verizon
Motorola Q
Samsung SCH-1730
Treo 700w
Verizon Wireless XV6700*

Cingular
HP iPAQ hw6515
HP iPAQ hw6510 (same as 6515, but without camera)
Cingular 8125*

Sprint
Sprint SmartDevice PPC-6700*

Alltel
UTStarcom PPC-6700*

*Device made by HTC, rebranded by all four carriers

Q. Will ITS help me configure my phone?
A. Yes. You can email the Help Desk to request an appointment. The configuration process takes about five minutes. You must be present, since it requires that you type in your network password.

Q. Does this assistance apply even if I buy the phone myself?
A. Yes. Because ActiveSync is the same on any phone that supports it, our procedure for assisting you is the same as well. We are happy to help.

With CharMeck 311, the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg county's new 24/7 "one-stop shop" for information, you get quicker answers to your questions. Whether it's a question about your water or tax bill, a need to schedule garbage pickup, or a desire to reserve a picnic area at a local park, 311 is the number to call.

Callers to 311 may also get directory assistance to city and county offices, schedules of meetings for city and county government, and information about various city and county services. Specialists trained in tax and utility issues will be on-hand to assist callers. Complex calls beyond the scope of 311 and those requiring extensive research and investigation will be connected directly to the relevant department.

311 reduces the burden of calls going to 911. You can request an officer for a non life-threatening emergency such as noise complaints, graffiti, truancy, loitering, or even to report that your driveway is blocked.

All communities within Mecklenburg county that receive a service provided by the county or City of Charlotte may call 311 regarding that service or to obtain information about other city/county services.

You can access 311 outside of Charlotte and Mecklenburg county by calling 704-336-7600.

311 can be accessed via a cell phone if your cellular company carrier has programmed the 311 number to its towers. If not, you can call (704) 336-7600 on your cell phone and be connected to the 311 call center.

To reach this service from campus, simply dial 8-311.

Over the summer, we experienced some issues with voice mail that you may want to know more about. To summarize, the issues were:

· Some of our voice mail users who also subscribe to unified messaging experienced delivery issues with voice mail messages left by other Davidson users.

· Some of our users were unable to reach the Help Desk, even though the Help Desk was open.

· Some of our users had corrupted voice mail boxes that had to be re-created.

We want to assure you that we have worked to address all of these problems in one way or another. In general, the root cause was from the same piece of network hardware, now replaced by our vendor. The symptom that so many people noticed happened to be the voice mail issues; however, the actual cause of the problem turned out to be a piece of faulty equipment. In addition to replacing that equipment, we have also taken steps to improve the resilience and failover of all of our core network equipment.

We are finalizing a reconfiguration of the call direction for the Help Desk. The reconfiguration reduces the dependency of that system on network links being operational—an important consideration if the issue someone is trying to report is with the network itself.

Beginning Summer 2006, the campus will transition from a phone line per student to a phone line per room. All students living in (for example) Akers 101 will use the same telephone number.

Voice mailbox numbers will be permanently assigned to each student for the duration of his/her stay at Davidson. As students moves from residence hall to residence hall, their voice mail number will move with them.

Upperclassmen will continue to use the voice mailbox numbers which have been previously assigned to them. When students are on leave or traveling abroad, their voice mailbox will be disabled. Upon the students' return, their voice mailbox will be re-enabled and assigned to their new telephone number.

Voice mailbox numbers will no longer be available for direct dial; when a call is made to a room and it goes unanswered, the caller will hear a menu listing the room residents. The menu is automatically generated, listing residents in alphabetical order by last name. Callers will hear the recorded name of the mailbox owner.

If a mailbox has not been set up, it will not be listed in the menu. For more information, please see the Phone per Room Frequently Asked Questions.

1. In the parking lot behind WDAV.

2. On the walkway between Elm Row and Philanthropic Hall.

3. On the Carnegie Guest House porch.

4. On the walkway south of Little Library.

5. On the north side of the Richardson Stadium stands.

6. In the Baker parking lot near Baker Drive.

7. On the east side of Baker Sports near the football practice field.

8. In the Greenhouse parking lot near Ridge Road.

9. Near the Intramural field (5 acre).

10. In the Student Satellite parking lot.

11. In the West Hall parking lot near the basketball courts.

12. Near the lifeguard station at the Lake Campus.

13. At the boat house at the Lake Campus.

You may wish to forward a caller directly to another faculty or staff member's voice mail.

For Faculty / Staff Phones

While the caller is on the line, press the Transfer (or TRANS) button. This will place the caller on hold.
Dial x2579
When the system answers press * 8.
Enter the extension or voice mailbox number (generally the same) of the party for whom the message is intended.
Press Transfer (or CONN) a second time, and hang up. The caller will be transferred to the person's mailbox.
If you work in an enviroment where multiple extensions ring on more then one phone and you have answered one of these calls:

While the caller is on the line, press the Transfer (or TRANS) button. This will place the caller on hold.
Dial the extension; since it is busy, voice mail will answer. Call waiting may give unpredictable results.
Press Transfer (or CONN) a second time, and hang up. The caller will be transferred to the person's mailbox.
For Student Phones
Note: Not all models will work the same.

While the caller is on the line, press the flash button or hook switch to transfer.
Dial x2579
When the system answers press * 8.
Enter the extension or voice mailbox number (generally the same) of the party for whom the message is intended.
Press flash a second time, and hang up. The caller will be transferred to the person's mailbox.

Don't forget to sign up for Unified Messaging...a free service! Unified Messaging (also referred to as ‘voice mail/email integration’ or UM) is the process of moving voice messages into email. The voice messages are converted to sound (.wav) files and can be listened to from your desktop via Outlook (internal or external speakers/sound card required). However, if you prefer, you can still listen to new voice mail messages over the phone. Here are a few things to know about Davidson’s Unified Messaging service.

UM is available for Windows or Mac clients.

UM requires no additional software for the Mac. After your voice mail is UM-enabled, you will begin to receive your voice messages in your Entourage inbox.

Client software installation is required for Windows. The install only takes 5 to 10 minutes. Detailed instructions will be sent to you after your request has been processed.

The telephone message waiting light works inconsistently -- sometimes it lights, sometimes it doesn't. When a message is left in voice mail, it is immediately moved to the email server. The email server then sends a signal back to the voice mail server to light the phone light. The message movement and the email notification are consistent -- unfortunately, the telephone lights are not.

The email server becomes the primary storage location for voice mail messages -- a copy is retained on the voice mail server for quick telephone access. Stored voice messages become part of your email quota (they don’t take up much space, though). Please note, if you delete a message from your Inbox it is also deleted from voice mail and vice versa. You can now manage your voice mail the same way you manage your email.

Although you can receive your voice mail in email, you cannot retrieve your email from voice mail. ‘Text-to-speech’ conversion is not available at Davidson at this time.

Additional sources for information:
Check out the ITS Knowledge Base.
If you’d like to request UM, an on-line Help Desk form has been developed to speed the process.