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COVER PAGE |
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IBT |
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ISG |
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MATERIAL HANDLING |
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PT |
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FLUID POWER |
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IBT MEDIA |
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SAFETY |
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ELECTRICAL |
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IMT |
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LUBE |
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LEAN SIX SIGMA |
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Hello, Operator?
Give Me IBT!
This summer, the IT department at IBT will begin testing and piloting a new telephone system for the Central Distribution Center (CDC) and eventually for all of IBT land. The current phone system was installed in 1979, so it's certainly a welcome upgrade!
IBT is upgrading to a Voice Over IP (VOIP) system. VOIP consists of IP packets sent across the Internet to its destination. The human voice is digitized into an IP, or data, "packet", sent over the network, and then converted back to voice on the other end. The scalability and manageability of a VOIP system is far superior to the current system -- it is the "phone system of the future."
The major advantages of a VOIP system are:
"Find Me, Follow Me" -- A call can be forwarded to a cell phone, another desk or a different branch, allowing for greater user mobility.
Cost reduction -- phone calls can be routed to the most cost-effective connection. For example, intra-company calls will be "local" calls instead of long distance.
Application collaboration and convergence -- a VOIP system has the ability to interface with other technologies, such as Outlook. With text-to-speech integration, voicemails could be directed to an email inbox.
"Soft Phone" -- a computer can act as your phone; there is no need for an actual phone to be present for you to answer the phone or check your voicemail.
Redundancy -- a backup system will be housed at one of our branches, and if there is a failure of the system at the CDC, automatic recovery will be initiated. This will also allow customers to leave CDC employees voicemail in the event of a failure, and the branch will have phone service even if their phone lines are interrupted.
Easier and cheaper conference calling -- conference calls could take place from a desk, allowing employees to participate from any location. VOIP also facilitates video conferencing and online training simultaneously in multiple locations, allowing cost and time savings.
System testing will begin the second half of July.
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