Mitel, the trusted innovator of IP communications solutions and applications, announced that Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska has selected it to implement an advanced IP communications system throughout its campus. This is the first major deployment of VoIP in the state of Nebraska.

"Our old system was due to expire and the cost to upgrade and continue with a Centrex system would increase significantly," said Wayne State College chief technology officer Denis Linster. "We selected the Mitel solution because we wanted a state-of-the-art technology system that we had full control over and that offered a migration strategy that would give us the ability to deploy advanced applications as they are developed."

In heavy competition, the Mitel solution was selected over other vendor offerings for its ease of installation and use, simplified management, seamless integration of IP applications and the ability to easily scale as the college expands.

Networking 27 college buildings, the solution is comprised of two resilient Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platforms (ICPs) embedded with standard unified messaging that seamlessly integrate into a Cisco network. In addition, Wayne State purchased a redundant Mitel SX-2000 for the dormitory allowing the college to migrate to a full IP platform at a pace that is comfortable to them.

To service students, faculty and staff, Wayne State purchased over 550 IP phones from the Mitel 5200 phone series as well as Mitel Navigators, a highly intuitive, visually remarkable desktop device that fits under a flat-screen computer monitor and can be tailored specifically for any horizontal or vertical market. The Navigator is a breakthrough communications device that radically enhances the meaning of voice, video and data convergence on the desktop.

Mitel president and chief operating officer, Paul Butcher, took note of Wayne State's cutting-edge philosophy towards both their present needs and future aspirations.

"By being the first institution in Nebraska to deploy an IP communications solution, Wayne State has demonstrated a forward-thinking strategy by offering students the most advanced educational environment possible," he said. "The Mitel solution will allow Wayne State students, faculty and staff to communicate more efficiently and effectively. It also sets the foundation for further expansion and the future deployment of IP applications."

Wayne State also enhanced its communications needs with a host of feature- rich IP applications including:

• Mitel Interactive Group Communications System (IGC) - An in-house easy-to- use conferencing solution that provides the user with "same-room communications" experience by providing features and functionality such as pre-scheduled calls, whisper (voice or text), external calling, volume control, and auto reconnect.
• Mitel Enterprise Manager - Central management for the entire network through a suite of management tools that allow simple configuration, control and management of the Mitel network by minimizing repetitive tasks and automating many standard processes. Using the NetAlly maintenance tool, managers can monitor voice quality on IP phones.
• Mitel Messaging Server - Provides enhanced access and control over communications. Through features such as multilingual auto-attendant, voicemail, text-to-speech, fax mail and wireless device support, the Messaging Server Platform offers myriad options for enterprise users to retrieve and manage messages.

Mitel completed the project with its solution provider, HunTel Communications, a single source provider of business communications services. For more information visit http://www.hci-omaha.com.