Campbell to roll out new campus phone system this month

The work number remains, but the office telephone is going the way of the dinosaur.

Beginning this month, Campbell University will begin phasing out its office phone system for faculty and staff and roll out a new program that will allow them to take calls and receive messages through their desktops or through an app on their phone.

Employees will be able to access the new FortiVoice system and the FortiFone app beginning the week of Oct. 13, according to Kimberly Whitted, director of technology infrastructure and operations at Campbell.

“This new phone system will enhance communication, flexibility and user experience  for faculty and staff,” said Whitted. “We’re at the point with our current system where it’s outdated and in need of a major upgrade. In addition to improving our system, this is a cost-saving measure for our campus as well.”

As with the old system, voicemails will be sent to faculty and staff emails, but the biggest change will be having the ability to answer calls through a desktop or via a cellphone app. Calls made through the app will show up as an office number, so personal cell phone numbers will not be shared. Users will also be able to transfer calls through the new system, according to Whitted.

Not every office phone will be replaced. Phones in common areas or at front desks (such as the library, campus rec or academic departments) will remain, Whitted said.

Faculty and staff will be notified of the changes in the coming weeks. Training videos and documents and a quick-access guide will be available on the MyCampbell portal, and Whitted and her team will host live webinars to walk users through the new system. Individual training sessions can be scheduled upon request.