07-28-11 City to acquire new Internet-based telephone system

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Bend Museum of Art, Studebaker National Museum, Morris Performing Arts Center and the Palais Royale, Potawatomi Zoo and the three municipal golf courses. "Using the Metronet and Union Station as the backbone to this system, we will increase our network resiliency and reduce risks of server hardware failure by having redundant hardware at separate data centers," said Keith Crain, senior systems specialist for the City of South Bend's Department of Information Technology. "The City of South Bend also will reduce risks by implementing a phased roll-out of the system." Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) converts a caller's voice to data and transfers it over the Internet to a phone on the other end. Because VOIP goes through a data network and is run on a server,the system allows the integration of multiple software applications as well as cell phones and e-mail. It also eliminates the need for separate voice and data networks. Commercial businesses have been migrating to VOIP for several years. The major advantage, along with all of the new technology options and added security, is that it avoids the toll charges of traditional phone service,reducing overall annual costs. For example, the City now pays 10 cents per minute for long-distance phone calls, compared with an estimated cost of 1.2 cents per minute under the VOIP system. In addition, any time an employee changes desks, or a line is added or deleted, a traditional phone system requires reconfiguration—which costs about $300 per incident. With new equipment, changes simply involve plugging into the network at a new location. The City of South Bend began to explore alternatives to its existing phone system in 2010, distributing a request for proposals to multiple vendors and identifying three vendors for further exploration. Netarx, A Logicalis Company, helps customers transform and accelerate business through collaboration and data center technologies.NetCare Managed IT Services help organizations benefit from these technologies more affordably and with higher quality. The company has more than 14 years experience providing IT services.Netarx ranked 262 on the 2011 VAR500,up 146 places from 2010.Netarx is also the recipient of prestigious awards like Computer Reseller News' Fast Growth 100, Inc. 500's 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, Metropolitan Detroit's 101 Best &Brightest to Work For(six consecutive years),Michigan 50 Companies to Watch, and Best Workplace in Michigan.