Cloud migration is a top priority for campuses worldwide, and for good reason. Migrating voice and data networks to the cloud allows campuses to offer faster, more reliable connectivity to students and faculty for lower costs than traditional networks. But how do you overcome the unique challenges large universities face during cloud migration?
Challenge #1: Integrating Cloud Solutions Into Your Campus Safety System
One of the biggest hindrances to cloud migration at large universities is whether the cloud provider can incorporate this new solution into the existing campus safety system. Check out our free ebook to dive into this challenge in greater detail, but in a nutshell – connecting campus safety systems is complicated. Traditional cloud migrations for enterprises are simple – they connect desk phones, contact centers, headsets, etc. – but campus safety systems aren’t as straightforward.
Your existing voice network already connects to your campus station and police cars, so your cloud provider must be able to connect these platforms without interrupting service. Additionally, your campus officers likely don’t have time to – or want to – learn an entirely new system, so retaining existing phone capabilities is key.
Challenge #2: Connecting a Large Number of Analog Phones to the Cloud
Large university voice and data networks can consist of upwards of 20,000 phone connections, which is a much larger scale than most cloud providers typically encounter. Each one of these analog connections must be integrated with your cloud provider – and connections that support critical functions like elevators and building doorbells have to retain their capabilities after migration.
In addition to the ebook above, our latest ebook explores this topic in more detail, including the many difficulties your university might face when preparing your large-scale phone network for cloud migration. Download it here to learn how to overcome these difficulties with the right tools and support.
Challenge #3: Handling Phones in Unconventional Locations Across Campus
Among your 20,000+ phone connections, there are likely a lot of phones located in less-than-traditional locations across campus. Cloud migrations for businesses often don’t involve phones outside of desk and office spaces, but large universities usually need phones for public safety purposes in places like stairwells, elevators, door boxes, and lobbies.
Another factor to consider is that many campus phones are exposed to and used by the general public. Office employees are expected to handle their desk phones correctly, but that isn’t always the case for phones on university campuses. Analog phones across campuses tend to vary in quality to compensate for the inevitable damage caused by long-term public use.
Set Your University Cloud Migration up for Success With ECG
While many cloud providers don’t have experience handling large-scale university cloud migrations, they can still complete your project successfully with help from ECG.
We help cloud providers overcome these unique challenges to complete migrations they may not have been capable of tackling manually, which you can learn more about when you download this whitepaper. Not only can we help your cloud provider integrate every phone line across your campus – including those connected to your campus safety system or located in unconventional areas – we’ll make sure your devices retain their existing capabilities for minimal disruption.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of cloud migration but aren’t sure where to start when it comes to connecting your campus, reach out to ECG today. We can have a conversation about your needs, brainstorm solutions, and ensure your university cloud migration is set up for success.