Introducing Zoom Phone
Image source (PDF).
As part of ITS's Digital Transformation plan, USC is transitioning from its current high-cost telephone and voice technologies to Zoom Phone, a cloud-based platform from Zoom. Zoom Phone offers a plethora of easy-to-use features and its flexibility is a significant improvement on existing phone services at USC such as Avaya, which had more limited functionality.
Zoom Phone simplifies phone management, has enhanced reporting capabilities, and can be used flexibly on multiple devices—including mobile phones—all within a secure and compliant environment. This flexibility gives Zoom Phone a tremendous advantage over the existing desk phone system, which requires faculty and staff to either be physically present at their on-campus desk when anticipating a call or manually set up call forwarding in advance.
Dornsife units are tentatively scheduled to make this transition during January and February 2022, with precise dates to be announced. DTS may be reaching out to you in the coming weeks as we begin our planning and discovery efforts for this migration.
About Zoom Phone
What is a Zoom Phone? How am I supposed to use it?
Zoom Phones are softphones—that is, software-based phones. On the cutover date (which will be announced well ahead of time), your USC phone number will be switched over to Zoom Phone and your desk phone will no longer be active. You can simply log into the Zoom app on your work device (computer, tablet, or mobile) and navigate the Zoom interface to access Zoom Phone features such as:
- Making and receiving calls
- Transferring, parking, delegating, and forwarding calls
- Viewing call history
- Setting up and using voicemail
- Sending and receiving text messages (SMS)
- Accessing the USC directory
- Enhanced 911 (E911)
For detailed instructions, please refer to ITS's Transitional Toolkit.
Why are we switching to Zoom Phone? How is this supposed to be better than our current phone system?
USC's current telephone and voice technologies are high-cost and limited in functionality. Additionally, the existing desk phone system requires faculty and staff to either be physically present at their on-campus desk when anticipating a call or manually set up call forwarding in advance.
Zoom Phone simplifies phone management, has enhanced reporting capabilities, and can be used flexibly on multiple devices—including mobile phones—all within a secure and compliant environment.
What if I don't want to install the Zoom app?
Since you are using Zoom Phone for University work we do recommend that you install the Zoom app on your work device, whether that is a computer, tablet, or mobile device. If you don't install the Zoom app, you will not be able to use Zoom Phone, which ultimately means that you will need to use an alternate method of communication (e.g. email or the calling feature in Slack or Teams).
Additional resources
The official Zoom Phone toolkit from ITS includes links to Zoom Phone usage instructions as well as video walkthroughs:
Zoom Video Communications, Inc also provides the following introductory video: