Progress as of February 2024
State Data Center hardware inventory:
- Total Data Racks – 18
- Decommission/Emptied – 11
- Remaining: One will be decommissioned in mid-March, four will occur after March and the rest (two) cannot be addressed until all others have been emptied.
Connecting with customers to identify their preference for modern telephony solutions, such as MS Teams, eFax, or SIP:
- Total Port Networks – 54
- Initial Contact Made – 54
- DSHS 23 port networks--Received list from DSHS for their 23 port networks: Four sites are still being surveyed, 11 SIP is their choice, eight locations for Avaya 450 modems/gateways are their choice due to cost and resource constraints.
- DRS (two port networks): There is a project scheduled to complete in June to move to Teams.
- AGR (one port network): conducting site survey.
Team identified eight sites that can be replaced by three Avaya 450 modems/gateways to reduce risk to Avaya software that will no longer be supported in December 2025. This includes the Governor’s Mansion, which cannot be addressed until after November 2024.
Background
WaTech is migrating from legacy telephony hardware and services to modern alternatives.
The purpose of this project is to modernize the legacy telephony hardware and service delivery model by streamlining and standardizing how telephony services are provided.
This effort will focus on retiring the legacy hardware, which has reached the end of support that is deployed at some customer locations. The goal is to migrate legacy hardware and technologies to modern cost-efficient standardized solutions for WaTech and our customers.
Objectives
Services
- Identify services that need to be discontinued and set dates for sunset.
- Identify and document future service delivery models and technologies for voice services.
Migration
- Coordinate with customers to migrate to modern voice services such as Microsoft Teams Telephony, Avaya SIP and WaTech Connect.
- Review TDM (Centrex) and offer to move customers to our modern services such as eFax, Teams, etc.
Customer sites
- Partner with our telephony customers to sunset legacy telephony hardware and solutions currently in use.
- Assist our customers with planning and migration to WaTech’s standardized telephony solutions.
- Ensure out-of-date hardware is updated or moved to a network or cloud-based solution.
- Review agencies’ needs and discuss options to migrate to Microsoft Teams or Avaya SIP.
Cost savings
- In most cases, moving to these new technologies will lower telephony costs. For example, both Microsoft Teams Telephony and Avaya SIP include domestic long distance and voice mail with the service. Microsoft Teams is offered for $4.50 per month and Avaya SIP for $22 per month. A non-SIP Avaya service averages $25 per month plus voicemail and long-distance charges, and Centrex lines start at $45 per month.
Benefits
- Cost savings from converting to Teams or SIP.
- Cost savings from review of bill and removing unneeded services.
- Moving to a modern, supportable telephone service.
- Removal of old hardware and lead/acid battery-based UPS devices from locations.
Questions?
Business Sponsor
Eric Talberg
eric.talberg@watech.wa.gov
Project Manager
Pat Heyn
pat.heyn@watech.wa.gov