The November Project Snapshot Series highlights telecommunications work Futron performed for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers in Pittsburgh, PA contract. Futron designed, installed, and integrated the replacement telecommunication system by providing a complete digital/analog voice telephone system for three VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System sites.
Nortel CS 1000M Internet Protocol (IP) enabled Private Branch Exchange (PBX) served as the basis of the 7,600-line telephony solution. The three Nortel CS 1000M IP PBX’s, were integrated together using a “star” architecture to provide one seamless operational Enterprise Telephony Network across the VAPHS. The integrated architecture enabled centralized and automated directory access, networked voicemail, automated attendant with voice recognition, automatic call distribution, and a centralized telecommunications management system while affording node-level redundancy enabling each facility to maintain telephony processing if separated from the group. VoIP functions were supported for both trunks and end user devices and the necessary interfaces, including hardware and software, were provided to support wireless functionality. Futron designed and installed the solution to give a 99.9 Mean Time Between Failure Rate and a VoIP service grade of 99.999.
During the period of performance, Futron provided a wide-range and comprehensive set of services including: engineering and solution development, hardware and software procurement, configuration and implementation, testing and user acceptance, on-site and certification training, maintenance and follow-on support services, and program and project management. The three Nortel CS 1000M IP PBX’s are still operating without interruption in the production environment.
Projects like the work we completed at the VA Medical Centers showcase how we are able to respond quickly and effectively for mission critical voice and healthcare communication solutions.
