This FAQ is a companion document to the Non-Cellular Communication Devices & Services Policy, providing answers to questions in the following categories:

• Billing of Telecommunications Charges
• Call Center Application
• Department Phones
• Directory Listing
• Fax Line
• Forwarding
• International Calling and Other Premium Services
• Jabber
• Landline (Office) Phone
• Voicemail

Billing of Telecommunications Charges

Q. How is billing handled?
A. Telecommunications provides an online monthly billing statement with charges on University-issued devices. Department management is responsible for reviewing invoices. Department bill reviews should investigate and report unusual usage volume, and unexpected charges to telecom@brown.edu.

Q. Who is responsible for long-distance charges?
A. The University will not be responsible for any long-distance charges. All long-distance charges accrued shall be billed back to the department.

Call Center Application

Q. Do you offer setup of Call Center as a service? If so, how would one get it?

A. Yes, the Call Center is part of the Telecommunications service offering. Please submit a Help Request with the IT Help Desk if your department is interested in learning more about the Call Center application.

Department Phones

Q. What is a Hunt Group and how does it work?

A. A Hunt Group allows multiple people to answer a departmental number in an organized and logical manner. Members of a Hunt Group log into the group to make themselves eligible to answer calls and log out of the group when they no longer are being requested to answer.

Q: How does a department request a Hunt Group?
A. A member of any department may request a Hunt Group. The composition of the Hunt Group members may change.

Q: Who is responsible for managing the members of a Hunt Group?
A. The department representative is responsible for notifying Telecommunications of any changes that are made to the group composition. Simply send the updated information to ithelp@brown.edu.

Q. What happens when a Hunt Group manager leaves the department?
A. If the department contact transfers to another department, a new department contact would become responsible for notifying Telecommunications of changes to the group.

Q. Can a Hunt Group be forwarded after-hours to an answering service?
A. Forwarding to an off-campus after-hours answering service is generally not done, though exceptions may be requested.  Open a ticket with the IT Help Desk to make your request.

Directory Listing

Q. Can you list your Brown or personal cell phone as your only number in the directory?
A. What appears in the directory is based on Workday information, and is not generated or maintained by Brown Telecommunications. You can add, remove or update existing phone numbers in Workday  by selecting All Apps > Home Landing Page > Personal Information > Change > Contact Information. In addition to the directory information maintained in Workday, you may add an alternate phone number in MyAccount (go to  My Profile > Alternate Phone Number).

Fax Line

Q. How do I get a fax line? Can it be used for both incoming and outgoing faxing?
A. Yes, fax lines are available. You may request a fax line by opening an IT Help Desk ticket. Telecommunications is responsible for configuring the fax line but not for the procurement or maintenance of the fax equipment itself.

Forwarding

Q. Can you forward your Brown phone to a personal phone?
A. Your Brown extension is available via Jabber on Android, iOS, and PC/Mac. If you have a use case for off-campus forwarding that is not supported by Jabber, you may submit your request to ithelp@brown.edu for review & approval.

Q. Can you forward your Brown phone/voicemail to Google Voice?
A. No, you cannot. 

Q. Is there call forwarding to an international number? (Does the system even allow it?)
A. This type of forwarding is not allowed. 

International Calling and Other Premium Services

Q. What is the process to authorize a phone for international calling or request other premium services?
A. Send an email to ithelp@brown.edu, requesting international calling. Please be sure to include the telephone number that you are requesting this as well as management approval for this request.

Jabber

Q. Who gets a Jabber line? Do we default to Jabber?
A. Any Brown-paid faculty, staff or matriculated student may request the Jabber soft client. When the Telecommunications department configures a landline for a user, they also automatically configure the Jabber soft client.

Q: Is Jabber available to contractors, affiliates, students, etc.?
A. Jabber is licensed for staff, fully matriculated students and Brown-paid faculty members. It is not available to contractors or to affiliates.

Landline (Office) Phone

Q. Are you allowed to bring your own phone and put it on Brown’s phone service?
A. No, it is not allowed to bring your own phone and connect it to Brown’s telephone system.

Voicemail

Q. Must all staff and faculty phones have voicemail turned on, and must you tend it or forward to email and auto-delete?
A. No, you do not have to have voicemail. Voicemail may be requested; it is not automatically configured for a new or existing telephone line. You may request that voicemail messages are forwarded to email. 

Q. Who owns the voicemail content?
A. Brown University owns the voicemail content.