Between 2020 and 2025, Cornell will roll out a new cloud-based phone system, RingCentral, to completely replace the existing campus telephone service. Cornell Information Technologies is working with each college, school, and unit to determine an appropriate timeline for transferring to the new campus phone system.

RingCentral will improve on the current telephone system and infrastructure, which cannot be upgraded and needs to be replaced. The service is easy to use, secure, and reliable; it supports apps and integrations with other frequently used Cornell services like Office 365, Canvas, and Salesforce. In support of increased remote work, faculty and staff will be able to work from anywhere with RingCentral, which will use their Cornell phone number to communicate across devices.

The RingCentral app works on desktops, laptops, desk phones, and mobile devices, and is supported broadly across operating systems. The simplified experience enables fast and seamless call switching between devices. A cell phone is not required. Each user can decide which hardware choices best fit their needs.

There is no fee for dialing domestically or internationally. Cornell will periodically review international calling costs to ensure this is a viable model.

The target for all users to be ported to RingCentral is 2023. Other required voice services such as emergency phones and convenience phones will be targeted for port after that.