Behind the Scenes:
Technology Communications
Cisco conference phone with Voice Over
Internet
Protocol (VoIP) technology.
The Technology Communications group is made up of the folks who work behind the scenes to keep the roads secure on the GCS information super highway. Three teams make it happen: the wide area network (WAN)/Internet team, local area network (LAN)/Infrastructure team and Telephony team.
All three teams in Technology Services perform different and vital functions, keeping GCS working at peak capacity. Noel Melton, senior communications engineer, heads up the WAN/Internet team that keeps all GCS schools and administrative offices connected together and to the Internet. They also work to protect our network from hackers and malware (malicious software) by keeping a firm firewall and network monitoring in place. The group provides safety for students. “If the subject matter is not allowed for students, we block it,” explained Melton. An Internet advisory committee comprised of educators, Media Services and Technology Services personnel, works together to determine which sites are appropriate, or not, for students. Internet connectivity and filtering has never been more important as GCS users produce 19 million hits daily to the Internet, and approximately 260 new pornography sites pop up daily on the information super highway.
The LAN team keeps connections working. “We are the road that everything travels on, from the cable to the back of the PC,” said Stephen Durham, communications engineer. The LAN team is responsible for the cabling in the walls and the network hardware in the closets. “We are also behind the wireless effort at all the schools,” explained Durham.
The LAN team is responsible for network access control which is analogous to a vehicle inspection sticker. They verify that all PCs connecting to the network have anti-virus software and up-to-date patches. Performance monitoring is another function, or in lay terms, making sure there are no potholes on the road and checking the speed of the network. Cabling infrastructure is an intimidating term that means making sure that cable outlets are available when facilities or schools relocate. “When anyone moves to another location, we are called,” smiled Durham. Lastly, the team is behind the in-school broadcast systems. These are the systems that provide school announcements, morning television shows and video broadcasts.
A big buzz for the LAN team is the new Internet Protocol television (IPTV) currently being tested. IPTV transmits television signals through a data network, allowing users more control of when and how they watch programs. Teachers choose video segments on their PC and then play them when needed, similar to Movies on Demand. “This concept is relatively new in schools, and I am not aware of any other schools in North Carolina using it,” said Richard Sumner, supervisor of technology communications.
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The Telephony team is responsible for unified communications, paging interface and the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems. “We have been installing the VoIP systems for about a year, and they are currently in 22 locations, with seven more installations scheduled in the next few months,” said Sumner. The technology uses a space-age looking telephone that leaves regular voicemail for its user but also leaves an e-mail message, allowing users to access phone messages when away from their office by checking e-mail. If a principal needs to make an announcement, they can do so by using this technology. The system is cost effective because it uses multiple lines to help prevent callers from getting a busy signal. “This technology will save money because we don’t need to install three different cables,” said Brad Bolton, communications engineer for the Telephony team. The busy Technology Communications group never has a dull moment, and 2008 will not be an exception. Technology will be actively involved in discussions this year regarding new schools and their design. “We are involved from the first thoughts of new schools to the finish,” Sumner explained.
Did you know?
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The average school has 40 miles of cable and 1,000 cable connections.
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GCS requires 4,000 miles of cable to keep everyone connected. That is enough to stretch from here to California.
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Technology Communications supports over 2,000 network switches, wireless access points and routers.
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When President Bush visited, Technology Communications worked closely with the Secret Service to provide special data and telephone needs. They also worked with all the major media outlets to provide technology to help cover the event. Two employees received Secret Service clearance and awards for their service.
Noel Melton, Communications Engineer, preparing to install a new network security server. |
