PORT ANGELES — Clallam County is upgrading its internal phone and voicemail systems.
County commissioners next Tuesday are expected to approve a six-month contract extension with Avaya and a related purchase order for new phone system hardware.
The contract extension will bide time for the county’s Information Technology department to complete the project and to capture a $10,000 rebate from the manufacturer.
“When we go into the new version and this contract expires and we lock in the new price, we’re actually going to save about $8,000 a year over what we’re paying right now,” Information Technology Director Deborah Earley told commissioners Monday.
Commissioners Mark Ozias and Mike Chapman expressed support for the staff request.
“Thank you for your creative and cost-saving efforts,” Ozias told Earley.
Commissioner Bill Peach was absent from the work session because he was having a planned surgery.
Clallam County’s phone system was installed in about 1993, Earley said.
The old hardware is not compatible with the latest software, she said.
The $151,193 upgrade was budgeted from a real estate excise tax fund.
Earley said the IT department has considered different types of phone systems.
“We don’t want to go strictly VoiceOver IP, which is dependent on network connectivity, it’s dependent on computer connectivity,” she said.
“With this phone system, we do have availability of copper, so it’s going to be a little bit harder to destroy that connection.
“We’re actually with this system virtualizing part of it,” Earley added.
“So we are taking the step and going to newer technology, but we’re not getting rid of the entire infrastructure because that would be a significant cost, plus we’d have to replace all of the desktop phones.
“It’s the whole saying of throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
