Communications Services Organization

• Customer Service, in charge of consulting, order processing and billing inquiries, quality control, telephone directory information, trouble desk, voice mail administration, and residential services.
• Operations, in charge of installations and maintenance, switch room and network operations, and programming.
• Engineering, in charge of network design, project management, and Computer-Aided Drafting.
• Administration, in charge of clerical services,  accounting, and storeroom.

1. Consulting, Billing, and Order Writing

   This group provides information and consulting assistance to faculty, staff and residents on the services offered by the department. In addition, they are responsible for recording customers' requests into the department's work order and billing system, resolving billing inquiries, and conducting training for the department's customers.

2. Quality Control

   This group develops and monitors quality control programs and procedures for all services offered by the department. They coordinate the activities of the Operations section's Installation and Maintenance group with the department's customers, and provide the department's customers with the status of work scheduled and completed. This group acts as an "advocate" on behalf of the department's customers.

3. Directory Information

   This group is responsible for providing telephone directory assistance to telephone callers from both on- and off-campus. To obtain directory information, call (805) 893-8000.

4. Trouble Desk

   This group provides customers with a single point of contact for reporting problems experienced while using any of the campus's networks. To report any problems with any of the services provided by our department, contact our Help Desk by dialing (805) 893-8700.

5. Voice Mail Administration

   This group consults with customers on our Voice Mail services, creates and maintains voice mailboxes and Call Controllers, and trains customers on the optimal use of Voice Mail.

6. Residential Operations

   This group manages the Residential Telephone Services and Residential Cable Television Services offered to residents of UCSB-owned or -leased housing.

The primary emphasis of this section is on the installation and maintenance of the networks, and it is normally not concerned with how or why the networks are used. Generally, the restoration of existing network service will always take priority over the implementation of new network service. Simply put, repairs take precedence over installations.

This section is divided into the following areas of responsibility:

1. Installations and Maintenance

   This group is responsible for the installation of new network connections, the removal of network connections when no longer needed, and the relocation of existing network connections. The connections may be to any of the networks administered or maintained by the department (e.g., voice, data, or video networks). This group is also responsible for the operation, maintenance, and expansion of the media and the transport facilities of the networks.

2. Switch Room and Network Operations Center

   This group is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the equipment and facilities located in the telephone switch room, including the telephone system, the Network Operations Center, and all wide-area networking facilities. The Network Operations Center identifies network failures and degradations of service. This group's primary responsibility is determining when a network problem occurs and isolating the problem source. They are responsible for the correction of the problem only if it is within the facilities of the switch room or off-campus communications circuits. If the problem is determined to be in one of the campus-wide distribution networks, it is turned over to the Installations and Maintenance group.

3. Programming

   This group provides the internal programming support for the department, including development and maintenance of the recharge billing systems, Local Area Network administration, design and implementation of the internal information systems, and website development, management, and maintenance.

The primary emphasis of this section is on the planning and analysis functions associated with the efficient use and expansion of the networks, rather than with the day-to-day operation of the networks. With the exception of project management, the services of this section are normally provided only to the staff of the department, and not to the customers of the department. However, members of the Engineering section may consult with the department's customers if equipment or services not previously used are being considered as a solution to a customer's needs.

This section is divided into the following areas of responsibility:

1. Network Design

   This group is responsible for the design of expansions and modifications to the existing networks. This group must maintain close contact with the planning groups of the campus and with Facilities Management Design and Construction Services. They are also responsible for preparing Requests For Quotation (RFQs), Requests for Proposal (RFPs), and system cost alternatives.

2. Project Management

   The projects managed by this group are normally very large installations, such as the wiring of an entire floor or entire building, or projects that have campus-wide impacts, such as installation of underground conduit and cable systems.

3. Computer-Aided Drafting

   This group is responsible for the production and maintenance of the thousands of CAD drawings produced for communications system designs and installations. Their drawings range from single room layouts to campus-wide maps of buildings, roads, parking lots, bicycle paths, and underground infrastructure.

The primary emphasis of this section is on administrative support of the networks and the department and the accounting and billing for the usage of the networks.

This section is divided into the following areas of responsibility:

1. Clerical Services

   This group is responsible for providing the day-to-day clerical services for the department, including payroll, personnel time and leave accounting.

2. Accounting

   This group is responsible for processing and maintaining the departmental financial records, for major project accounting, and for preparation of the departmental financial reports.

3. Storeroom

   This group is responsible for the operation of the department's storeroom, including the ordering, receipt, and inventory of all resale materials and departmental equipment.

PTV