Fail-safe network phones for Fred Hutchinson

Brief

Perhaps you've noticed the strange looking phones in center meeting rooms and common areas. With their display screens, they look more like video monitors then telephones. The phones use "voice over IP" (VOIP) technology, which means that instead of operating over standard telephone wires, they work over the computer network. Should a catastrophe strike the telephone system at Fred Hutchinson, employees and affiliates will still be able to place outbound calls using these phones.

The phones are part of a larger effort to keep the center operational in the event of a disaster. In addition, the center maintains an emergency-information hotline and Web site with current center status. Look for a refrigerator magnet with the phone number and URL in your office mail in the next few days. Keep the information in a handy location at home. The new Emergency Information Hotline number is: (888) 667-2020. The Web address is http://status.fhcrc.org.

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