Congress looks at new UC, VoIP system to connect district offices, Capitol

Administrators are looking at ways to bring a full suite of unified communications services into the House of Representatives, giving legislators access to a combined voice and data communications system that also could include videoconferencing and chat functions.

Officials last week put out an RFI on replacing the current communications system with a VoIP product that would connect the offices and meeting rooms at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., with congressional district offices across the U.S. and its territories, some 850 district offices in all. Responses are due Aug. 31.

A move from the current Verizon Federal product would be based in part on the cost. The RFI said "critical to the House's decision on whether to replace their current voice communications system with a VoIP system and ... UC applications is the House's ability to justify the expense."

Verizon said it would review the RFI and likely offer a bid on a new system.

Members of Congress in June approved the use of services like Skype and ooVoo VoIP and video chat for its members to help reduce travel costs and improve efficiency.

For more:
- see this Nextgov article

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