Dear Campus Community,

As the holidays approach, Information Technology Services (ITS) is providing the following reminders to help protect your personal information and University data:

• Lock away any documents or devices with sensitive information before leaving your campus workspace or residence for the holidays.
• Vehicle break-ins are more frequent this time of year. Don’t leave phones, computers, or other valuables in your car.
• Scammers use fear and anxiety to trigger impulsive reactions. Stop and think before responding to any email, call, or text.
• Don’t click unexpected links or attachments. Use trusted websites or apps to view account or order information.
• Beware of any requests for personal or account information, especially from unknown sources. ITS will never ask for your password.
• Be suspicious of any promises of gift cards, lottery winnings, or easy job opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you see a security alert pop-up window in your browser or desktop, do not call the number given or click any link. It’s likely a scam, and your device could be infected with malware. Call the ITS Service Desk immediately at 901.678.8888.

For more tips on keeping your personal and University data safe, visit our IT Security Phishing and Best Practices web pages.

Forward suspicious emails to abuse@memphis.edu, and report any lost devices or unusual account activity — such as unexpected Duo prompts — to the ITS Service Desk at umtech@memphis.edu or 901.678.8888.

Happy Holidays,
Robert Jackson, EdD
Chief Information Officer

Dear Campus Community,

The University of Memphis has selected RingCentral MVP Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) to replace our existing on-premises legacy phone system. In 2017, ITS initiated a series of projects to modernize the campus network to support the evolution of services to the cloud. Migrating to RingCentral supports the University’s strategic plan by providing improved services that support student success, sustainability, branding, and community engagement; aligns with ongoing ITS technology modernization efforts and strengthens business continuity and disaster recovery.

Student support will be enhanced with RingCentral’s modernized call centers (Contact Centers). Features in RingCentral’s Contact Centers will better serve students during peak times, such as having the telephone system call the student when a University representative is available. Improved analytics on call volumes, wait-for queues, and other metrics will improve service to the campus community and can help identify staffing needs to best serve students during peak times of the year.

Additional features include improved support for remote employees via mobile and PC apps, electronic faxing capabilities, audio, and visual conferencing integration capabilities, and improved voicemail and call management features.

As the project moves forward, additional communication and status updates will be provided and ITS will collaborate with each University department to coordinate the transition. For more information about the RingCentral project, please visit the RingCentral project page.

Regards,

Robert Jackson, EdD
Chief Information Officer