FORT KNOX, Ky. –
The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is replacing analog telephones at all its recruiting stations with Voice over Internet Protocol phone systems, also called ‘cloud calling.’
These internet-based phone systems will allow recruiting noncommissioned officers flexibility to communicate with applicants and their families, according to Ronnie Creech, director of G-6 chief information office.
“VoIP has the potential to significantly improve the way the command’s dispersed workforce communicates and collaborates, regardless of geographic or organizational separations,” Creech said. “The new system will provide capability for voicemail, ring groups, call forwarding, personal messaging options and so much more.”
Recruiting NCOs will access the VoIP services through an app on their government computer. They will be able to make and take calls on their computer using a headset or forward calls to their government cell phone. The new service will also give recruiting NCOs the capability to set up ring groups, a feature that distributes calls from a single phone number to several receiving phones.
“Recruiting NCOs need the ability to communicate directly with an applicant and their family,” Creech said. “All too often, however, they are stuck meeting with each family member separately due to conflicting schedules for work and extracurricular activities. VoIP services can make this critical step in the recruiting process more efficient by allowing the recruiting NCO to become more autonomous with the flexibility to conduct calls, as necessary.”
USAREC has already begun the transition from analog phones to VoIP services and will continue to support this transition at all its approximately 1,700 recruiting locations, eliminating analog voice and fax lines at all echelons. The command anticipates completion of implementing VoIP services by the end of July.