Voice communication remains indispensable in everyday university life. It supports teaching, research, and administration alike and provides a stable foundation for accessibility and collaboration. At the same time, the environment in which voice communication is used has changed significantly in recent years: hybrid work models, mobile use, and digital collaboration platforms now shape everyday life.

At large, technology-driven universities, today’s voice infrastructure is the result of a long-term evolution. Over many years, new systems have been introduced, existing ones maintained, and selective upgrades implemented. Consequently, systems from different generations are in use simultaneously – ranging from traditional telephony solutions to IP-based and software-centric variants.

This parallel operation is often a deliberate choice. Different organizational units have different requirements regarding availability, feature sets, and integration. At the same time, older systems continue to serve their purpose in many areas and are firmly integrated into operational workflows. In parallel with the development of voice technology, several modern collaboration tools have become widely adopted in a short period of time. Video, chat, and presence information have become second nature to many users. As a result, there is a growing demand to seamlessly integrate voice communication into these platforms rather than operating it as a separate system. The focus is less on new features and more on consistency in everyday use: a person should be reachable regardless of device, location, or tool—without a change in medium and without adding complexity for users.

Large universities have robust internal IT organizations. Operating central systems independently is part of their identity and enables a high degree of control over stability, security, and adaptability. At the same time, the effort required to operate and further develop heterogeneous voice environments over the long term is increasing. Although centralized solutions and clear technical guidelines exist, user requirements vary significantly—both in terms of content and urgency. Some departments expect telephony that is as simple and stable as possible, while others prioritize deep integration into digital work environments. This range of needs shapes the ongoing development of the voice landscape as a wide range of very different usage scenarios must be accommodated.

Voice communication at universities today is less a matter of innovation and more a matter of integration and operations. The challenge lies in sensibly bringing together established structures, modern collaboration environments, and diverse user expectations. A step-by-step, realistic approach to further development is clearly the priority – with the goal of providing voice communication that is reliable, interoperable, and suitable for everyday use.

Pius Baumann
MUG Board Director

Head of Voice Networks
ETH Zurich
Switzerland