VOIP isn't just a new phone

Our new commissioner,Michael Astrue, has challenged theagency to transform itself, andVOIP is the foundation of that. It isthe [information technology] pillarof his strategy.We need to drive electronic servicesmore effectively to our citizens.We make about 8 million externalphone calls a year and 80 millioninternal phone calls. In the future,those will be part of our VOIPsolution.We are not just replacing 65,000phones. It really is about trying to build abusiness strategy. From a purely return-on-investmentperspective, the agency saves money onphone calls. But from a business perspective,it is a transformational effort. We have to finda way to service [the growing customer base].We can't do it in the traditional way of peoplewalking into the office.VOIP allows you to do voice, video anddata down the same line. It allows you to domuch more intelligent analysis of your customer.It allows you to be much more dynamicas to how you want to transfer information,and it allows you to offer a much more integratedsuite of solutions.For example, we have about 2 billionhealth care records. If we can more effectivelyintegrate all that data to serve our customers,that is a big deal. VOIP has different issues surroundingdata security and information security.As we transition to the VOIP environment,we have to effectively address those.The other thing is that it requires a closerelationship with Nortel. We have got tomake sure that we partner.The third thing is to work with Nortel andthe other vendors. Our stuff goes fromPlantronics to Cisco. We have handsets,servers, routers, switches and phone lines.All of these contractors haveto understand their dependenciesto each other. You have to knowwhy you are doing this.Executives at any agency needto understand where they aretrying to take their agency.We are trying to drive a particulartype of service deliveryto our citizens. We realizevoice, video and data are allbits, and we see the value ofhaving all those components togetherwhen we go about solving a problemfor our customer.It is not a technology project. It is awhole different way of doing businessand of how you communicate. Congress will keep an eye on this.Social Security is going to be one of the moreimportant agencies serving the country goingforward. I am just very happy that we havemade the right decision to go forward withthis technology.