RingCentral FAQs

General Information:

Does RingCentral require me to use my cell phone for work calls?

• You are not required to use your cell phone, but RingCentral can be used on it if you choose.

Will the university pay for my phone?

• It is your department's responsibility to compensate you for the phone and its use.

What happens if I miss the introductory email to register for RingCentral?

• If you go to service.ringcentral.com and login with your ULID@louisiana.edu you should receive another email prompting you to register.

Privacy & Caller ID:

If I use my cell phone, is my personal cell phone number shown?

• RingCentral conceals your cell number and displays only your University phone number.

What if I get spam/robot calls while using RingCentral?

• Answer and hang up if irrelevant.
• Block the number.
• Let unknown calls go to voicemail and check later.

Can I mute incoming call notifications while on a call?

• Yes, go to Settings > Notification and audio > Call waiting audio alert > Choose Silent.

Hardware & Equipment:

Do I need a headset to use RingCentral?

• If no microphone on device, use a headset; headsets enhance privacy and reduce distraction.
• Teams/Zoom-compatible headsets work with RingCentral.

Will RingCentral work with my Apple Watch?

• Not at this time.

What is the plan to dispose of all the current phones on campus? 

• Will they be picked up, are users supposed to throw them in the trash, or should they be sent to surplus?  Please have them placed in boxes and we will arrange for them to be picked up.

A couple of weeks ago when meeting with the Team in Stephens Hall, they showed me a USB phone they were testing.  Is this going to be provided by IMN to all users, or will users need to purchase that themselves?  If they must purchase it themselves, will a link be provided on the website? 

• Since the audio interface (headset, handset, wired, wireless, etc) to the computer is a very individualized preference we cannot stock enough choices to cover all preferences.  We can provide links for some choices, RingCentral has an extensive list at the website linked here.

Installation & Setup:

Do I need to notify IT if I move offices?

• Only if you have a hard phone.

If my University computer is at my home, do I have to bring it to campus to install RingCentral?

• No. You will have it automatically downloaded and installed.

I received an error message when entering my home address. What do I do?

• Follow troubleshooting steps in the RingCentral Article. For questions, email ringcentral@louisiana.edu.

Usage & Features:

Do I still have to dial “9” for an outside line?

• If you have the Existing Phone System: Yes, you would dial “9” followed by the 10-digit number for an outside line.
• If you have RingCentral: No, you simply dial the 10-digit number without needing to dial “9” first.

How do I dial a long-distance number?

• For both the Existing Phone System and RingCentral: Dial the area code followed by the seven-digit number.

How do I make a phone call during the migration?

If you have Existing Phone System	Calling the Existing System	Calling RingCentral Phone	Calling OFF Campus Phone
Existing Phone System	5-Digit Extension	9+10 Digit Number	9+10 Digit Number
RingCentral	10 Digit Number	5-Digit Extension	10 Digit Number

Will I receive work calls at night if I set RingCentral to forward to my cell phone?

• No, you can set work hours within RingCentral.

My voicemail is set to send messages to my campus email. Will that still happen on RingCentral?

• Yes, with the option to send transcriptions.

When using RingCentral on my personal phone, can I access my phone’s stored contacts?

• Yes, go to Contacts > Personal in the RingCentral app.

If I use my phone out of my office, will my number change?

• No, the number will remain the same. Your phone number will be attached to your Microsoft Login which is your ULID@louisiana.edu. The only exception to this is the extremely rare instance of someone requiring to have the physical phone.

Is there an eta on when the texting feature will be available? The website list it as not currently available, but it is one of the features that Faculty and Departments are most interested in.

• The process to use SMS (Texting) from a wired service involves registration of the University's 'Brand' with The Campaign Registry (TCR), and registration of each use of SMS (a campaign) with specific telephone numbers that will be used for each campaign. The University's Brand has been approved by TCR. We have a campaign registration pending with TCR for conversational texting specifically to communicate to an individual who started the conversation (sent a text to the University's phone, by starting the conversation they opt-in).  For each campaign there must be an opt-in and opt-out capability. We will be able to request further campaigns as the need and controls are defined.

Costs:

What is the physical phone's cost?

• Departments have covered the cost for this Fiscal Year, and future costs are expected to remain the same or decrease. For questions, email ringcentral@louisiana.edu.

Will the yearly cost of a phone line change from what it is now? 

• We expect the cost of each 'telephone' service will be the same or less than the most recent charges for the PBX service historically available on campus.

The Website list two physical phones that can be purchased, but it does not list a price, can you please tell me the price to purchase the phone outright. 

• The University will limit the models of phone instruments used on the RingCentral service to very few including the RingCentral Desktop App, RingCentral Mobile App, Poly Edge 220, and the Poly Edge 350.  The University is promoting the use of the APPs over the telephone devices to give the users a full featured experience with the RingCentral Service.  Although the cost of the RingCentral service will be reduced for the user using only the APP, if a telephone is required, it will be provided with the service.

Technical Limitations:

If I start a WiFi call and switch to mobile data, will my RingCentral call disconnect?

• Yes, the call will drop, and you’ll need to reconnect.

Do I need a “hard” phone for making credit card payments for my department?

• No, only for those taking payors' credit card information.

What happens with the new telephone system for users who do not use Windows or Mac Computers?

• For faculty and staff unable to run the RingCentral app on Microsoft or Apple computers, there are two alternatives:

• Physical Telephone - We offer a device similar to the current setup, though not identical.
• Linux-Compatible App - An application compatible with Linux OS is available. It is developed by RingCentral Labs, this app is a community project and NOT an official product. As such, it lacks formal testing, support, documentation, and RingCentral / IT Service Desk support is not available for it. For any assistance please consult the project's GitHub Issue message board. For more information regarding this Linux application please visit ringcentral.com/apps/linux-phone and click "Get Support"