UO faculty and staff who make domestic long-distance calls at work may have noticed recently that calling got a little bit easier. Specifically, they no longer need to enter an authorization code for each call.

“It’s nice to be able to just pick up the phone and make a call without thinking about entering a code or getting one digit wrong,” said Jennifer Winters of University Communications. “It is especially convenient now that so many people keep their cell phone numbers when they move, which can be long distance even if they live locally.”

Information Services, the UO’s central IT department, phased out authorization codes for domestic long-distance calls on July 1 in favor of a small increase in monthly phone service rates for departments.

“This matches the experience most of us have with our cell phones and home phone lines,” said Joe Mailander of Information Services. “Domestic long distance is just part of the service.”

According to Mailander, the UO is following in the footsteps of other universities that started including domestic long-distance calling in basic phone service to save staff time dealing with authorization codes for these relatively inexpensive calls.

The UO is also facing a change in telecommunications billing systems due to the dissolution of the former Oregon University System. The new system will simplify billing but cannot easily accommodate the complexity necessary to track the costs of domestic long-distance calls.

To cover the cost of those calls, Information Services has increased monthly phone service rates by $1.50 per telephone. Mailander said the department expects that increase to be “close to cost-neutral for campus.”

International long-distance charges still apply, and authorization codes are still needed on those calls.

Anyone with questions should contact the Technology Service Desk at 541-346-HELP (541-346-4357) or techdesk@uoregon.edu.

—By Nancy Novitski, University Communications