Webb & Associates
35 Fuller Street
Canton, Massachusetts 02021781-575-1600 (voice)
781-575-1477 (fax)
Webb & Associates understands the
challenges presented to Correctional Institutions in regards
to their telecommunications requirements. Your institution
requires telecommunications services and systems to support
your administration and day-to-day business. In addition,
requirements for inmate calling systems must be flexible
enough to provide telephone service as well as control and
management. In this manner, the institution is gauranteed
commissions for enhancing other inmate services. Webb &
Associates offers services specifically for the Corrections
Industry.
For additional information regarding a specific service or
to arrange for a no cost, no obligation meeting to discuss
our services in more detail, please contact us at
information@webbconsult.com or 781-575-1600.
Telecommunications
Needs Assessment Services
With the tremendous change in
available technology today coupled with the various
"solutions" offered by a myriad of companies, many
institutions feel overwhelmed with the choices for their
telecommunications needs. Webb & Associates understands
this frustration. Webb & Associates works with single as
well as multiple correctional institutions to determine the
best manner in which to proceed with technology choices,
network arrangements and simple communications options. Webb
& Associates understands that the best manner in which
to determine a client's telecommunications direction is to
conduct a full needs assessment. The results of such will
fully answer such questions as:
- Do we need to replace our current systems?
- What do I do now that our current contract for services is expiring?
- Should I renew my Centrex Contract?
- What new technology is available to meet our needs?
- Should we be implementing Voice over IP or IP Telephony?
- What is the cost of the new technology we may need?
- How can I ensure that we are using our systems to the best advantage?
- How to I communicate between facilities more effectively?
- Is there a better way to use our current systems?
- How do I proceed to take advantage of what is on the market today?
- How to I use new technology to enhance inmate services?
Webb & Associates can answer those questions by providing a complete assessment of your telecommunications needs. Starting with end user interviews, Webb & Associates will ensure that all recommendations are compliant with each institution's unique daily operation and future plans. The result of this assessment will clearly determine your technology direction whether it be to optimize existing systems, add peripheral systems or conduct a complete replacement of current systems with more productive technology.
The results of a complete needs analysis will allow your institution to make sound decisions on the future of your present telecommunications systems as well as allow for full strategic planning into the future.
Telephone System Acquisition
Services
Webb & Associates has the experience
that correctional institutions require to design, select and
properly implement a new telecommunications system. Whether
you require a small telephone system for a remote
administration office, a large PBX or Centrex system for a
single institution or multiple systems for all institutions,
Webb & Associates has the experience to design, solicit
and implement a system that can meet your unique situation
while allowing for future growth and reconfiguration. Our
experience with local, county and state government
RFP and purchasing procedures is an asset to your
institution's new system project.
Our expertise also allows us to assist in the acquisition of
peripheral systems such as Voice Messaging, Unified
Messaging, Call Accounting, Paging, Wireless Telephones,
etc. in conjunction with a new telephone system or as an
addition to an existing system.
Basic Telecom System Design, Selection, Recommendation and
Implementation includes conducting a full assessment of the
needs of your institution, creation of a Request for
Proposal (RFP) document, review of vendor proposals, a
recommendation for the best solution to your unique needs
and implementation of the selected system and its peripheral
equipment. Such systems include:
- ISDN Based Telephone Systems
- Digital Key Telephone Systems
- Digital PBX Systems
- Digital PBX Systems (Multiple in a Networked Environment)
- Inmate Calling Systems
- Call Accounting Systems
- Facility Management Systems
- Voice Processing Systems
- Wireless Applications
- Centrex Systems
Webb & Associates can work with your institution and
your purchasing organization by conducting a complete system
selection project (as described above) or serve in a
consultative role to review work that may have been
performed by your own staff including the evaluation of
proposals submitted by various telecommunications system
providers.
Instition Expansion or Relocation
Services
The expansion or relocation of any
business is a major undertaking but a correctional institute
has many more issues to address during the process. There
are hundreds of little details that must be considered and
deadlines that have to be met on time to make sure that
disruption to the everyday operation of the institution is
minimal. Part of this process includes ensuring that your
telephone and computer services are installed correctly and
on time. Webb & Associates can help reduce the headaches
and anxiety involved with expanding or relocating your
instituion's telecommunications systems. To accomplish this,
Webb & Associates offers the following relocation
services:
- Needs Assessment to Ensure the Viability of Your Present System to Expand or be Moved to the New Location.
- System Replacement Services Should Present System be Inadequate for Your Needs.
- Complete Cost Analysis Including Move Costs, Cabling Costs, Installation Costs, Etc.
- Project Management with Existing Staff and Telecommunications Vendors.
- Network Analysis to Ensure the Most Cost Effective Network of Services for Voice and Data Use.
- Implementation Services to Ensure Complete System and Network Installation and Testing.
These relocation services can be used
separately or in combination depending on your specific and
unique needs. Webb & Associates will work with you to
determine the best course of action and help to make your
telecommunications system move a less hectic experience.
Voice/Data Network Analysis
Services
The correct design and installation of
your network of services, whether for voice or data
communications use, can ensure that your users are capable
of performing their day-to-day functions over the telephone
or computer network. More importantly, it ensures that your
general business calls and emergency calls can be made and
received. Webb & Associates provides for Full Voice and
Data Networking Design and Optimization including:
- Local Exchange Services (Local Outgoing and Direct-Inward-Dialing (DID))
- Low Volume InterLATA/IntraLATA Toll and Toll Free Service Design
- High Volume InterLATA/IntraLATA Toll and Toll Free Service Design
- Calling Card and Debit Card Evaluation and Application
- Toll Free Number Portability Issues and Implementation
- International Toll, Calling Card and Toll Free Service Evaluation and Application
- Network analysis for videoconferencing and imaging demands
- Private Digital/Analog Point-to-Point Networks (Voice and Data)
- Private Digital/Analog Virtual Networks (Voice and Data)
- Frame Relay Applications
- Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Applications
- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Applications.
- Telecommuting or "Work-at-Home" Network Design and Implementation
- VSAT Equipment and Network Design and Implementation
- Disaster Back-up and Recovery Networks (Voice and Data)
- Network Management System Design, Recommendation and Implementation
- Internet Access (Dial-up and Dedicated) Design and Implementation
Webb & Associates maintains active participation in the
consultant liaison programs of all of the major
InterExchange Carriers (IXCs), Regional Bell Operating
Companies (RBOCS), Competitive Local Exchange Carriers,
(CLECs) and Cellular/Wireless Carriers to ensure
up-to-the-minute pricing, tariff offerings and special
promotions.
Webb & Associates is also a member of electronic
information services provided by the major carriers as well
as to multiple sources available on the Internet.
Cabling System Design and
Acquisition
The cabling system (premises and campus)
of your institution has become the most important part of
any telecommunications system design. The cabling system is
the backbone of any technology selected to meet your needs
including telephone, video, data, security systems,and
monitoring systems. The cabling system installed today must
support all of your technology needs into the future. To
ensure that our clients are equipped for their present
technology as well as ready for the future, Webb &
Associates provides the following services:
Premises Cabling Distribution System Design (RFP
Development)
- Conform to industry standards for copper, coaxial and fiber optic cabling
- Main Telephone/Computer Room Design Specifications
- Equipment Room and Telephone Closet Design Specifications
- Backbone and Horizontal Cabling Design Specifications
- Passive Termination Equipment Design Specifications (Connection hardware, station outlets, etc.)
- Testing Procedures Review and Enforcement
- Firestopping and Other Code Enforcement Issues
- Installation Procedure Review and Enforcement
Campus Cabling Distribution System Design (RFP
Development)
- Building Entrance Specifications (Grounding, etc.)
- Conform to industry standards for copper, coaxial and fiber optic cabling
- Main Telephone/Computer Room Design Specifications
- Conduit (and utility pole) Specifications
- Termination Equipment Design Specifications
- Testing Procedures Review and Enforcement
- Firestopping and Other Code Enforcement Issues
- Installation Procedure Review and Enforcement
- Cable Management Systems (Software/Hardware) Specification
The cabling infrastructure that you install today should be
capable of meeting your needs well into the future. The
establishment of true standards for copper, coaxial and
fiber optic cabling will allow your institution to re-use
the same cable infrastructure through several changes of
technology (telephone, computer systems, video, security,
etc.).
Webb & Associates will design your cabling system to
published standards and ensure that all installation work is
performed in conformance to these standards. Webb &
Associates provides planning, design, RFP generation,
proposal evaluation and implementation (and testing)
services to provide you with a level of comfort that you
cannot find elsewhere in the industry.
Joseph M. Webb is a member of the Building Industry
Consulting Services International (BICSI) which educates,
trains and certifies individuals in the cabling
industry.
Audio/Video Conference System Design
and Acquisition
Perhaps the fastest growing field in
telecommunications today, audio/videoconferencing has taken
advantage of the higher bandwidths available from the
network, faster processors in our PCs, and the capabilities
of the the Internet to allow greater communications for
users. As more and more institutions rely on andio and
videoconferencing for inmate visits, parole hearings,
management meetings and educational seminars, it is
important to ensure that the systems you purchase are able
to meet your present needs but also adapt (through the use
of industry standards) to future applications. In this
field, Webb & Associates offers expertise for such
services as:
- Audio Conferencing Equipment Evaluation and Recommendation
- Evaluation of Multi-Faceted TeleConferencing Options via LAN and Internet connections.
- Videoconferencing Codec Evaluation and Recommendation
- Full system design and specification through a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Desktop Conferencing
- Mid-Size and Mobile Systems
- Conference Room Systems
- Specification of all network requirements for audio/video conferencing.
- Videoconferencing Room design (acoustic, video, graphics, etc.)
- Design and Specification of Network Requirements for Video Conferencing from site to site.
- Evaluation of ISDN Applications for Desktop Video Conferencing and WAN applications.
- Design/Specification and Evaluation of Internet Based Videoconferencing options.
- Evaluation of network based videoconferencing services such as bridging, etc.
The video/audio conference market has exploded with newer,
better technology as well as lower prices during the past
few years. The use of low speed video conferencing via the
Internet has allowed users to make use of technology never
before available at affordable pricing. In the not to
distant future, video conferencing may be the ideal way for
your off-shift officers to attend weekly staff meetings,
institution management to be updated on new policies and
procedures without leaving the instition, multiple officers
or supervisors to be part of educational or certification
cources offered in other parts of the country or
investigators to perform interviews with staff, inmates and
families. In every case, the proper equipment, network and
training will ensure that your conferences whether high
quality audio alone or a video/audio conference will be of
the utmost quality so that you can concentrate on your teh
day-to-day business of your institution.
Webb & Associates can provide you with the level of
comfort you need when designing your video/audio
conferencing systems.
Complete Telecommunications Audit
Services
In order to ensure that the invoices and
bills received from your various telecommunications
providers are accurate, Webb & Associates offers Billing
Audit Services to our client organizations. Audits of your
telecommunications services and equipment should be
conducted on a regular basis to ensure proper billing.
Overbilling for services and/or equipment not presently in
use, services removed some time ago, services moved from one
location to another and now doubled billed, is the most
common telecommunications mistake made by correctional
institutions today. Due to the length of time some
institutions have been operating, the extent of these
overbillings may be high.
Webb & Associates performs complete equipment and
service inventories for billing confirmation or inventory
control. The results of a telecommunications audit allows
you to plan your telecom budget appropriately, make cases
for newer technology based on savings projections and ensure
that your are receiving the best value for your dollar.
Webb & Associates' Audit Services include reconciliation
of inventory with billing records as well as negotiation
with vendors for the refund of overbilled fees.
Please
Note: Webb
& Associates performs audit services on an hourly
or flat project fee basis. We do not conduct these services
on a contingency or "percentage of savings" agreement.
Inmate Calling System Design and Acquisition Services
The operation of your institution's
Inmate Calling System is crucial to maintaining inmate
service. The Inmate Calling System not only provides the
ability for inmates to communicate with family and legal
services but also provides for revenue to the institution to
pay for ongoing inmate services. The Inmate Calling System
enables your institution to control inmate abuse via
telephones calls, provide information for ongoing
investigations and stop inmate harrassment calls. It is
important that the Inmate Calling System you procure has the
technical abilities you desires for such control, durable
telephone instruments that are easy to use, as well as
reporting and recording capabilities designed to be user
friendly. The vendor you select must also be able to
install, program and maintain the system on an ongoing basis
while having the financial capabilities to collect funds and
distribute commissions on a regular basis.
Webb & Associates provides consulting services that
include:
- System Design and Specification
- RFP Development
- System Evaluation and Selection
- System Implementation
- Ongoing System Review (Reporting, Commissions, etc.)
Webb & Associates works with your technical,
investigative and management staff to ensure that the system
selected for your institutionoperates in the manner desired
and that the vendor performs as required.
Call Processing System Design and Acquisition Services
Although maligned consistently in the
press, the automation of call processing and message taking
functions is a necessary and productive alternative your
institution today. The improper design, implementation and
use of these systems, however, leads to such problems as
caller complaints, lost callers, caller frustration and
eventually calls for the removal of the system as
unproductive.
It is through a complete evaluation of your everyday
operation, an in-depth analysis of your calling patterns,
careful attention paid to your institutions needs as well as
our experience with correctional institutions that Webb
& Associates is able to correctly design a call
processing system around the needs of your institution, its
users and the outside community and not to the
specifications of a certain product offering.
Call Processing System Design, Selection, Recommendation and
Implementation services include:
- Automated Attendant Systems
- Voice Messaging Systems
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems
- Voice Recognition/Response Systems
- Information Retrieval Systems (Audio-Text)
- Text-to-Speech Applications
- Unified Messaging Applications
- Electronic Mail Integration Applications
- Facsimile Store-and-Forward Applications
- Multiple Voice Processing System Networks
- Multiple Voice Processing Platform Networks
- PBX/Centrex Integration Applications
- Service Bureau vs. C.O. Based vs. Premise Based Comparisons
- Internet Driven Solutions for Unified Messaging
It is though careful implementation that
your callers will begin to appreciate the investment you've
made to process their calls more efficiently.
Centrex System Design and
Acquisition Services
As an alternative to on-premises
telephone systems, Centrex is the product of choice among
many telephone companies nationwide and is sold in various
"packages" based on customer size, feature demand, service
availability and system cost. Because of its ability to
serve multiple locations and low monthly cost packages
(based on long term contracts), Centrex has been installed
in many government locations including some correctional
institutions. Webb & Associates will design, recommend
and implement the correct Centrex system for your
telecommunication needs. Our experience and expertise
covers:
- Analog Centrex Offerings (Analog & Digital Central Offices)
- Digital Centrex Offerings ( Digital Central Offices)
- Fixed Tariff Offerings
- Customized Tariff Offerings
- Centrex Compatible Telephone Equipment (Key, Hybrid & PBX)
- ISDN Basic Rate Offerings
- ISDN Telephone Equipment
- ISDN Attendant Consoles
- IP Centrex Applications
- Caller ID and E911 Applications
- Centrex Compatible Call Accounting Systems
- Centrex Compatible Voice Messaging Systems
- C.O. Based Voice Messaging Offerings
- Centrex Management Systems
- Centrex Compatible Attendant Consoles
- C.O. Based Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) Offerings
- Digital T1 based WATS/800 Integration with Centrex Offerings
Webb & Associates has worked with
numerous local operating companies in regards to their
Centrex offerings. Although provided under a variety of
names (Intellipath, ESSX, Centron, etc.), Centrex service is
based on the Central Office (C.O.) manufactured by such
companies as AT&T, Northern Telecom, Siemens, Ericsson,
NEC, Fujitsu and others. The features available will depend
on the C.O.'s software level and the tariffs filed by the
local operating company. Webb & Associates maintains
contact with many local operating companies to keep in touch
with new offerings and antiquated tariffs.