After more than 10 years of serving the USC community, the Telephone Information Processing System (TIPS) will be retired later this year.
TIPS is powered by a Voice Response System (VRS) developed by Epos Corporation. The software currently used by USC, in service for more than a decade, is no longer supported by Epos. The cost of an updated replacement system would require a six-figure investment, an undesirable option in the face of budget concerns and decreased use of the system. As a result, the University has decided to retire TIPS in favor of Internet-based activities via USC’s Visual Information Processing (VIP) website-found online at http://vip.sc.edu
USC’s Computer Services Division began exploring TIPS’ future in 2000 and found that most offices providing TIPS services wanted to see the service continue. However, demand for TIPS services had decreased markedly in recent years. A student survey found that fewer than 5% of grade inquiries and registration activities were performed via TIPS. Further, only about 9% of USC students used TIPS for registration transactions for the Spring 2001 semester. Phone interviews with those students revealed that they only used TIPS when they did not have immediate access to the Internet, and most greatly preferred the Web system over TIPS.
While TIPS is being retired, VIP continues to grow and improve with new services and options being added frequently.
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This page updated May 22, 2001 by announc@vm.sc.edu.
This page copyright © 2000, The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina.
URL http://www.sc.edu/announce/general/052201.g.tips.html