Cellular Support Team Activates Over 400 Phones for School of Veterinary Medicine

Getting a new phone can be a challenge – comparing models, finding the right price, negotiating with your carrier on coverage plans, transferring all your important data to the new device. It’s a process that can take a sizable chunk of your change, your time, and sometimes, your patience.

In Information and Educational Technology (IET), there’s a group that handles new phone logistics for departments and units on campus. Cellular Support, which is part of the Network Service Center, acts as a go-between for campus groups and AT&T. 

So, when the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (VetMed) needed 400 new cell phones for their staff, Cellular Support stepped in to handle the logistics and distribution so the VetMed could focus on teaching students and caring for animals.

“We had to work with AT&T to place the orders for the appropriate phones, check all their current lines to make sure that they were eligible for upgrades, make sure we got the best pricing for several different models, and then put in a bulk order for all the devices,” explained Nicole Kennedy, Network Service Center Supervisor.

A Special Distribution

Because it was larger than their typical phone order, VetMed asked for extra support. They wanted Cellular Support staff to be on site to help employees activate their new phones and transition out the old ones. Nicole, having done a similar on-site activation years before, worked with VetMed to create a more streamlined process, inspired by Lean Six Sigma efficiency practices.

“We set up stations. First stop was checking in with the finance manager, then Mike Waid and I would give them a phone tutorial. IT units helped enroll their phones in Duo, then they would turn in their old phones, get a screen protector on their new phone, and head out,” Nicole said.

“Since all the staff were from VetMed, we ended up seeing a lot of cute animal photos,” recalled Mike, the Support Services Technical Lead. 

Client Connections

Nicole and Mike were on site for two days at the end of May 2025 and beginning of June. In that time, their well-oiled machine activated nearly 200 phones per day in a stress-free, organized environment. The best part, besides successfully helping VetMed transition to the newer iPhone model, was the human-to-human connections. 

“We are usually just talking with departments and end users on the phone, so getting to spend some time in person with them and build rapport was really great,” said Nicole. 

While on-site activations aren’t common for the Cellular Support team, they came away from the project with a few ideas of how to improve the process for the future, including optimizing wireless connectivity in activation sites. 

All in all, it was a very efficient project and the customers were happy with the support received. 

So remember: If you need a new (campus) phone, who should you call? Cellular Support!

Get started at the Cellular Services page in the ServiceHub.