When Bosma moved into its new facilities in 2004, it inherited an older Toshiba Strata® CTX® system, including all the desk telephones. While the system was still functional, it did not meet the company’s goals, so Anne Veza, Bosma’s IT/telecom manager, became responsible for buying a new telephone system.

Veza said, “Our primary goal for the new telephone system was to allow our blind and visually impaired workers to be able to use the telephones. As well, we train people who are blind or visually impaired for jobs that require telephone use. Integration with the JAWS text-to-speech software was required to meet our goals.”

Taylored Systems president and CEO Bill Taylor and Steve McDonald, VP Operations for Taylored Systems, recommended that Bosma consider migrating to the new Toshiba Strata CIX™ system, rather than buying an entirely new system. The Strata CIX would meet Bosma’s goal of integrating with the JAWS text-to-speech software program and could include a call center solution that could be used by people who are blind or visually impaired.

McDonald said, “Migrating Bosma to the Strata CIX would bring the company many new capabilities, such as the integration with the JAWS software, and very importantly, it would allow them to save more than $20,000 by reusing existing telephone and station cards.” Veza agreed, “When the guys at Taylored Systems told us that we could re-use the telephones and digital station cards from the older Toshiba system and migrate to the new Strata CIX platform, we knew it was the right choice.”

Solution: Toshiba Strata CIX Delivers Unified Messaging, Call Center, and JAWS Text-to-Speech Integration
Created by Taylored Systems, Bosma received a customized Toshiba Strata CIX670 IP business telephone system with 164 ports that allows blind and visually impaired workers to be able to quickly answer the phone, transfer calls, page, use voice mail, email and fax.

The Toshiba system uses digital and analog desk telephones plus a PC Attendant Console for the receptionist. The users have Unified Messaging, combining voice mail, fax and email into an easy-to-access user interface. Taylor said, “We really took the needs of these individuals to heart in designing a Toshiba system that would allow them to be able to perform a variety of tasks in essentially the same amount of time as a sighted person.”

Bosma uses Toshiba’s Strata ACD Call Center Solution and has two ACD queues, one for customer service and the other for overflow. There are eight agents and one supervisor in the Call Center. The Call Center uses TASKE reporting and the ACD Monitor programs to manage call flow and staffing. The Strata CIX system is integrated with JAWS software, a program that converts text to speech, allowing people who are blind or visually impaired to answer the telephones by hearing audible prompts.

Result #1: Integration With JAWS Text-to-Speech Software Facilitates Use by the Visually Impaired
“Together with the JAWS text-to-speech software, Toshiba’s Strata CIX business telephone system is user-friendly for people who are blind or visually impaired,” Veza said.

According to Veza, Bosma’s receptionist, Robin Kyle, who is completely blind, runs the front desk like a pro, attending to visitors and handling incoming calls via Toshiba’s PC Auto Attending using the JAWS software.

McDonald explained, “The JAWS application helps sight-impaired users execute tasks by using Braille and receiving audio cues (text to speech) that allow them to manage tasks virtually as quickly as a sighted person.” Veza said, “In fact, it is so efficient that Robin handles about 100 incoming calls every day while managing a steady flow of visitors.” In addition, Bosma’s call center

Result #2: Unified Messaging Ensures Continuity of Communication Across All Modes
Using Toshiba’s Unified Messaging capabilities, Bosma’s employees have their voice mail, fax and email in a single unified interface. It is integrated with JAWS software for text-to-speech audio cues.

“Having everything in one place makes it that much easier,” said Veza of Toshiba’s Unified Messaging. “Our employees get a lot of faxes, so the integration between the Strata CIX and the JAWS software is imperative for our blind or visually impaired workers.”

Result #3: Call Center Functionality for Blind or Visually Impaired
Bosma has its own call center and also provides call center services for its customers. Integrated with the JAWS text-to-speech software, the Strata ACD Call Center Solution enables workers who are blind or visually impaired to serve as call center agents as efficiently as sighted people.

Veza said, “Call centers provide great job opportunities for the visually impaired because they can handle incoming calls quickly and efficiently. A lot of our call center workers go on to work at other call centers. The Bosma Call Center is a very effective training ground that helps prepare people for employment at other companies and increases their independence.”

Result #4: Strata CIX Accommodates Bosma’s Plans to Move to IP Call Center
Since Toshiba’s Strata ACD Call Center Solution can be IP-enabled, Bosma can begin to move forward on its goals to implement an IP-enabled call center.

Veza explained, “Transportation is always an issue for people who are blind or visually impaired. By having an IP Call Center, they can work from home for virtually any IP call center for any company, including ours here at Bosma. Our plan is to train workers to use the IP call center as remote agents from their homes to empower them to have more job opportunities.”

Implementing IP capabilities on the Strata CIX also allows Bosma to offer soft phones or other remote or mobile telephones to its workers.

Bottom Line: New Opportunities for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Plus $20,000 Savings
in Migration
Toshiba’s Strata CIX IP business telephone system has helped Bosma meet its goals of continuing to empower people who are blind or visually impaired with job skills related to the telephone.

It also helped Bosma’s budgets by allowing a migration from the older Toshiba Strata CTX system. In migrating, Bosma saved more than $20,000 by being able to reuse telephones and station cards.

Lou Moneymaker, president and CEO of Bosma, said, “Our unique challenge at Bosma is to always find equipment and processes that allow blind individuals to do their jobs the same way a sighted person would, and the Toshiba business telephone system accomplishes that goal.”

Veza added, “We rely on our Toshiba business telephone system and the great service from Taylored Systems to give new job and life skills to our employees and trainees. Together, Toshiba and Taylored have provided us with a system with exceptional capabilities and superior customer service.”