|
Case Study: Central Lincoln People Utility District
Challenge:
Build a comprehensive and dependable telecommunications solution for the Central Lincoln People’s Utility District. Integrate the company’s four offices and three satellite locations into a single connected telephone system, with wireless capability and risk-free reliability, while maintaining cost efficiency across the board.
Panasonic Solution:
-
KX-TDA200
-
KX-TDA600
-
NCV-200
-
7680 Wireless Phone
-
7690 Wireless Phones
-
KX-T7633B Phones
-
16-Port IP Gateway Card
-
16-Port IP Extension
-
4-Port IP Gateway Card
-
0196 Remote Cards
-
0290 PRI Card
-
0920 SD Card
-
Overhead 100 Pair
Benefits:
➚ Wireless connectivity for wide range of mobility in the office, in the warehouse, and in the field
➚ Voice over IP keeps telecommunications costs down
➚ Redundancies in transport paths for fail-proof reliability
➚ Centralized and integrated voicemail streamlines business operations
➚ Backward compatibility results in low initial investment
➚ Smooth transition to the new system, requiring little training on new equipment
➚ Absolutely no down time in system operations, either during or after transition
Overview:
Covering a 700-square-mile area along the Oregon coast with 4 office sites and 3 smaller satellite locations, the Central Lincoln People’s Utility District (PUD) provides electricity for 30,000 residential and 5,000 commercial customers.The PUD telecommunications system has to be totally reliable in any situation,and its employees must enjoy the freedom of mobility necessary to work across such an expansive area. But as a publicly owned, not-for-profit company, cost-effectiveness is also a top priority.
“[The Hybrid IP-PBX] cuts down on costs, it cuts down on long distance dialing, and it gives the effect of having one business” Doug Dawson Information Technology and Communications Manager
The Challenge:
Bring the telecommunications functions of several remote locations together by creating one efficient, centralized network The Central Lincoln PUD had to integrate seven distinct locations into a single streamlined telecommunications system that provided a centralized call center, voicemail and transparent dialing. Because of the nature of their work, the PUD needed to have wireless connectivity and 100% dependability, but it was also important to keep costs at a minimum.
The Solution:
Use Voice over IP, centralized voicemail, and wireless connectivity as the pillars of a comprehensive, cohesive and cost-effective solution bThe Central Lincoln PUD took full advantage of the technology that the Panasonic Hybrid IP-PBX system provides, including wireless cell stations, VoIP technology for telephony connections, centralized voicemail, transparent dialing, a centralized call center, Ethernet connectivity, and redundant PRI circuits.
Customer Service:
Ethernet telephone connections now link the
three small satellite offices to the main location’s
centralized call center, making it possible for them to handle more than one call at a time and greatly improving their customer service capabilities.
No Down Time:
Because all PUD operations are tied to
after-hours dispatching, changes to the system were planned with prefect precision to make sure it remained up and running at all times. Secure backups and redundancies in transport paths ensured zero down time.
Cost-Effectiveness:
Panasonic’s backward compatibility meant that Central Lincoln could keep the majority of its original hardware, significantly reducing the initial investment of upgrading their communications system. For the same reason, it will also be costeffective to implement upgrades in the future.
Smart Business:
Before implementing Hybrid IP-PBX, Central
Lincoln’s seven offices were operating on separate telecommunications systems, resulting in significant disorganization and inefficiency. Now, the PUD is able to project itself to customers as a unified, streamlined operation – an immeasurable benefit from a business perspective.
|
Wireless Access:
The Central Lincoln PUD covers a 700-squaremile area of coastline and forest, making a high level of mobility essential for effective work in the field. The new centralized communications systemn allows staff members to access voicemail at any of the offices, and cell stations provide much-needed mobility in the warehouse and in the field.
Sustainable Savings:
Utilizing Voice over IP (VoIP) not only makes
communication smoother, it eliminates the need
for intra-company long-distance calling, which
translates to significant month-to-month savings
A Trusted Partner:
In the end, the strong and trusted partnership
between Panasonic, Marty Runyon from
Systemax Northwest Inc, and Central Lincoln
People Utility District, is a major factor
contributing to the continued success of the
communications solution.
Upgradable Internal Communications:
The Panasonic Hybrid IP-PBX solution provides
the tools the company needs to function as a
single, cohesive whole – with shared voicemail,
a centralized call center, cell stations for wireless
mobility, and VoIP as a gateway to efficient
communication.
|
|
