Voice and Video for 5,000 Users Gives FORTUNE 500 Company Greater Business Flexibility

Overview

Our client, a Milwaukee-based FORTUNE 500 company in the financial services industry, sought to free itself from business limitations created by a legacy phone system that limited remote productivity and inter-office collaboration. Our client requested our assistance with a major project over a two-year period to plan and deploy Lync/Skype for 5,000 users.

Solution

Our client was migrating from a legacy Avaya PBX system to Lync Server 2013 on-premises (subsequently upgraded to Skype for Business). The Client adopted all modalities within Lync Server 2013, including features such as conference room video—which enables employees at separate locations to meet remotely, thereby leading to cost savings as our client was able to discontinue a shuttle-bus service between its campuses.

Gaps between features in Lync Server 2013 and the legacy Avaya PBX proved challenging for certain use cases such as allowing analog devices to participate in hunt group type functionality.  Partnering with AudioCodes and deploying their Lync Analog Device solution helped bridge the gap in most situations.

The project included a full set of phone solutions, including desktop soft phones and mobile support, so users can have their desk phones ring to mobile devices and even join video in that way. Previously, the organization had strictly limited soft phones to only those users who have strong needs to work from home or away from the office, due to the per-user licensing structure of the Avaya system. With the new solution, all employees can serve customers from remote locations, giving the business more flexibility.

For users working from home, the Skype solution also brought an end to the need for special carrier specific VPN equipment and dedicated service via cable internet. Now, users can simply use their home internet connection.

In addition to immediately enhancing collaboration options and eliminating expensive legacy licenses, this project also paved the way toward an open office, fully wireless communications model in which users would be no longer tied to their desks at all—with all communications, including phone and video, occurring via Wi-Fi.