Abalt Solutions Case Study The solution: Converged were contacted by Abalt Solutions Ltd to help revitalise their global communications set up. Abalt Solutions are a successful oil and gas consultancy with five worldwide offices. Based in Aberdeen, they have teams of engineers based in temporary project offices in Venezuela, Mexico, Moscow and the US. Regular information exchange is of the utmost importance, but due to insufficient infrastructure at the project offices, this has always been a problem. To facilitate this vital collaboration Abalt chose an industry leading communications application. This platform allows for real time data exchange with video and voice conferencing. From an infrastructure point of view the server requires a stable environment and provision of sufficient bandwidth to allow bi-directional streaming. Abalt had initially contacted Converged with a view to installing a high capacity line into their Aberdeen office, however, after discussion with a Converged solution specialist decided to go down the co-location route. Business Development Director for Converged Andy Pearson said, "Although the notion of hosting the application server in-house was valid, it did not seem like the most efficient way to go. The collaboration sessions require high levels of bandwidth at the time (typically 8Mb) but each session is only scheduled for the two-hour project meetings. Outside of this time the server will only be used for serving documents which are reasonably small and require very little bandwidth. By positioning the server in our facility we have been able to tailor a package which has a higher charge for these high usage sessions with a nominal base rate for all other times. High capacity lines into a client office would be very expensive and inefficient as outwith the scheduled sessions the capacity would just go to waste". In addition, Abalt solutions are on the verge of moving to larger office premises and an unforeseen benefit of co-location will be that as the server will be hosted in Converged's facility, no down time will be experienced, thus minimising business disruption. Into this new office Converged have been commissioned to provide a 2Mb Internet leased line to facilitate connection to the server as well as normal Internet usage. In addition, they will be providing a new Mitel 3300 IP telephony platform. The Mitel system is a fully integrated, feature-rich IP platform allowing remote handsets to hang off the office system. In the case of Abalt, handsets are to be deployed in all the worldwide offices, allowing inter-site calls via VPN back to the main site, significantly reducing global communications costs. Converged have also been tasked with providing the ISDN30e and call plan for the new office. Senior Project Devlopment Manager for Abalt solutions Rafael V. Jaramillo had this to say: "When choosing our communications partner it was important to find a company who were able to look at the global picture without taking their eye off local operations. Converged have already proven their worth through their expertise and service and we see them as an integral part of our global communications strategy for the future".
Millstream Associates Case Study The solution: Converged were approached by Millstream Associates as they had reached capacity on their existing PBX and were in a quandary as to whether to buy new cards for it or invest in a new system. Their current system, a BT Norstar, was quite old and the feeling was that now might be the time to consider retiring it in favour of new equipment. Converged met with Millstream and discussed the various platforms available in their portfolio. Eventually it was decided that the Mitel 3300 CX with its blend of cost effectiveness and functionality was the right way to go. Added features such as Advanced Voicemail with call recording and integrated messaging along with the on-screen Mitel "Your Assistant" package would offer an integrated telephony solution that far exceeded what their legacy equipment had to offer. In addition to which the scalable nature of the product was a good fit for this expanding business. As a result of this decision, senior management have now been given handset extensions in their homes attached to the office system running over a Converged Communication Solutions managed VPN. This allows these key personnel to work from home with all of the functionality as if they were sitting at their desk, facilitating a much more flexible working practice. Alan Brown, a director of Millstream Associates: "Converged have integrated the new
Mitel IP Telephony system seamlessly with our existing network and we no longer require a
separate network for voice traffic. The introduction of Mitel IP Telephony means that we
can now offer our employees the option of working from home with office-like network access,
which will help us to retain experienced staff and improve their work/life balance.
Converged managed the entire installation and configuration of the system which has resulted in a painless change over to the new system."
Reel Group Case Study The solution: Reel Group, multi-disciplinary services company in the oil and gas sector, contacted Converged Communication Solutions to request assistance with the strategic re-development of their global communications infrastructure. The company, which has offices in West Africa and North and South America as well as the UK, was looking for a solution that was cost-effective and efficent, as well as scalable, to service the needs of their growing business. Converged deployed a system that combined the latest developments in hardware capabilities with a Mitel VOIP package, including remote handsets, to facilitate the flexible and reliable communictions that are so vital to Reel. Converged Business Development Director Andy Pearson says: "We are delighted to have on board such a well-respected business, but what particularly impressed us was their willingness to engage with the most current and innovative technologies. We feel that the infrastructure now in place will enable the company to maximize their development and look forward to facilitating further growth in years to come". A key concern for MD Russell Ritchie was that Reel Group dealt with a company that would take the time to understand their requirements and build them a system that would enable them to move their business forward in a streamlined manner. He says of Converged: "They really made an effort to get to know me and my priorities, and this meant that I was able to trust the recommendations they made. Throughout the roll-out process they have been focussed and committed, and they have impressed me with their ability to judge what will work for my company. I am looking forward to working with them more as the company continues to expand and I know that they will do whatever they can to assist that expansion".
Converged outsourced one of their Aberdeen system engineers to Reel’s Houston headquarters to complete the work, which involved the integration of multiple servers, as well as installing new telephony equipment. The communications restructuring will enable Reel staff to seamlessly access data and make free calls between all of the company’s international offices. Russell Ritchie, managing director, Reel Group, said: “We were so delighted with the work carried out by Converged for our Aberdeen office that we chose to fly one of their engineers to Houston to complete the work - Converged have been instrumental in our global expansion offering innovative yet reliable solutions to our communication needs.” Andy Pearson, business development director, explained: “Working with Reel Group has allowed us to demonstrate that there are real, financial and operating, benefits to streamlining an organisations communication infrastructure. Converged is a young company, which is dedicated to offering our clients the best possible service no matter what it takes and pride ourselves on our ability to go that extra mile.” |
