Case Studies

The number of people in need of low income housing has grown dramatically during the economic downturn.  These are hardworking individuals with good credit and who are willing to work hard to provide for their families.  Now the largest private homebuilder in the United States, Habitat for Humanity, has developed a proven model that works in various economies and real estate markets.

Habitat for Humanity of Los Angeles was concerned about the stability and complexity of its aging telecommunications system, which was comprised of multiple products from Panasonic, Avaya and others.  The company evaluated multiple alternatives and decided that the best path forward would be to adopt a VOIP system to provide Unified Communications, more flexible services and lay the foundation for future services that could benefit the company.


                                                                                        Customer Challenges  

Flexibility:

• The ability to quickly address its customer needs were being affected by an awkward and rigid call handling system.
• Ease, speed and resources:  It took an unacceptable level of time and resources required to install or move phone extensions.
• A reliable telephone system that delivers high quality voice communications.
• Reuse existing cabling infrastructure.
• Different voice and data service providers, resulting in over trunked sites and high phone bills.

Solution Components:

• (3) Zultys Media Exchange Systems
• 80 IP Handsets
• 100 DID Numbers
• Visual Voice Mail
• Unified Communication (faxing, softphones) for Field Managers
• Secure Instant Messaging and Presence

Results:

• Migrated away from expensive AT&T and Verizon business lines to a SIP trunk line from an approved ITSP, PAETEC.  This provided an immediate 50% cost savings.
• Zultys open standard interfaces made it easy to handle the day-to-day management of their telephone moves, additions and changes themselves.  Not only were the changes made more quickly it also saved money.
• Visual Voice Mail feature of MXIE which lets sales and operating staff quickly locate and act on time-sensitive messages and forward voice mails to others with a simple drag-and-drop action.
• Fax to the Desktop:  By utilizing DID numbers, users are now able to send/ receive fax documents.  This ensures privacy and also relieves the cost of analog lines and paper that is needed every month.

Alta Hospitals System, LLC was founded in late 1998.  The company's hospitals in Hollywood, Los Angeles and Norwalk offer a comprehensive range of medical and surgical services, while its hospital in Van Nuys provides acute psychiatric services.

Prior to hiring Telecomp to analyze and audit the phone systems (in 2001), Alta had seven different companies that provided dial tone, long distance and internet services.  Some locations had more phone lines than actual phones.  The telephone systems were unreliable and outdated.  Most of the patient room phones did not work because of bad wiring, or no wiring at all.

                                                                                           
                                                                                            Customer Needs

• • One vendor to handle all locations for telephone, cabling and overhead paging systems.
  • A reduction in the high monthly telephone costs associated with operating more than 600 Centrex lines.
  • Leverage existing CAT3 infrastructure with new phone systems.
  • The establishment of long-distance telephone privileges by job requirement.
  • Replace wiring for patient room phones.
  • Utilize the WAN for interoffice communication.
  • Up-time is critical, T1 lines cannot be down.
  • Remote workers need to have access to voice mail and use company DID numbers.

Solution Components:

• (6) VOIP communication systems.
• Over 300 analog ports for patients.
• PAETEC MPLS for data service.
• Redundant T1 circuits at emergency facilities.
• 50 pair riser cable between floors to interconnect patient rooms.
• Outside plant (OSP) cable to interconnect buildings.
• 300 IP phones.
• Introduce simple yet flexible dial plan across company while utilizing the WAN.
• SIP trunking at data center to better utilize DS3 connection.

Results:

• Lowered overall monthly voice and data bill by two-thirds.
• One company for billing, repair and installation for telephone service.
• 100% patient rooms are now active to make/ receive calls.
• Interoffice calling is more efficient to transfer callers, instead of having them hang-up and call back.
• Stable and reliable communications systems.
• Remote workers receive calls and voice mail as if they were sitting in the office.
• Improved customer service by answering incoming calls quicker and directing calls more efficiently.
• Introduced dialing policies so that only administrators have access to long distance calling, therefore saving money.

 
Since 1962 Cal State L.A. Federal Credit Union has been a member-owned, not-for-profit financial organization, which places the needs and interests of its members FIRST.....meeting the financial needs of these membership groups:

• Those who live, work, worship, or go to school in the community of El Sereno
• CSULA Alumni Association Members
• Employees of Goodwill Industries
• Employees of the cities of Vernon, Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Maywood, and Huntington Park
• Employees of Select Employee Groups

Cal State L.A. Federal Credit Union was looking for a solution that would give employees instant access to information and immediate communication with associates and customers and communicate with the large Hispanic based community as well.  Connect remote offices, mobile professionals, clients, and suppliers - from any location and in real-time.  


                                                                                             Customer Needs

• Provide voice and data service from one carrier for all locations.
• Single point of contact for all branches.
• Replace existing telephone systems by a single integral solution.
• Flexible telephony environment.
• To provide bilingual auto-attendant menus for Spanish speaking customers.
• Escalate calls to management when a caller is on hold too long.
• Connect branch office phones to the main customer service line for transparency.  

Solution Components:

• (1) Main VOIP system.
• 30 IP phones.
• ACD (Automatic Call Distribution)
• XO Communications IP Flex solution with 3.0 Mbps port speed for the main location and 1.5 Mbps port speed for teh branch location.
• 6 POTS lines for backup and emergencies.

Results:

• Improved customer service.
• Fewer missed calls.
• Good telephone availability and accessibility to the different branches of the bank.
• Flexibility in the use of the telephone system so that employees are no longer tied to a physical telephone location, they can work from home.