The task for Communicate Better was to provide a fully converged solution to cover all communications requirements for fixed line, mobile and IT services, including multiple connections for multi-media services, utilising the latest communications technology. Voice and data communications were required to enable effective links for over 50 users across three sites; the museum itself, the Manchester offices and the resource centre in Preston.
Taking up residence at the Urbis Building on the corner of the Cathedral Quarter, the museum covers four floors, comprising of thousands of items of memorabilia and interactive displays that include a virtual penalty shootout room and the opportunity for visitors to commentate on Match of the Day and watch their efforts online afterwards.
Communicate Better provided a solution in the form of a hosted telephone system, which enabled calls to be answered and transferred seamlessly across the 3 sites. Flexibility was key as staff could be working in several locations and therefore needed the ability to logon to their extension anywhere.
The project had high bandwidth requirements to support the museum’s multi-media installations. A 100MB Fibre Leased Line Circuit was installed for high speed internet access and was partitioned and utilised to pass call traffic. Quality of Service (QoS) was enabled to give guaranteed call quality, which has the added benefit of not having any additional telephone line installation and rental charges, therefore making considerable savings for what is a charitable organisation.
In addition a full computer upgrade programme was undertaken incorporating Wi-Fi services, VPN and work from home solutions, with desktop and server support being provided on an ongoing basis. A range of smartphones were also supplied to integrate seamlessly with mail and calendar applications and also act as extensions of the fixed line system, all regardless of the physical location.
Peter Lambert, Finance and Operations Manager for the museum said, “Communicate Better have been central to the process of establishing the new National Football Museum in Manchester, through the provision of efficient communication and I.T systems with a friendly, responsive support service. They were able to do anything and everything to help make things right on the night, the project has been a resounding success”.
Extensive testing was carried out on site with the interactive services providers to ensure that the systems provided the required capacity for all of the interactive experiences to work at once. Once the installation was complete Communicate Better’s engineering team were on hand to provide support until opening night, assisting with problem solving, delivering within budget and on time for the launch.
Along with The Printworks and The Triangle, the National Football Museum now forms a trio of developments for which Communicate Better provide converged solutions, building on their success in this thriving part of central Manchester.