The new partnership signals a move by the National Park Authority to invest in technology to empower its 100+ full time staff, as well as its supporting volunteer groups, to work more collaboratively and communicate effectively, even during disruptive weather. Unify’s OpenScape Voice technology is being delivered to the National Park Authority’s HQ in Brecon via the Unify Wales portfolio, a suite of SIP gateway, hosted telephony and hosted contact centre services which is available to all public sector organisations in Wales and is exclusively enabled by PSBA - Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA) is a secure managed network service connecting public services.
The National Park Authority was previously using an ageing ISDN telephony system that allowed only 16 simultaneous connections at any one time. Moving telephones from one location to another was a challenge as the previous system was on-premise, with each phone requiring its own networking port. As the full-time and volunteer workforce steadily grew since the Park’s inception in 1957, this restriction made it difficult to track incoming calls and often created a struggle to communicate effectively with multiple remote teams at any one time. The National Park Authority acknowledged that it was necessary to update its communications infrastructure so that it could meet these growing requirements. The new system had to offer staff flexibility and the ability to realise the benefits of new ways of working more collaboratively while being in remote locations, as well as offer reliability for the National Park Authority’s staff.
Kevin Booker, IT Systems Officer at Brecon Beacons National Park Authority comments: “We have undertaken a bold approach to enable our staff and volunteers to communicate and work with one another effectively regardless of location or current call volumes. Unify’s OpenScape Voice has helped us deliver flexibility and the ability to work more effectively with remote teams, while maintaining the reliability of our communication systems within the park which is directly related to staff safety. Unify has played a central role in making this implementation a success, through supportive staff and sharing of expert knowledge. We now have a much clearer view of our costs which makes budgeting more accurate, as well as the ability to remotely manage and handle inquiries, which is a huge benefit to team efficiency. Moreover, the solution has helped us to align with the objectives of Welsh Government of gaining greater efficiency, driving collaboration and innovation via the PSBA. We’re looking to continue rolling out the solution throughout our entire network of local offices in order to truly capitalise on the benefits Unify OpenScape Voice brings.”
Nia Morgan, Alliance Director, Wales from Unify comments: “Brecon Beacons National Park Authority needed a solution that was both scalable and affordable - we have been able to meet these requirements, as well as guide and train the team in how to use OpenScape Voice to unlock the benefits of remote working. The National Park Authority is a fantastic example of where modern communications systems can make a huge, palpable benefit in a short space of time, and we’re proud to be able to bring new ways to work to the Authority’s guardians. Enabling them to deliver innovation into their communication system is also a testament to Unify’s commitment to the Welsh Government PSBA network – of which we are proud to be a part.”