Chelmsford BC is working with Freedom to replace its PBX telephone system with an Alcatel Omni PCX Enterprise IP telephony solution and Alcatel 4760 Management Software suite, to improve telephone-based access to services for borough residents.
The installation affects more than 750 staff at its headquarters and a further 12 remote sites affecting a further 250 staff. All staff will be using Voice over IP systems at completion of the installation which is worth more than £350,000 to Freedom. The new solution will offer multiple additional benefits to the council including enabling a distributed virtual contact centre. Chelmsford has a population of more than 150,000.
Freedom is also installing an Alcatel Omni PCX Enterprise solution and 4760 Management software suite at Rochdale Borough Council. The system is being piloted at this council by 120 users initially before rolling out to a total of 2500 extensions by the end of the year. The contract includes creation of a 50-seat call centre and, with a maintenance element, runs for three years and is worth more than £500,000 over three years.
Ryedale District Council in North Yorkshire is also moving to a IP telephony solution working with Freedom to deploy an Alcatel Omni PCX Enterprise solution for 275 users including approximately 100 home and remote office workers. The Ryedale District has 50,000 residents in an largely rural area of 575 square miles. The council is using this deployment to enable it to offer a single point of contact for the district’s citizens and exceed other communications targets laid out its Customer Access Strategy. This contract is worth more than £150,000 to Freedom over a three year period.
Tom Perry, head of marketing at Freedom Communications (UK) Limited, said:
“Our vertical focus on the local government sector over the last two years is now bearing considerable fruit. Many councils are now putting in IP-based telephony and extending their traditional systems to meet the ODPM’s (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) Implementing e-Government targets designed to make all government services available electronically (via internet or telephone) by the end of this year.”