The previous telephone system at Abloy Security was also from Alcatel and was installed by Freedom Communications in 1992. The system proved exceptionally reliable but as technology had developed, it was apparent that the old system was becoming cumbersome to manage. Adding new employees or making basic changes to the telephone system required inputting programming codes into a ‘master phone’; and an old PC had to be kept to program the system in order to establish a new voicemail account.
After discussing options with Freedom, Abloy Security understood the benefits of moving to IPT and was attracted by the ease of managing the system and the advanced functionality that IPT would bring to the business.
Freedom installed an Alcatel OmniPCX Office system together with Alcatel 4029 telephones for all 65 employees working for Abloy Security. When installed, Freedom ran the old system alongside the new IPT system providing a seamless switchover. Making changes is now a simple process using the Alcatel software. Employees can now dial colleagues by name and use Alcatel’s ‘PIMphony’ software to link their phones with their PCs to control call dialling, transfers and conference calling from the desktop.
Katy Cartmell, IT manager, Abloy Security (UK) said: “Freedom really understood our requirements. Its extensive experience in installation of IPT systems made it easy to plan and install the new system. Everyday telephony additions and changes are now simple – employees moving desks simply take their phone and plug it in to their new location. Investing in an IP-based system also opens the door to wider integration – such as access control.”
Paul Garrett, interim marketing manager, Freedom Communications (UK) Limited, said:
“The previous Alcatel system we installed gave excellent service and Freedom had maintained it throughout its life. The benefits of the Alcatel OmniPCX Office system were clear – system administration is now simple and using IPT opens up new opportunities to improve telephony delivery for employees.”