When law firm Ebsworth & Ebsworth needed to upgrade its communications systems to keep up with the demands of its mobile workforce, it looked to IMC Communications for advice on the evolving world of IP Telephony.
Celebrating over 110 years of operation, Ebsworth & Ebsworth (E&E) has grown into one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, the firm is a leader in transport law, general marine insurance, commercial litigation, corporate law, health, personal injury and product liability law.
THE CHALLENGE
Due to its staff increasingly on the move between offices and telecommuting from home, the traditional PABX system no longer met E&E’s telephony requirements. With new Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane office relocations scheduled, the time was right to review and upgrade the firm’s telephony system.
Operations Director at E&E Lionel Bird and his department were given the responsibility of planning and implementing a telephony system that would enhance the quality of the organisation’s internal and external voice communications.
E&E sought a system that allowed phone extensions to move seamlessly with staff and that could be managed by the IT department, negating the need for a PABX resource to be engaged whenever an administrative change was required.
THE SOLUTION
IP Telephony’s potential to create customised phone applications prompted Bird and his team to choose it as the new approach. Cisco Unified Communications was considered a proven solution based on the industry leading standards and technology.
Having enjoyed a long history together, Bird looked to E&E’s IT partner, IMC Communications for implementation of the project.
“We have always been impressed with IMC’s levels of technical expertise as well as their project methodologies,” said Bird. “I had no hesitation in engaging them for this project. In this case, the IMC team worked closely with our technical business representatives to define requirements, set expectations and deliver a solution that has been wholeheartedly embraced by all levels of the firm.”
The analysis, design and implementation of the Cisco IP Telephony project were considered a resounding success. The planning steps taken by IMC with its initial telephony culture report proved an invaluable tool in the implementation process, informing E&E staff about the project very early and uncovering a raft of issues that needed to be addressed by IMC’s solution designers.
The final solution incorporated a centralised cluster of Cisco Call Manager servers located in the Sydney office. This cluster replaced three sperate PABX systems and centralised the operation and management of the entire phone system.
IMC Communications Engineers collaborated with the E&E IT department to apply the technology throughout company offices across the country – on time and on budget.
“IMC’s willingness to work closely with the Ebsworth technical team provided a free flow of knowledge which has resulted in the rapid update of management responsibilities by internal IT staff post-project,” said Bird.
Once the implementation of IP Telephony throughout the new offices was complete, the system was extended to meet the needs of staff working remotely from client sites and home offices.
IMC created a one-box router-based solution that could extend to homes or offsite locations, allowing all users to access all network resources and have the same phone functionality at remote locations as they have in the office. Security of the internet-based phone connectivity was paramount and IMC tested and honed the system to ensure total protection. IMC also facilitated two dedicated and separate networks (VLANs) for remote-based activities.
After going live with the new system, E &E engaged IMC Communications to develop an interface with the Ebsworth Thomson elite CRM applications and the Cisco IP Telephony system in order to streamline operations and improve business efficiency across various company systems. In doing so, it has maintained the integrity of the information held in the CRM database, a common business challenge surrounding the use of CRM applications.
BENEFITS
E&E have been able to continue to leverage their investment in Cisco Unified Communications. New technologies and new methods of interfacing with current applications are constantly being reviewed to assess the benefits of the solution for Ebsworth and Ebsworth, including:
1. Centralised system management
2. Seamless mobility
3. Fast, easy transition for staff
4. Connectivity security
5. Ubiquitous access of CRM tool
