C A S E S T U D Y : I G T N E T W O R K S I N C.

Transcription

1 C A S E S T U D Y : I G T N E T W O R K S I N C. Success The Second Time Around: After Struggling for Years with an Ineffective Open Source Platform IGT Networks finds Success with IPsmarx THE CHALLENGE Client: Location: Product: IGT Networks Alabama, United States Cloud based Mutli-tenant IP-PBX Jason Alidor, the owner of IGT Networks, a telecommunications and IT provider, has long had a knack for positioning his company to take advantage of current market opportunities. From the company s founding in 1997 as a hardware and software sales business to its transition to business-to-business IT services in 2002 and its entry into the maritime and logistics market in 2003, Jason and his team have continually looked to meet their customers needs through cutting-edge technology and quality service a nd support. In 2005, Jason saw the revenue potential in offering his customers telecommunications services and began the process of finding the VoIP system that would best meet his company s and his customers needs. As Jason recalls, When we first started looking at the different platforms, the big packages were out of our reach, so we had to look at alternative solutions. Unfortunately, we went down the path of the open source system, which in our case was based on a combination of 10 to 15 different open source technologies. The problems with the open source system were apparent almost immediately. While the system had some PBX capabilities, Trevor Ward, IGT Networks Senior Engineer, notes, It could not provide PBX service effectively. We had eight servers running to try to handle the system, but it still couldn t provide the service our customers needed. We had jitter problems and quality and clarity complaints. Components were known to fail, and we spent a lot in overhead just trying to make it work.

2 2 The IPsmarx platform has allowed us to truly have a service offering that we feel very comfortable with. We never felt we could sell the other system without worrying that we were going to have problems. Because we re very comfortable with selling the IPsmarx product, we ve been able to significantly grow that side of our business Jason Alidor CEO, IGT Networks Eventually, the open source platform vendor went out of business, leaving IGT and its customers completely unsupported. As Jason describes it, We were just left hanging. Of course, we still had our customers counting on us, so we had to find a new system. The most immediate priority was finding a system that worked with customers handsets, and that led Jason and his team to IPsmarx. Before long, however, Jason and his team realized that what they had found in IPsmarx went far beyond handset compatibility: our company s roadmap was always PBX driven, but our roadmap was long delayed because of the open source system s inability to provide that service. IPsmarx was the first system that allowed us to bring on true PBX customers for our company. THE SOLUTION The IPsmarx system was a success from the start. Trevor describes the initial installation and configuration process: The IPsmarx system is very well laid out in terms of server and hardware specs. We appreciated how the IPsmarx team just remoted straight into our systems and set everything up for us. All we had to do was load the operating system and ensure good communications, and everything was put into place. In terms of configuration, the IPsmarx team took care of that, too, so we were able to be operational right away. In particular, Jason was impressed that the IPsmarx system uses only one server. As he recalls, When Trevor initially told me the system was going to be on only one server, I actually thought he was crazy. I told him to keep checking I thought he was wrong, because our previous solution had eight servers. These weren t eight cheap servers, these were eight monsters, and they couldn t do the job. When Trevor set up one really nice server that does everything, I truly was amazed. Before that, I just didn t think it could be done. When it comes to using the system, Jason describes the numerous advantages the IPsmarx platform has over the former system: I used to log into the old system and I didn t have a clue as to what I was looking at.

3 3 I can honestly say that from day one with the IPsmarx system we ve never had a customer continually complain about the quality of a call. Our customers know that every time they pick up the phone they re going to have a very clear call without any problems, which builds trust in the product and in our company. Jason Alidor CEO, IGT Networks If I had to be the one to set up a user, I didn t even know where to start. I didn t know how to pull up billing, and nothing made any sense. The IPsmarx system makes sense. Everything s laid out properly, everything s labeled properly, everything s in logical order. With our old system, it took 30 steps involving three different servers to set up what is simple in the IPsmarx system. Jason continues, Because the system is so easy to use, my engineers have been able to train our help desk to handle 90 percent of our customers support calls. That s a huge cost benefit for our business our engineers are obviously a high-cost resource, and with IPsmarx, I have to use that resource a lot less. From his place on the engineering side, Trevor also sees a number of advantages to using the IPsmarx solution: Our customers see a lot of benefit from the customer endpoint management functions, such as the ability to manage their extensions and get their call data reports. The system is very flexible, and we ve been able to successfully accommodate some very out-of-the-ordinary requests. Even more importantly, the time it takes to deploy a customer site is minimal. Recently, we were able to fully deploy an out-of-state customer from provisioning the handsets to setting up the account to completing our entire process within a 12-hour timeframe, and they were up and running fully the next business day. Jason and Trevor agree that customer support and system updates are significantly improved with the IPsmarx system. As Jason describes, A big part of us choosing the IPsmarx platform was knowing that knowledgeable support would be available whenever we needed it and it has been, which has been a huge benefit for us. In particular, I like that the IPsmarx support staff can log into our equipment and solve issues without keeping us on the phone for hours at a time. IPsmarx system. As Jason describes, A big part of us choosing the IPsmarx platform was knowing that knowledgeable support would be available whenever we needed it and it has been, which has been a huge benefit for us. In particular, I like that the IPsmarx support staff can log into our equipment and solve issues without keeping us on the phone for hours at a time. That helps us use our resources efficiently. Similarly, Trevor notes, I like that when there s an update for the system, the IPsmarx team just schedules a time with us, logs in, lets us know how long the system is going to be down, and then just takes care of everything. Jason and

4 4 Trevor also point to the financial advantages of using the IPsmarx system. Jason notes that the system has the best margin of any product line that we sell or produce, somewhere around 80 percent. Trevor adds, Because the system uses only one server, our data center costs are very low. Our overhead to maintain the system is also very low unlike our old system, we don t have to spend tons of hours on it every day just to get it to work. Because our costs are low, we can be much more profitable. Key to IGT s profitability is the fact that customers are also satisfied with the IPsmarx system. According to Jason, Our customers satisfaction rate with the IPsmarx system is around 95 percent. In the telecommunications industry, let alone on the VoIP side, that s very, very good. I m very happy with that; I m very proud of that. Trevor echoes Jason s thoughts: Thinking back on the old open source system and how far his company has come with IPsmarx, Jason concludes: The IPsmarx platform has allowed us to truly have a service offering that we feel very comfortable with. We never felt we could sell the other system without worrying that we were going to have problems. Because we re very comfortable with selling the IPsmarx product, we ve been able to significantly grow that side of our business. He continues, Back in the old days, I would never in my wildest dreams have given out a referral where I d say to a potential customer, Here, call this customer of ours and see what they think about the system. Now I d gladly use every single customer we have as an example of how well the IPsmarx system works. That s huge for us and for the future of our company.

5 5 ABOUT IGT NETWORKS INC. At IGT Networks, our professional IT services and consulting teams provide companies of all sizes and industries with customized total IT solutions covering every aspect of their technology needs. Over the past 15 years in the industry, IGT Netoworks has assembled an extensive range of technical resources including an in house team of technicians and consultants with diversified skill sets,long standing IT equipment vendor relationships, and a nationwide partner network of companies that can provide on-site support to your remote offices. ABOUT IPSMARX Established in 2001, IPsmarx has proven itself a leader in telecom and communications technology, equipping service providers in 75 countries with the solutions they need to fulfill their missions, adapt to an evolving market and drive new revenue streams. IPsmarx systems make use of mature technology integrated with the latest innovations to provide competitive consumer and business oriented solutions; these include the IPsmarx Class 5 Softswitch, Multi-Tenant IP-PBX and Breeze Mobile VoIP Application. With over a decade of experience deploying more than 1000 systems for a wide range of applications and companies from international hospitality brands to tier 1 telecom operators the IPsmarx team is expert at adapting these solutions to the client s needs and opportunities.