Newhaven Port & Properties had an ageing BT phone system on ISDN lines which had reached the end of life stage, it was holding the port back from its productivity and functionality requirements. The Port rely on having top of the range equipment and software due to the nature of the business and required a system that would match and improve this functionality.
Key Objectives
- Upgrade the old system in to a modern and future proofed communications platform with SIP trunking technology.
- Reduce costs and consolidate services with one supplier whilst streamlining the setup which had evolved over the years.
- Provide the ability to fix faults and make changes remotely.
- Linking sites such as the workshops back to the main building as integrated users on the phone system.
- Taking advantage of free calls to local, national and UK mobile networks.
The Situation
Cavendish were one of 3 suppliers speaking to Newhaven about upgrading their telecommunication services. One of the main buying criteria was finding the right solution for the Port, they needed to improve the communication internally as well as externally whilst giving 24/7 support.
The Benefits
- Upgraded and future proofed the Ports’ telecommunications platform
- Enabled the port to receive free calls to local, national and UK mobiles
- Local Provider offering outstanding support
- Reduced costs from ISDN lines to SIP Trunks
- Happy and productive employees
“When one of our telephones stopped working and couldn’t be replaced within the current set-up, we realised that a system overhaul was long overdue. We approached several companies for quotes and Cavendish was unquestionably our preferred company. We like to use local companies wherever we can, but Cavendish also had the “can-do” attitude that we like and costs were very competitive. We needed a good, fast broadband service as well as an integrated telephone system. Cavendish explained the different possibilities and costs and then proceeded to set up the system with minimal input from us whilst keeping us informed throughout. We wanted to set up in the main office first with outlying departments brought in as needed. This all proceeded to plan which made life much easier for all involved.”
The Solution
The Mitel Office 250 telephone system fitted Newhaven Port’s requirements perfectly. With the system being scalable up to 250 users and having PC software through Phone Manager, it ticked all the boxes the Port were looking to achieve, with added benefits of cost savings through SIP trunking and free calls. One of the main parts to this was a staged implementation of the solution instead of one big bang.
The Installation
We began installing the system in the main office building before linking the remote sites. Due to the importance of the Port Authority communications, we made sure the system was installed perfectly so that downtime was kept to a minimum.
Prioritising the Port control office was key and once this had been done we worked our way through the office before hardware installation was complete and up and running on the new technology. Phone Manager software was then installed on an on-site server and loaded on to the Port’s PC’s which enabled fluid integration between PC and Phone system throughout.
The main office had transitioned smoothly over on to the new SIP trunk technology as planned and the following week we began work on installing and linking up the remote sites that play a key part in the running of Newhaven Port.
Linking the sites through fibre connections back to the main office site through VPN’s meant that everything was secured, and the connection was strong throughout.
“We now have a system that can be easily upgraded when necessary and, crucially, works well!”
– Julie Eason, Finance Director
For more information please visit the website of Newhaven Port & Properties.
