EDUCATION SUCCESS STORY Adrian College...
4
EDUCATION SUCCESS STORY Adrian College Graduates to a Unified Communications Solution and Chooses ShoreTel CHALLENGE: • Adrian College needed a more reliable telephone system, and it had the fiber optic cable to support a new system. After evaluating IP Unified Communications market leaders, Adrian College chose ShoreTel. SOLUTION: • ShoreTel provided an end-to-end IP telephony system, including ShoreGear IP voice switches and ShorePhone IP telephones. BENEFITS: • Rich feature set helps improve productivity and caller responsiveness. • Emergency calls to 911 provide crucial location information that helps emergency response personnel quickly and easily locate the caller. • The college saves thousands on line charges with ShoreTel’s PRI support. • With ShoreWare Director, management is simplified and handled in-house. Founded in 1859 in Adrian, Michigan, Adrian College is a private, co- educational college of liberal arts and sciences related to The United Methodist Church. With 1,250 students and a student/faculty ratio of 13:1, Adrian College is a traditional four-year, residential college that focuses completely on undergraduate education. The college has 21 buildings including residence halls that feature voicemail, internet and cable TV access in all student rooms, as well as a 24-hour student center, a planetarium, an observatory, the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center, and the Shipman Library. Adrian’s faculty is dedicated to teaching excellence, and 88 percent hold the highest degree in their field. In early 2006, Adrian College was saddled with an outdated PBX-based telephone system that was unreliable and offered very little in the way of features. The college also had copper lines that were getting old and plans were to utilize some fiber optic cable that was connecting all of its buildings. “We wanted to find a solution that would take advantage of the dark fiber that was already installed,” said Steve Stempien, Director of Information Systems for Adrian College. “I knew we could implement voice over IP on the network and that it would be easy to maintain from in-house.” The Search Stempien issued an official Request for Proposal (RFP) and received solution proposals from a number of vendors, including Cisco, Nortel, and ShoreTel ® . He and a team of colleagues closely evaluated all of the solutions, hearing vendor presentations, talking to customer references, and working with each of the systems. With priority placed on ease of management and the use of existing infrastructure equipment, Adrian College chose ShoreTel. Stempien describes ShoreTel’s interface as “elegantly simple.” “Cisco was pushing high-end gear to go with their VoIP solution, which increased the complexity and cost of their solution,” said Stempien. “Also, I didn’t care for ShoreTel IP Telephony System Improves Responsiveness, Saves Money, and Simplifies Telephone System Management
Transcript of EDUCATION SUCCESS STORY Adrian College...
EDUCATION SUCCESS STORY
Adrian College Graduates to a Unified Communications Solution and Chooses ShoreTel
CHALLENGE:
• AdrianCollegeneededamorereliabletelephonesystem,andithadthefiberopticcabletosupportanewsystem.AfterevaluatingIPUnifiedCommunicationsmarketleaders,AdrianCollegechoseShoreTel.
SOLUTION:
• ShoreTelprovidedanend-to-endIPtelephonysystem,includingShoreGearIPvoiceswitchesandShorePhoneIPtelephones.
BENEFITS:
• Richfeaturesethelpsimproveproductivityandcallerresponsiveness.
• Emergencycallsto911providecruciallocationinformationthathelpsemergencyresponsepersonnelquicklyandeasilylocatethecaller.
• ThecollegesavesthousandsonlinechargeswithShoreTel’sPRIsupport.
• WithShoreWareDirector,managementissimplifiedandhandledin-house.
Foundedin1859inAdrian,Michigan,AdrianCollegeisaprivate,co-educationalcollegeofliberalartsandsciencesrelatedtoTheUnitedMethodistChurch.With1,250studentsandastudent/facultyratioof13:1,AdrianCollegeisatraditionalfour-year,residentialcollegethatfocusescompletelyonundergraduateeducation.Thecollegehas21buildingsincludingresidencehallsthatfeaturevoicemail,internetandcableTVaccessinallstudentrooms,aswellasa24-hourstudentcenter,aplanetarium,anobservatory,theMerillatSportandFitnessCenter,andtheShipmanLibrary.Adrian’sfacultyisdedicatedtoteachingexcellence,and88percentholdthehighestdegreeintheirfield.
Inearly2006,AdrianCollegewassaddledwithanoutdatedPBX-basedtelephonesystemthatwasunreliableandofferedverylittleinthewayoffeatures.Thecollegealsohadcopperlinesthatweregettingoldandplansweretoutilizesomefiberopticcablethatwasconnectingallofitsbuildings.“We
wantedtofindasolutionthatwouldtakeadvantageofthedarkfiberthatwasalreadyinstalled,”saidSteveStempien,DirectorofInformationSystemsforAdrianCollege.“IknewwecouldimplementvoiceoverIPonthenetworkandthatitwouldbeeasytomaintainfromin-house.”
The SearchStempienissuedanofficialRequestforProposal(RFP)andreceivedsolutionproposalsfromanumberofvendors,includingCisco,Nortel,andShoreTel®.Heandateamofcolleaguescloselyevaluatedallofthesolutions,hearingvendorpresentations,talkingtocustomerreferences,andworkingwitheachofthesystems.Withpriorityplacedoneaseofmanagementandtheuseofexistinginfrastructureequipment,AdrianCollegechoseShoreTel.StempiendescribesShoreTel’sinterfaceas“elegantlysimple.”
“Ciscowaspushinghigh-endgeartogowiththeirVoIPsolution,whichincreasedthecomplexityandcostoftheirsolution,”saidStempien.“Also,Ididn’tcarefor
ShoreTelIPTelephonySystemImprovesResponsiveness,SavesMoney,andSimplifiesTelephoneSystemManagement
ShoreTel and Adrian College PAGE 2
Nortel’smaintenanceinterfaceandfeltthatitwouldhavebeendifficulttotrainnewISstaffonsystemmaintenance.”
“ShoreTel,initspresentation,talkedaboutfeatures,whileothervendorsstressedcompanybackground. ShoreTelhadallthefeaturesweneeded. Itwasimpressivewhentheyputademoonthetableandhaditrunningin10minutes. Also,ShoreTeldidnotrequireaspecificvendor’sswitches,sowewereabletodeploytheirsolutionusingourexistingandnewlessexpensiveswitches.”
The SolutionTogether,ShoreTelanditsreseller,AmeriNet,providedAdrianCollegewiththreeShoreGear®T1,12ShoreGear60,fourShoreGear40,and38ShoreGear120voiceswitchesconnecting42ofitsbuildings.Inaddition,avoicemailserverisalsodeployed,aswellas320ShorePhone™IPtelephones.StempienappreciatedtheeaseofimplementationoftheShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystembecauseitallowedhimtomeetanaccelerateddeploymentschedule.
“Wehaveover1,235extensionlicensesinuse,includinganalogphonesandIPtelephones,”saidStempien.“ThisenablesustoallowstudentstobringtheirownphonestocollegefromhomeandtheycanbehookeddirectlyintotheShoreTelsystem.”
AmeriNettrainedStempien’sstaffandendusers,offeringvarioustrainingsessions.Stempien’sITstaffalsopostedtutorialsontheAdrianCollegewebsitetohelpusersbecomemorefamiliarwiththeShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystem.“ShoreTeliseasytolearnandmaintain,”saidStempien.
Savings and Improved Responsiveness and ProductivityShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystemsareeasytouse,simpletomanage,flexible,andreliable.WiththeShoreTelsysteminplace,allAdrianCollegeemployeesarenowonthesamephoneandvoicemailsystemandevendialingco-workersbyname.AdrianCollegealsoutilizesShoreTel’sHuntGroupscapability,whichmakescertainthatallcallsintoaspecificgroupareansweredbyalive
personratherthanvoicemail,whichhelpseliminatefrustrationforcallers.WithHuntGroups,acallintoanAdrianCollegedepartmentringsextensionsinaspecifiedsequenceorringsmultipleextensionsatonce(dependingonthecollege’spreference),ensuringcallersreachsomeonewhocanhelpthem,withoutnavigatingthroughmenusorbeingforcedtowaitinaqueue.
“WehaveHuntGroupssetupforadmissions,academicaffairs,thebookstore,thechaplain,financialaid,thepresident’soffice,andthehealthcenter,”saidStempien.“ShoreTelHuntGroupsensurethatcallsarepickedupbyrealpeople.Wewanttoensurethatcallersreachaliveperson.”
TheShoreTelsystem,withShoreWare®PersonalCallManagerintegratedtightlywithMicrosoftOutlook®,providesintegratedmessaging,suchasdirectorydialing,contactscreenpop,andcalendarintegration.WithPersonalCallManager,userscanquicklytypeinaname,bringupanumber,andmakecallsfromlocalonlinedirectoriesorMicrosoftOutlook—allwiththeclickofamouse,rightfromthedesktop.Inaddition,PersonalCallManagerindicatestoanemployeeifthepersontheyintendtocallortransferanincomingcalltoisalreadyonthephonebeforetheydial,savingtimeinvestedinmakingcalls.
“PersonalCallManagersimplifiestelephonyforourusers,”saidStempien.“Callsintothewrongdepartmentcanbeeasilytransferredtotherightplacewithasimpledrag-and-drop.Also,callsintothecollegeoftengotoseveraldepartmentstoaddressanissue,andPersonalCallManagermakesiteasytotransferthesecallerstotherightpeople.Theinformationweseeregardingaperson’savailabilityfurtherensuresthatacallerwillreachtherightdestination.Beforewe’dhavetotransfercallsblindly.Nowwecantellifsomeoneisavailable,onthephoneoroutoftheoffice.”
WithShoreTel’se-mailintegration,AdrianCollegeemployeescanmanagetheire-mailandvoicemailactivitycentrallyandefficientlyrightfromtheirdesktop.Voicemailmessagesarestoredintheindustry-standardWAVAudiofor
“ShoreTel had all the
features we needed. It was
impressive when they put a
demo on the table and had
it running in 10 minutes.”
Steve Stempien
DirectorofInformationSystemsAdrianCollege
ShoreTel and Adrian College PAGE 3
Windowsformat,allowinguserstoplaythemonmultimediaPCs,attachthemtoe-mailmessagesorembedtheminotherdocuments.TheabilityoftheShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystemtotrackphonecalls,exportanddistributeoriginalvoicemailmessagestoonepersonoragroupofpeopleandkeeparunninghistoryofcallsintoeachnumberishelpfulincontinuallymonitoringandimprovingcallerresponsiveness.Also,desktopcallcontrolallowsenduserstomanagehowtheirphoneswork,andfeatureslikeFindMeallowthemtohavecallstrackthemdownwherevertheyare—attheirdesk,ontheircellphone,orathomeiftheychoose.
“WithShoreTel,it’seasierforsomeonetogoonvacationandhaveanotherpersoncovertheircalls,”saidStempien.It’seasytohavecallsfollowsomeone,re-routecalls,andsendvoicemailmessagestomultiplepeoplesoissuescanberesolvedquickly.”
Simplified AdministrationShoreWareDirectorisShoreTel’sbrowser-basedmanagementinterface.Fromanylocation,anAdrianCollegeinformationsystemsadministratorcanlaunchaWebbrowserandgainaccesstoShoreWareDirector.Throughthisbrowser,everysiteandfeaturecanbemanaged,includingvoicemail,automatedattendantanddesktopapplications.Addinganewusersimplyentailsclicking“addnew”andenteringtheuser’sname,whichinturnupdatesthecentralizeddatabaseandnotifieseveryShoreGearvoiceswitch.Oncetheuserisentered,amailboxiscreated,theautomatedattendantdial-by-nameandnumberfeatureisupdated,andonlinedirectoriesareupdated—allwithinseconds.
“NoneoftheISstaff—andtherewereonlyfourofthem—hadanyformaltelephonetraining,andtheywereabletohelpmepulloffamassiveprojectinalittleoveronemonth,”saidStempien.“TheyallobtainedtheiradministrativetrainingontheShoreTelsystemafteritwasupandrunning.ThisshowshoweasyitistoimplementtheShoreTelsystem.”
Essential Information Made AvailableWiththeShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystem,ifafacultyor
staffmemberdials911,crucialinformationispassedontotheemergencycenter.Withtheoldsystem,therewasnowaytoknowwherethecallwascomingfrom.WiththeShoreTelsystem,theemergencyresponseteamgetstheexactlocationofthecaller–downtothebuilding,floor,departmentandactualphone.
“Withtheoldsystem,ifsomeonedialed911,itwouldonlyshowtheemergencyteamthatthecallwascomingfromAdrianCollege,”saidStempien.“NowtheShoreTelsystemshowswhichresidencehallandroomnumberthecalliscomingfrom.That’sahugesafetybenefit.ShoreTelalsoeliminatesanentirestepbecausestudentsinthepasthadtocallcampussafety,whichwouldinturncall911.Nowstudentscall911directly,minimizingthetimetoreachtherightresourcesinemergencysituations.”
WiththeShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystem,everybodyhasCallerID—includingstudents,aslongastheirphonesarecallerIDenabled.Thishelpsstudentsidentifyprankphonecallsandhasessentiallyeliminatedthatproblem.
SavingsWiththeShoreGearT1voiceswitchesinplace,AdrianCollegesavesonleasedlines,reducingthenumberoflinesby41.WithafixedratePrimaryRateInterface(PRI),they’repaying$1,200permonth,versus$1866withtheoldsystemandmorelines.
“Iestimatewe’llsaveabout$8,000peryearonlinecharges,”saidStempien.“Inaddition,theShoreTelsystemprovidesuswithin-depthreportssowecansimplifyaccounting.”
AdrianCollegeisalsoabletoextendcapabilitiesevenfurtherwiththeShoreTelsystem’sPRIsupport.“OurmonthlyPRIrateincludesunlimitedcalls,localandlong-distance,whichaddstooursavings.”saidStempien.
Path to the FutureAdrianCollegeappreciatesthesimplicityandrobustfeaturesoftheShoreTelIPUnifiedCommunicationssystem.“It’sgreattoknowwecandoanumberofthingswiththenetwork,suchasimplementingwireless,andtheShoreTel
“With ShoreTel, it’s easier for
someone to go on vacation
and have another person
cover their calls.”
Steve Stempien
DirectorofInformationSystemsAdrianCollege
WORLD HEADQUARTERS 960 Stewart Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 USA. shoretel.com and shoretelsky.com
+1 (800) 425-9385 Toll Free +1 (408) 331-3300 Tel. +1 (408) 331-3333 Fax for ShoreTel
+1 (646) 230-5000 Tel. +1 (646) 230-5001 Fax for ShoreTel Sky
EMEA +800 408 33133 Freephone +44 (1628) 826300 Tel.
ASIA PACIFIC +61 (0)2 9959 8000 Tel.
Copyright © 2012 ShoreTel. All rights reserved. The ShoreTel logo and ShoreTel are registered trademarks of ShoreTel, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other copyrights and trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
About ShoreTel
ShoreTel is a provider of business communication solutions whose brilliantly simple unified communications platforms, applications and mobile UC solutions promise a new rhythm of workforce engagement and collaboration. With costly complexity eliminated by design from its award winning, all-in-one IP phone system, UC and contact center solution, and its industry leading hosted business phone system, workers enjoy a freedom and self-reliance that other providers can’t match. Users have full control to engage and collaborate, no matter the time, place or device, for the lowest cost and demand on IT resources in the industry. ShoreTel is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has regional offices and partners worldwide. For more information, visit shoretel.com or shoretelsky.com
systemwillsupportthesechanges,”saidStempien.“Growthisalsosimplified.WewereabletobringuptheShoreTelsysteminourstadiuminjustacoupleofhours.Thecollegejustpurchasedafewnewbuildingsaroundcampus,andwithShoreTel,itwillbenobigdealtotietheseintothesystem.”
StempienisaverysatisfiedShoreTelcustomer.“MyfirstimpressionoftheShoreTelsystemwasthatit’selegantlysimple,”saidStempien.“NowthatI’vehadachancetoexperienceitmore,Ican’tsayenoughaboutit.Executives,students,facultyandstaffareallhappywiththethingsthey’reabletodowiththesystem,andIlookforwardtoevenmorecommunicationimprovementswithShoreTelmovingforward.”
“The college just purchased
a few new buildings around
campus, and with ShoreTel, it
will be no big deal to tie these
into the system.”
Steve Stempien
DirectorofInformationSystemsAdrianCollege
