Client
The University Of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC)
Challenge
UNMC's phone system was vulnerable to electrical disruptions, causing frequent downtime.
Providing staff with a state-of-the-art communication infrastructure to stay connected, and enhance productivity.
Solution
Cisco Core Network and IP Telephony System to offer more functionality and flexibility while saving costs.
Results
The IP telephony solution provides the ability to easily scale up with demand and reliability of the voice and data network. UNMC is already seeing benefits in terms of availability, cost savings, staff productivity and the provision of advanced services.
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The University of Nottingham is a world-renowned centre of excellence in higher education and research, ranking among the top universities in the UK. The first British University to have a branch campus in Malaysia, UNMC is committed to combine the best technology and resources to deliver quality education. With the Malaysia campus move to its new facilities in Semenyih, the time was right to consider a new communications infrastructure that would enhance connectivity within its campus and externally.
In March 2005, CSC's Malaysian subsidiary, CSA, was commissioned to design, install and implement a state-of-the-art Internet Protocol (IP) Communications solution with equipment from Cisco Systems that would provide integrated voice and data functionality. "Our old campus in central Kuala Lumpur was running on a traditional PBX system. Maintenance was difficult, since it meant having to bring in an external engineer, even for simple configuration changes," said Chris Parry, Senior Project Manager, Network & Systems Section, University of Nottingham.
Cisco's IP communications solution offers much more in terms of functionality and flexibility compared to a traditional telephone system. "The University of Nottingham has been a Cisco user for a long time. That is why, during the tender stage, we were pleased that a Cisco Gold Partner, CSA Malaysia, chose to bid for the project. We selected CSA because of their expertise and support," added Mr Parry.
With the Cisco IP Telephony solution in place, the Malaysia Campus is already seeing benefits in terms of availability, cost savings, staff productivity and the provision of advanced services. Availability is assured as the system features a redundant architecture that prevents downtime during electrical disruptions. Cost savings are derived from lower call charges as well as a smaller team required to manage and maintain the system. But perhaps the most valued benefit is the flexibility that the system offers.
The Cisco IP telephony solution provides the ability to easily scale up with demand to grow the University. "CSA and Cisco really differentiated themselves from the rest by taking the trouble to learn about our requirements in depth, and provisioning a solution that was tailor-made to our specifications. At one point, we asked CSA to give us a demonstration of the advanced telephone features. That was at 5pm, and by 7.30pm the next day, the demonstration was ready to view," said Mr Parry.
"CSA's strengths of service excellence, expertise and experience have helped us to provide The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus a state-of-the-art solution that has helped them to meet the educational challenges faced today. The Malaysia Campus' deployment is significant as it showcases how educational institutions can benefit from IP technologies on a fundamental level," commented Chuah Tai Eu, Managing Director, CSA.