Public Trust Opts for Voice Over IP System

Public Trust Opts for Voice Over IP System in Partnership with TelstraClear

Public Trust has signed a major five-year contract with TelstraClear to introduce a national Voice Over IP system that will enable it to better meet its customers’ needs. The system will also deliver significant cost savings to Public Trust.

“Telstra Clear was a clear front runner in this project,” says Cathy Budd, Public Trust’s information services manager. “It has considerable experience in deploying large integrated telecommunications solutions, excellent project management experience, and sound methodologies for implementation, contingency and risk mitigation.”

The deal features an integrated infrastructure project, using Cisco’s AVVID Internet protocol (IP) enterprise solution. It is due to be up and running by November. Implementation begins in the Wellington based corporate office and customer centre, and the Lower Hutt service centre. From there, it will be introduced in another 39 Public Trust offices.

“Public Trust has three major drivers supporting the new system,” states Cathy Budd. “Our most important strategic business driver is to enable new and improved ways of working that will benefit and get expertise right in front of our customers. For example, our new system will eventually allow our experts to have ‘virtual’ face to face meetings with customers; they will no longer be location dependent. This means that one of our advisors will be able to sit down with a customer in, say, Timaru and talk through a video link to a Public Trust specialist who may be based in another location.

“Our customers will get immediate and more efficient service, and our advisor will be immediately supported with specialist expertise – wherever that specialist expertise is located.”

The new infrastructure will provide Public Trust with a rich suite of telecommunications services.

“Communications will no longer be constrained by location, because all services will be available to all Public Trust staff irrespective of their location. Telephone calls will be overflowed from the call centre to receptionists or advisors in other locations which will provide improved customer service,” says Cathy Budd.

“All staff in each of Public Trust’s 35 customer centres will have access to voicemail. Our people will be able to log on to the telephone network at any extension in the country and all their calls and customised services will be routed directly to them, just as if they were at their own desks.”

In addition, the new system will provide much faster computer response times, the ability to make inter-office calls at no additional cost, enhanced telephone features such as caller line ID, and a graphical interface to set up multi-party conference calls. Each member of staff will have a new desktop Cisco IP phone.

The third major driver in the Voice Over IP project will be to ensure the cost-effectiveness of Public Trust’s telecommunications systems.

TelstraClear Head of Business Sales Sunil Joshi says, “Public Trust’s communications infrastructure has involved silos for data, fixed telephony and mobiles.

“This solution will see a change from disparate voice and data networks to IP technology where voice and data share a common infrastructure,” says Mr Joshi.

“We are delighted to be working with Public Trust in developing this major project. This new system, with its converged networks, will allow Public Trust much greater economies of scale, to the benefit of its customers and its staff,” he says.

The new infrastructure will support increased use of telecommunications services in the business to help improve service delivery to Public Trust’s customers; and it will enhance the efficiency of staff. The result will provide better and richer interaction with customers and staff, which is a primary goal for the organisation.

ENDS

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