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June 27, 2008
UKIP Media Deploys VoIP Solution from CommuniGate Systems
By Anshu Shrivastava TMCnet Contributing Editor
UKIP Media and Events Ltd., an international publishing and events company in England, said that it’s using a VoIP
solution from CommuniGate Systems (News - Alert) to manage its international communications.
solution from CommuniGate Systems (News - Alert) to manage its international communications.
Darren Sundborg, head of IT and telecoms at UKIP, said that the ability to communicate with staff and customers in any part of the globe is vital, and it’s his responsibility to make that possible.
Sundborg indicated that, after looking at a number of options, including extending an existing Mitel (News - Alert) phone system, he turned to U.S.-based communications software provider CommuniGate Systems.
For the past six years, UKIP has been using the CommuniGate Pro converged communications platform as its company-wide email server for six years. Sundborg said that he knew that there was an option to add Voice over IP (VoIP) to this as well.
(VoIP) to this as well. “I have been very happy with that solution, so this was a logical step forward,” he said.
The CommuniGate Systems based in U.K. offered a complete VoIP solution, working with Gamma Telecom to install the SIP trunks.
trunks. Sundborg pointed out that the current system can be expanded as required, and each user has an IP softphone client running on their laptop, providing full VoIP communications capability, whether they are in the UK or abroad.
Moreover, CommuniGate Systems also supplied a US phone number which rings at UKIP’s head office in Dorking.
“With the US number, our customers and staff can ring us from anywhere in the US as an in-country call, which bypasses the problem of them not being able to make international calls,” said Sundborg.
He also said that this solution enables them to divert the call directly to the on-site staff member, or contact them to pass on a message or ask them to call the relevant person.
The softphones on each laptop eliminate the need for any international calls to be made from hotels. In addition, it also enables UKIP staff to make and receive calls while abroad on their own office DDI, complete with all of the address books, mailboxes and personal settings.
Moreover, Sundborg said that it also gives the staff access to presence management information, so they can see when a colleague is on the phone or out of the office, even if they are half way around the world.
Additional benefit of the CommuniGate Pro solution is that it can be integrated with Microsoft (News - Alert) Active Directory, enabling users to set up with a single login and password.
In the future, Sundborg plans to integrate this new VoIP solution with his existing Mitel telephone system as well.
“We opted for the CommuniGate Systems route with the SIP trunks rather than a VoIP solution to add to our Mitel switch as we are convinced that this is the best way forward, and we will ultimately be more compliant in the future as the technology develops,” said Sundborg.
Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anshu’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
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