Answer the Call
Two companies ring in much-needed new phone systems.
Switching to a new form of technology can be exciting for a
growing business, but the road is rarely smooth. We caught up with
two very different businesses as they shed their old telephone
systems and got onboard with some of the latest technology.
In 2001, Mary Heather Hanley, 28, founded PR and advertising
firm 525
Communications in Atlanta. At first, her landline was her main
phone. Now, with eight employees working remotely and a lot of
business travel happening, everyone uses cell phones, mostly
Blackberry-enabled models.
Giving up the landline has required some adjustments. At one
time or another, everyone has accidentally racked up big monthly
overage charges. Hanley covers her employees the first time it
happens, but they're responsible after that. Unlimited-minute
plans help keep costs in check. Hanley also keeps a backup battery
with her and has a half-dozen chargers. For this
'round-the-clock business, the switch to cell phones made
sense. "No one has to wait for me to get back to them unless
I'm on an airplane," she says.
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First
Century Bank, based in Bluefield, West Virginia, balances about
180 employees in 10 branches in a largely rural area. When they
decided to upgrade their leased digital PBX phone system, they went
with VoIP. The VoIP project was part of a larger upgrade to a new
IP network with T1 connections.
Senior vice president Bill Albert and IT manager James Farmer
oversaw the project. Along with Advanced Logic Industries, an IT
consulting company, they selected a Cisco-based system. "We
were already using Cisco equipment for our data, so it made sense
to run the voice and data across the same equipment," says
Farmer.
The major overhaul took about a year to complete. With VoIP in
place, First Century saw monthly long distance bills drop from
around $4,000 to $300. Conference calling, voice mail, caller ID
and music on hold are no longer extra costs. "The other big
benefit is the flexibility of moving sets and [making]
changes," says Albert. When it comes to balancing the books,
it doesn't get much better than that.