PROBLEM: They received notification from their VoIP provider that they were discontinuing service and that they had until the end of the year (which was three months away) to either move on, go with someone they recommended, or be disconnected. They would also have to return the phones and dedicated router as they were being rented and not owned by the customer. Another important issue was that they often lose commercial power and needed the phone system to automatically transfer calls to a backup number (in this case, the office manager’s cellphone) until power was restored.

INSIGHT: The company’s reputation as being personable and accessible was everything, and not being able to call or receive calls from their customers was a killer. The IT department had been frustrated with the VoIP providers and were especially sensitive to:

- The port over process
- Customer support
- The ability to administrate the system via a web portal on and off site

SOLUTION: To ensure that the transition from their previous VoIP provider went smoothly, we pre-configured and installed the new phones prior to the port. We then forwarded their existing numbers to some temporary ones of ours and still showed their Caller ID number when making outbound calls – all of this while being transparent to their customers and employees. We then programmed a direct call button to our support team which rings to our NOC and to the cellphone of the tech on duty (for after hours). The IT department was given administrative rights to manage the entire phone system from their smart device, tablets and laptops from anywhere they can get an internet connection.

Shortly after installing the new voice system, a construction company doing road work in their area accidentally cut the power to the entire business park. The system automatically forwarded incoming calls to the manager’s smartphone until power was finally restored the next day!