-- $30,000 in maintenance costs; an approximate 50 percent
reduction compared to its previous vendor
-- Approximately $3,000 to $4,000 per month in network/trunking-
related costs
-- An estimated $40,000 in overcharges and billing mistakes from
service providers, mistakes that were identified by Maharam's telecom
analyst because the simplicity of maintaining the Avaya system generated
additional time for billing analysis
"The results Maharam saw with its deployment mirror those we saw with
several other Avaya customers during our 2009 research study," says Robin
Gareiss, Nemertes executive vice president and senior founding partner.
"Increasingly, companies are moving toward a centralized architecture,
which, combined with reduced maintenance costs, provide solid cost savings
for companies. As employees use the UC capabilities more, Maharam should
see additional productivity benefits."
Maharam's new centralized system enables the company to support multiple
locations from one main hub powered by two servers which extend
applications and features consistently across the company locations.
Gone are the various PBXs and key systems that served independent locations
and required separate maintenance and administration. Instead, the new
Avaya system provides better call handling and routing throughout the
company with simplified management. In addition, the reduction in hardware
not only delivers upfront cost savings, the ongoing decrease in power
consumption and cooling requirements are bonus dividends and an important
benefit for maintaining Maharam's ISO 14001 certification.
According to the Nemertes report, "by centralizing servers at the data
center, organizations report savings in the number of servers they need to
buy, along with reduced tools and resources to manage applications such as
unified messaging, conferencing, and even the IP PBX itself. By using fewer
servers than would be used in a distributed model, companies can save on
power and cooling costs, as well."
Maharam's employees are experiencing additional benefits that help them be
more productive. For example, they find it easier to collaborate across
locations -- even if they are on the road -- with 4-digit dialing, a
single, company-wide voice mail system and new mobility capabilities. Soon,
they'll also be able to call remote colleagues simply by clicking on their
name in their instant messaging client.
"I'd actually always been a die-hard fan of one of Avaya's main
competitors," said Sal DeAugustino. "This said, Avaya's software, ACD
functionality, services and price point overshadow all others. From an IT
management perspective, Avaya has made our lives a lot easier. Issues are
now fixed remotely via a call from the NOC or, in many cases, by our local
tech support staffer that can handle a fix themselves with Avaya's
simplified management."
The new, Avaya Unified Communications solution at Maharam includes: Avaya
Aura™ Communication Manager, Avaya Modular Messaging, Avaya one-X®
Communicator and Extension to Cellular and a range of management,
monitoring and reporting applications. Juma Technology conducted the IP
network assessment, provided point of sale support and implementation
service nationwide.
About Avaya
Avaya is a global leader in enterprise
communications systems. The company
provides unified communications, contact centers, and related
services directly and through its channel
partners to leading businesses and organizations around the
world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art
communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and
competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.
About Maharam
Maharam, a fourth generation family-run business, celebrated its centennial
in 2002. First renowned as a supplier of theatrical textiles, in the 1960s
Maharam pioneered the contract textile concept, developing engineered
textiles for commercial application. Maharam continues to create innovative
textiles through the exploration of pattern, material and technique. It
offers a comprehensive collection of textiles for seating, walls, window
covering, systems and healthcare applications. In North America, Maharam
textiles are available to the trade and through a select group of
authorized Maharam retailers. For more information visit www.maharam.com.
About Juma (www.jumacorp.com)
Juma Technology Corp. provides advanced IP Convergence solutions that
integrate voice, data and video applications. Juma's IP Convergence
solutions enable companies to increase productivity, enhance mobility and
create significant cost savings, particularly for multi-location
businesses. Juma has been recognized as an industry leader in providing
integrated business communications and services, helping customers leverage
network convergence to achieve their business goals. Nectar Services
Corp., an IP communications and management services provider, is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Juma and represents the company's services division.
The Nectar suite of services delivers real business solutions to help
companies mitigate risk, centralize systems management and dramatically
reduce telecom expenses. Follow Juma on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jumatech
Contact Information: Deb Kline 908 953 6179 klined@avaya.com