CASE STUDY
Woods
SOLUTION SUMMARY
Eastern DataComm analyzed Woods’ needs and recommended a solution that would support analog and digital phones as well as IP handsets.
• The Alcatel-Lucent system provides enterprise-class functionality and investment protection in a highly reliable, scalable platform.
• Real-time voice, video and conferencing features and mobile device support enhance communications and the user experience.
• Centralized administration enables Woods to handle moves, adds and changes in-house, eliminating the need for a thirdparty phone system consultant.
• Emergency notification capabilities help to ensure safety and security in a blended healthcare and education environment.
• The IP phone system provides intercom capabilities in the organization’s schools, replacing an antiquated intercom system.
Eastern DataComm helps Woods replace an aging Nortel phone system with an enterpriseclass Alcatel-Lucent platform that provides IP communications functionality while supporting analog and digital phones.
Woods provides services and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for those with exceptional needs and challenges. The focal point for Woods’ services is its 300-acre campus in Langhorne, Pa., which provides residences, education and healthcare facilities for children and adults with complex disabilities. Woods also collaborates with affiliate organizations that collectively employ more than 4,300 staff and provide a wide range of support and services to more than 3,600 clients.
The nonprofit organization had an aging Nortel phone system that had reached end of life and needed to be replaced. Sheila Fitzpatrick, Director of Information Systems, began researching the various options that could support Woods’ complex requirements. The organization had 600 analog and 200 digital
phone sets, and wanted to retain some of that hardware rather than convert to all IP phones.
“We have digital phones strategically placed throughout the campus in case the network goes down,” Fitzpatrick said. “The analog phones are for our clients — they can use them to call our 24×7 switchboard operator. Some of our clients have behavioral issues, and phones often get damaged. It’s much cheaper to replace a $12 analog phone than a $400 IP phone.”
