Leading North American Maker of Traffic Control Equipment Using New 3Com® Voice and Data Solution; Reduces Costs, Improves Customer Service
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 28, 2003 — Econolite Control Products, Inc. is a poster child for why companies are embracing the cost savings and management benefits of IP telephony versus traditional phone systems. The Anaheim, CA-based manufacturer of traffic control products had been using a PBX system at its U.S., Canadian and Mexican branch offices, shelling out high monthly leasing, phone circuit, long-distance and vendor service fees. Now, thanks to an IP business telephone system from 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS), Econolite is cutting costs while still offering top notch quality service to state and local transportation departments that use Econolite's sophisticated equipment at more than 22,000 intersections in North America.
"Our old phone system was somewhere between a headache and a nightmare," said Adolph Vasquez, IT director, Econolite. "We felt ripped off and deprived of advanced calling features we need to operate and serve our customers. 3Com gave us a practical solution that paid for itself in 18 months. We're saving thousands of dollars per month in operating costs in Mexico alone, and are much more productive."
Using its 3Com® SuperStack® 3 NBX® Networked Telephony solution, with NBX 100 chassis and SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 Fast Ethernet switches in its seven regional offices, Econolite has realized substantial and immediate payback.
The 3Com voice system provides internal four-digit dialing between offices over Econolite's wide area network (WAN) at considerable long-distance savings. Automated best-route calculations further reduce long-distance costs by ensuring that calls are dialed into the WAN from the location closest to the call destination. The 3Com system also lets customers calling Econolite's 800 number dial four-digit extensions to connect to the proper account manager in regional and branch offices, ensuring personalized support.
While speaking with customers the account managers use the 3Com data network at their site to view traffic reports in Econolite's unique Traffic Data collection and management service (DEMS), which provides traffic analyses based on data gathered from Internet-connected cameras deployed in key customer locations. Using these reports, Econolite helps customer's spot traffic flow trends and adjust traffic signaling sequences as needed. 3Com switches also deliver Econolite's Polycom videoconferencing system, enabling employees at the company's largest sites to hold face-to-face meetings from conference rooms.
The 3Com solution is also improving productivity among Econolite's engineering staff, who is accustomed to a nomadic work style. Engineers working in an interactive, populated area at the Anaheim headquarters use different rings to distinguish their incoming calls. They carry their NBX phones, which plug into any Ethernet network port, to ad-hoc meetings, and use the extra ports on the phones to plug in additional laptops, improving collaboration.
In addition, 3Com's PC-based pcXset application lets engineers use their PCs as phones in the office or in remote locations, enabling employees using a headset and an easy-to-use graphical screen display to enjoy corporate-class telephone service via DSL Internet connections. The pcXset application also lets Econolite affordably extend its office phone system to 20 one-to-four person branch and telecommuter offices.
Networked Telephony Revolutionizes Branch Office Connectivity
Econolite's decision to migrate to a 3Com IP-based voice and data solution emanated from the high costs and inefficiencies associated with its previous phone system. The system's inability to provide seamless call transfers hindered Econolite's ability to present a single company interface to its customers. It was also expensive to support, requiring individual Centrex lines for each phone, and high vendor service fees for phone moves, adds, changes and other routine maintenance.
To rectify this situation, Econolite surveyed the marketplace, evaluating solutions from several vendors. After consulting with 3Com value-added reseller AC & C Network Systems, Econolite selected the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBX Networked Telephony and switching solution for its price/performance. Econolite also appreciated the system's intuitive web-based management via the NBX NetSet™ application, which allowed the company to eliminate vendor service fees.
"The 3Com solution is not only saving us thousands, it's providing a veritable windfall of efficiencies - from improving our service and communications to raising our productivity," concluded Vasquez. "Econolite's senior staff is pleased with our 3Com investment and is thrilled with the value added to our service efforts."
About 3Com
3Com is a tier-one provider of innovative, practical and high-value voice and data networking products, services and solutions for enterprises of all sizes and public sector organizations. For further information, please visit
http://www.3com.com.
Source: 3Com
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