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New Samsung comms for Blenheim Palace
07/02/05
Blenheim Palace recently upgraded its communications capabilities to
coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Battle of
Blenheim and a packed schedule of related events. Local firm Connect 2
Telecommunications of Kirtlington, near Bicester, Oxfordshire, rose to
the challenge of integrating a state-of-the-art Samsung OfficeServ
communications system with the Palace’s existing, rather antiquated
infrastructure, adding both capacity and functionality to the Palace
communications while significantly reducing cost overheads.
Until recently, Blenheim Palace was served by around 70 separate
analogue telephone lines catering for a variety of occupants,
including resident staff, in-house catering companies and a conference
organiser. Even internal calls had to be paid for at standard BT call
rates, and only a single outside line was available for public
information.
Clearly a new communications system was needed; the challenge was to
avoid disrupting Palace life and damaging fittings. Connect 2 had to
purchase the old BT cabling on behalf of the Palace, and then
implement the new system across it despite the scant availability of
cabling documentation.
“We
had to convince the Palace that a small company like ours could
negotiate effectively with BT and carry out the work with sensitivity
to the Palace environment,” says Connect 2 managing director Giles
Ashdown. “That we did so, and won the contract in the face of
competition from BT and other, larger telecoms companies, was a credit
to our staff.
“Another factor in our selection was that the Palace liked the new
Samsung 5000 Series handsets, which not only look good but deliver a
comprehensive range of functions.”
The
new Samsung OfficeServ system replaces the majority of the analogue
lines with a single ISDN-30 line serving 150 extensions, including
faxes and Internet connections. Connect 2 has also excavated an
underground fibre duct running nearly 1000 metres to the new estate
office just outside the main entrance gate, providing seamless
telephone, data and videoconferencing connectivity.
Besides saving the costs of internal calls, the Samsung system
provides a raft of modern phone system features, including direct
dial-in to extensions and user programmable voicemail. Its
auto-attendant function accommodates eight simultaneous incoming calls
to the public information line number and gives callers access to
event schedules, accommodation details, fishing information as well as
to real people if required!
The
new installation has also reduced line rental costs, and Connect 2 has
made further savings through a comprehensive least-cost call routing
and line rental service provided by its sister company, ACR Networks,
which is a BT Wholesale Partner. Oak Advance call management software,
integrated with the OfficeServ solution, allows separate cost centres
within the Palace to be billed separately.
Once the new Samsung OfficeServ equipment had been installed,
Connect 2 was able to switch over to the new communications system
within a single working day. “Connect 2 delivered an excellent
solution to time and budget — a priority for us. Crucially, they
achieved this while operating in a challenging and fragile
environment. Our congratulations and thanks go to Giles and his team
for a job very well done!” said Dominic Hare, Blenheim Palace Finance
Director.
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2005
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