Lee County Government MultiSite Phone System Solution

Lee County Government MultiSite Phone System Solution

Lee County is a place where traditional values are embraced. An easy 20-minute drive from Ft. Bragg, Lee County is an all-American community, dedicated to faith, family and country. New faces and new ideas are welcome. Here, new residents become friends in neighborhoods that include modest cottages on quiet, tree-lined streets; reasonably-priced homes with architectural grace in our historic district; and classy, high-end waterfront properties in gated communities.

Customer: Lee County Government
Type: Governmental
Location: Sanford, NC

Phased implementation: The main government building was completed first then the Sheriff’s department was implemented.

Customer Needs

Lee County government had relied on an existing phone system for many years that was quickly losing functionality. Because of the age and condition of the system, the cost of maintaining it was quickly becoming cost-prohibitive. To further exacerbate the problem, some system components were no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Because the Lee County government IT department decision-makers were forward-thinking, they researched telecommunications and focused on the latest technology available to them—VoIP. They decided that in looking for a solid long-term solution they would choose a provider with a stellar reputation and a system with a long product life.

Knowing that some other communications providers are known for marketing products with predetermined short life spans, Lee County decided to choose a platform that they could rely on for scalability and growth.

ATCOM’s reputation with both the product manufacturer and local references served as an important factor in the final decision made by Lee County. A high level of quality service after the sale was a key factor in their final decision. Lee government officials also felt a high level of comfort with the ability of ATCOM’s team of professionals. A well-defined plan and the excellent project management skills exhibited by ATCOM have served to reassure this customer. ATCOM oversaw every detail of the migration from a much older communications system and was able to bring the employees alongside and help them to embrace these extensive changes.

Solution Components

• Multi-site VoIP Mitel communications system complete with more than 250 phones and Unified messaging

Results

Lee County’s VoIP system provides communications across the main government center, and several remote sites that are linked by fiber and wireless connectivity to the main complex. The VoIP connectivity makes desk-to-desk communication so easy that it seems like everyone is under the same roof. Employees can access co-workers in other facilities by simply dialing their extension numbers. In the future, Lee County will add other government buildings to the VoIP network as it expands on this technology to create a seamless voice network connecting all of its facilities.

The solution Lee County has rolled out to its offices includes a Unified Messaging system, which provides access to e-mail, voice-mail and faxes, all from the end users  e-mail inbox.

The VoIP infrastructure allows for easy administration in an organization this size, as end users can move their own phones just by unplugging them from one office and plugging them back in at another office. Future applications may include remote IP workers and mobility solutions as the organization continues to roll out productivity enhancing applications to its end users.