CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Reading Public Schools, like many large districts, was operating outdated Mitel phone systems in a decentralized telecommunications environment. The existing systems, which had been managed by Facilities, resulted in significant operational risks. Julian Carr, Director of IT, consulted with Partners Technology, a Massachusetts State approved vendor for telecommunications services and equipment. The primary goal was to design a single, centralized Mitel Unified Communications (UC) solution that would be consistent across all eight school buildings, that would align with both operational goals and budget realities.
The implementation focused on robust, scalable, and modern technologies, allowing Reading Public Schools to finally leverage their existing network infrastructure.
By partnering with Partners Technology, Reading Public Schools transformed its communication infrastructure, realizing key benefits that support both daily operations and critical safety needs.
Reading Public Schools – Project Checklist
Reading Public Schools Goals
- Replace aging Mitel phone systems and multiple dialing plans that led to inconsistent services across the districts eight schools.
- Centralize voicemail district wide
- Improve redundancy and notification capabilities required to meet federal and state safety and compliance protocols.
- Unify communications by leveraging existing WAN to simplify IT management time and streamline operations.
Partners Technology Recommended Solutions
- Mitel MiVoice Business Platform: Standardized core telephony services and voicemail for stability and simplified management.
- Mitel MiCollab Application: Introduced modern unified collaboration (chat, presence) for seamless communication between remote and on-site staff.
- Mitel Revolution Mass Notification: Integrated critical alerting systems, providing instant, precise notifications essential for school safety and emergency protocols.
- Standardized Handsets: Ensured all end-users had a consistent experience with new Mitel IP phones.
Reading Public Schools Benefits
- District-Wide Consistency: Users now benefit from standardized services, unified dialing, voicemail and a consistent user experience regardless of which school building they are in.
- Service Robustness and Redundancy: The new centralized system delivers the necessary redundancy to ensure critical communication services are always operational, significantly reducing the risk of prolonged outages.
- Operational Efficiency: Unifying the platform allowed the Reading Public Schools IT team to leverage their existing WAN, streamlining management and improving system efficiencies district wide.
- Regulatory Confidence: The robust system provides the control and centralization needed to confidently comply with state and federal telecommunications and emergency (E-911) notification regulations.
