Schulman Associates IRB Ethical Review Board Saves 67 Percent, Boosts Flexibility

Schulman Associates IRB had outgrown its PBX phone system, and a voice-over-IP (VoIP) system did not meet the company's business needs as promised. With the help of solution provider PCMS IT Advisor Group, Schulman adopted a unified communications solution based on Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and related technologies. Within one system, the company now has fully scalable voice capability; presence and instant messaging; unified messaging; and audio, video, and web conferencing. The solution cost two-thirds less than a proposed solution from the VoIP provider, generates ongoing operational savings, and supports the company's continued growth. IT staff spend less time managing the solution, and users can fully participate in meetings from anywhere with an Internet connection.

In 2008, Schulman found it had outgrown its PBX phone system, which couldn't accommodate more than 100 users. Furthermore, each telephone handset had to be hardwired and configured individually, which was a time-consuming process. Expanding the existing system was estimated to cost U.S.$50,000. Migrating to another system that promised greater functionality was estimated to cost $200,000.

Neither option was ideal, but Schulman chose to pursue the expansion of the existing analog system through migration to a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) system. After several months of integration work, the system didn't work as promised with the company's instant messaging (IM) solution, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. In addition, Schulman found the system to be limited in its paging functionality, which the company relied on to quickly locate personnel and to communicate with the company at large.

Schulman had other communication needs as well. Traditionally, board members would phone in when they couldn't be at the company's Cincinnati, Ohio, headquarters for meetings. Schulman wanted to service the Canadian market, but it couldn't do so from Cincinnati with its existing communication infrastructure, as Canadian regulations require that board members meet in a face-to-face setting. A third-party videoconferencing service was of limited value because it required specialized, expensive equipment at remote sites.

Needing a Compatible Phone System Unable to resolve the limitations of the VoIP system, Schulman needed an alternative for an expanded phone system. It turned to PCMS IT Advisor Group, the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that had deployed Office Communications Server and Office Communicator.

The expanded voice system

For the expanded voice system, PCMS again recommended Office Communications Server. Although Schulman had been using it only for presence and instant messaging, the software provides VoIP capability and is completely scalable. Because presence, instant messaging, and VoIP are all part of the product, there would be no challenge to integrate VoIP with the existing services. Additional capabilities such as audio, video, and web conferencing (based on Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007) are included as well, allowing Office Communications Server to form the basis of a comprehensive, unified communications solution.

Employees received Polycom CX200 desktop phones, which have plug-and-play compatibility with Windows-based PCs, and Polycom CX700 IP phones, which can be used without attachment to PCs. Both run Office Communications Server 2007 Phone Edition.

The Office Communications Server deployment extends to users outside the company's main facility. Employees in remote offices connected to the Schulman wide-area network also received the Polycom phones, which can be plugged into the network without needing any on-site configuration. People in locations not connected to the network have two communications choices: They can use Office Communicator Mobile on their Windows Phones, or they can use Office Communicator Web Access from any Internet-connected computer.

Gaining Unified Messaging Schulman and PCMS also integrated the new communications technology with an existing installation of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The result gave Schulman a unified messaging system through which employees receive all their email and voice-mail messages in a single inbox. Users can check their messages through the Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 software on their desktop PC, through Office Outlook Web Access from any computer with a web browser, or through their Windows Phones using Office Outlook Mobile.

Reduces Upfront Cost by 67 Percent, Provides Ongoing Savings By choosing a unified communications solution based on Office Communications Server and related technologies, Schulman reduced the size of its potential investment in a new solution by two-thirds, says Boytsov.

Variety of sources

Continuing savings come from a variety of sources. By using Microsoft Unified Communications for conferencing, Schulman was able to discontinue the third-party conferencing service on which it had relied. It also avoided having to buy a separate in-house conferencing solution. Even the cost of hardware for the conferencing capability was less. The company estimates it spent $75 per user on hardware to equip remote users for conferencing with Microsoft Unified Communications, compared to the $1,000 per user that it would have spent with the alternative third-party solution.

Schulman is seeing other savings as well. Boytsov estimates that the company saves $1,000 for each board meeting conducted through the communications technology, because it doesn't pay for travel time, expenses, and meeting-room rental. With 50 such meetings per year, that's an annual savings of $50,000.

New phone system

"We chose Microsoft Unified Communications because we needed a new phone system," says Boytsov. "As a bonus, we've lowered our operating costs."

"I have fewer places to go to provision employees," says Kevin Re. "I just right-click and enable the new user for communications. What used to take half a day now takes 15 minutes."

Single user database

Related savings come from maintaining a single user database. Kevin Re uses the Remote Desktop Sharing functionality of Office Communications Server to understand and resolve user problems remotely. That resolves those problems faster, saving time both for the network administrator and for the user.

He also uses the One Number Reach capability of Office Communications Server. With this feature, callers can immediately reach Kevin Re on his Windows Phone when he isn't at his desk, and he can respond to users faster than if they left voice-mail messages.

Provides Conferencing Capabilities that Support Growth Perhaps the biggest benefit of the move to Microsoft Unified Communications is the greater flexibility and agility it gives to Schulman, supporting the company's continued growth. Boytsov cites a range of ways in which the solution supports employees, making them more effective and making Schulman more successful and competitive.

First, video conferencing enables remote users to participate fully in meetings without incurring travel time and expense. Equally significant, the 360-degree video-conferencing capability met the Canadian legal requirement for face-to-face meetings. "We could not have made the move into Canada without Microsoft Unified Communications-and the RoundTable capability, in particular," says Boytsov. "No other video conferencing solution would have made it possible for remote users to see everyone in the conference room, thus allowing us to meet the spirit of the law."

Second, the solution's other conferencing capabilities make it possible for colleagues to work together regardless of their locations; for example, they can collaborate on documents through Remote Desktop Sharing. The solution also serves as the foundation for a business continuity plan that provides a way for employees to work together even if the main facility becomes unavailable or they're unable to reach it.

Delivers Faster, More Effective Communications Schulman gained the original benefit that it sought with its initial use of Office Communications Server and Office Communicator: faster and more effective communication among employees.

"Everyone uses presence and instant messaging to quickly communicate internally," says Boytsov. "Additionally, we can route phone calls more effectively and efficiently, so instead of going into voice mail, clients get a live person at the other end of the line. The solution has improved the way we serve both our internal and external customers."

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The company expanded the use of that presence

The company expanded the use of that presence and IM solution-Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007-making it the basis for a comprehensive, unified communications solution.