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Case Studies
Queens College
City University of New York
Click here to download this case study.
Background
Queens College is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s largest urban public university with 230,000 students, 19 separate campuses throughout New York City, and 23 individual institutions.
With 32 buildings on campus, more than 4,500 full and part-time employees, and enrollment of more than 16,500 students, Queens College is a major institution. Often called “the jewel of the CUNY system,” Queens College was recognized in 2006 for its academics in Princeton Review’s America’s Best Value Colleges. Queens College is also home to the Kupferberg Center of Performing Arts, which offers world-class entertainment for students and the public.
The Challenge
Queens College’s School of Law NEC-based telephony system was limited in functionality and overburdened by the school’s growth. Tight budgets prevented the implementation of a campus-wide replacement system. Instead, the College sought an innovative solution that would optimize its existing infrastructure and in-house technology resources to deliver upgraded performance, expanded capacity and added functionality of its telephony system.
Joseph Gong, Director of Telephony for Queens College, explained the selection of a company that could assist him in meeting the challenges he faced:
“We needed a partner – a company that was able and willing to work with us to customize solutions that directly responded to our needs. The proposals to our RFP quickly showed how rare that partnership is. Other companies were unresponsive, seemingly intent on offering ‘solutions’ that did not meet our needs, constraints or conditions. Consultedge stood apart,
responding to what we needed and making it clear that they were prepared to serve as partners and advisors to achieve our shared goal. We chose Consultedge and we have worked with them on multiple projects since then.”
Consultedge’s Solution
Consultedge employed a collaborative ap-proach with Joseph Gong and his technical team to ensure that Queens College’s infrastructure and in-house technical team were both used to best advantage. An initial needs assessment and system analysis was matched to Gong’s goals, producing a cohesive plan that incorporated key components:
- Upgraded the PBX, adding VoIP-enabling cards for hybrid PBX/VoIP system for 3800 ports
- Optimized resources by extending function-ality of existing Avaya Definity G3R and Octel VM through integration with new Help Desk using Avaya’s IP Office 500 technology
- Converted 500-station telephony system at CUNY Law School to an Avaya 6400-series based system through 2,000 feet of fiber link-ing the two schools and telephony systems
- Installed a G350 VoIP system at College ‘cost center’ facility, the Kupferberg Center for Performing Arts, which was integrated to the G3R with IP trunking
- Deployed an Spectralink wireless network and 15 Avaya 3600-series wireless handset
The Results
Queens College’s voice telephony system has been upgraded with added functionality, extended to include the Law School and new on-site facilities, expanded to handle growing call volume, and equipped with effective call management technologies to ensure quick and effective voice mail capabilities. According to Joseph Gong, “Our partnership with Consultedge is a model for any organization that needs to control costs and wants to use its own technical expertise where appropriate. They help us define where we can do our own work to minimize cost and where we need to rely on their expertise. I know from experience that many vendors won’t customize their services the way Consultedge has. We’ve been well-served by Consultedge’s emphasis on collaboration and partnership. It’s a relationship that works well for us and that I expect to rely on for a long time.”
Queens College
City University of New York
65-30 Kissena Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11367
http://www.qc.cuny.edu/
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