Inclarity say that with IP telephony the new system ensures that internal calls can be made at a substantially reduced rate to traditional phone systems, offering a more reliable service and giving employees the freedom to work more flexibly. The council estimates that £10,000 will be saved each year on internal phone calls such as those between libraries and headquarters. In addition, the council has already set up several home workers using the new telephony system.
“With the advancements that Inclarity’s IP-based phone system offers, we have created a single unified system across our libraries, resulting in serious cost reductions for Richmond Council,” said Paul Donaghy, Libraries Information Manager for Richmond Council. “With the pressure facing the UK’s local and central government offices to work more efficiently, more flexibly and at lower cost, councils would do well to consider new solutions such as IP telephony and the plethora of results they can achieve. Free calling between our internal locations certainly isn’t hurting our bottom line and the heightened flexibility is eliminating headaches across the board.”
“Smaller libraries in Richmond can be ‘open’ by phone just as long as other larger libraries that have more staff,” continued Donaghy. “With these seemingly basic improvements to our ways of working, rewards to our staff have been great and meanwhile our ability to serve the public has substantially increased.”
Paul Anthony Beaumont, chief operating officer of Inclarity said: “Richmond Council’s experience demonstrates what IP Centrex can do for organisations of any size, with regards to flexible working. Along with huge improvements in organisation and flexibility, the cost reduction that IP telephony can offer over traditional fixed-line phone systems is absolutely undisputed.”