Case study · Phone systems
Two phone systems, replaced by one
An organisation with sites in Cologne and Hechingen ran its own hardware-based phone system at each location. INFONET consolidated around 50 extensions on a shared 3CX cloud phone system – with potential savings of almost €12,000 a year.
Starting point
Two systems that knew nothing about each other
Each of the two sites ran its own hardware-based phone system. This not only caused ongoing operating and maintenance costs, it also made communication between the sites harder. Changes to extensions, ring groups or call forwarding had to be made within each system – the same work twice whenever both sites were affected.
At the same time, there were costs for phone lines and for national and international calls. In terms of telephony, the two sites did not share a common platform.
Expanding or modernising the existing hardware would have meant further investment – in an architecture that does not solve the actual problem.
Before and after
What changed
The central platform
What has been managed in one place since then
The central 3CX environment handles telephony for both sites. Extensions, users, phone numbers and telephony features are managed together:
- Central management of all extensions
- Internal calls between both sites
- Ring groups and call forwarding
- Central phone number management
- Voicemail
- Time-based call routing
- Individual user configuration
- Use on desktop, smartphone and when working from home
Cost-effectiveness
Potential savings of almost €12,000 a year
Besides the technical improvement, cost-effectiveness was an explicit project goal. By replacing the two hardware systems, consolidating the phone lines and optimising national and international call costs, potential savings of almost €12,000 per year were achieved – around €1,000 a month.
Calculated over five years, this amounts to almost €60,000 compared with the previous cost structure, provided the underlying cost ratios remain comparable. The figure describes this particular case with its specific call volume; it cannot simply be transferred to another business.
Then there is what is harder to put a number on: maintenance effort, spare parts, investment in system hardware and the effort involved in expansions largely fall away. A new extension is now a configuration question.
Security
A phone system on the internet is a target
Misused SIP accounts are one of the most common ways in which unwanted phone charges arise. The following were therefore configured:
- Firewall configuration for both sites
- Secured 3CX connection
- User and extension permissions
- SIP configuration
- Phone number management
- Protection of administrative access
- Update and maintenance concept
Result
One platform, one contact person
Two separate hardware-based systems became one shared cloud phone system spanning both sites, for around 50 extensions. The distance between the sites now plays practically no role in internal telephony.
INFONET continues to look after the system after the migration: 3CX administration, new users and extensions, ring groups, call forwarding, phone numbers, SIP trunks, business hours, troubleshooting, updates and user support. This means there is a single point of contact for all telephony matters.
- Two hardware phone systems replaced
- Around 50 extensions managed centrally
- More flexible workstations – working from home and by smartphone possible
- Easier to expand with less dependence on hardware
- Optimised phone costs, national and international
- Ongoing support from INFONET
Project data at a glance
2 sites · Cologne and Hechingen · approx. 50 extensions · 2 hardware phone systems replaced · 1 central 3CX cloud phone system · national and international telephony optimised · potential savings of almost €12,000 per year · central administration · ongoing support from INFONET
Frequently asked questions
What prospective clients usually ask
Can these savings be transferred to our business?
Not without doing the maths. The order of magnitude stated results from two replaced hardware systems, consolidated lines and a particular call volume with an international share. We look at your latest phone bills and maintenance contracts and calculate it for your case – until then, any figure is a guess.
Can we keep our phone numbers?
As a rule, yes – the numbers are ported. This is a separate step with its own deadlines, so it belongs early in the planning, not at the end of the switchover.
What happens if the internet connection fails?
A fair question for any cloud phone system. Common answers are a second line, diverting calls to mobile numbers in the event of an outage, or using the system over the mobile network via an app. How far you take this depends on what a telephony outage costs your business.
Do we have to buy new phones?
Not necessarily. Whether existing IP phones can continue to be used depends on the model; we check this before the switchover. If your staff mostly make calls from their computer or smartphone anyway, you may need significantly fewer desk phones than before.
A note on confidentiality
For reasons of confidentiality, we only publish client names and contact persons with their express consent. If you have a specific interest, we will be happy to put you in touch personally after consulting the reference client.
Free initial consultation
What does your telephony really cost today?
Maintenance contract, lines, call charges and the effort for every change – added together, it is usually more than expected. We work through the numbers with you and tell you honestly whether switching is worthwhile.
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