CCI Technology Holdings` installation of a converged cabling system at Mercantile Bank`s Cape Town office is affording the bank the convenience and flexibility that go hand-in-hand with running voice, video and data over the same cabling infrastructure.
Paul Riley, chief operating officer of CCI, an IT convergence specialist, says when businesses run their computer networks and digital telephone systems over the same next-generation cabling infrastructure, the support staff complement is cut considerably, as is the number of network management tools. "Businesses also save money on physical cabling," he adds.
CCI has been contracted to install a Lucent EuroGeneris PABX system, the telephone handsets connected to it, the fibre optics connection between the two floors occupied by the bank and the CAT 5 converged reticulation (cabling) on which the digital PABX and the bank`s existing computer system will run.
Where Mercantile previously had telephone cabling, this was removed and replaced with the CAT 5 cabling necessary to run digital voice or data communications. Each work station now has two interchangeable network points - one intended for a telephone handset, and the other for the PC network cable.
"This enables us to run both these vital forms of communication forms over the same network, which has already saved us money on installation costs, and will continue to do so in terms of support and network management," says Brad Ellis, acting regional manager of Mercantile (Cape).
Riley adds that CCI`s philosophy is to provide a total solution, from the voice aspect (PABX and telephone handsets) to the network (in this case Mercantile`s existing network, PCs and servers were kept), to the physical cabling and even power. "This shaves costs off the selling price, and means the customer can draw on support and sales specialists from one company, and not several, all of whom add on margin."
Ellis says Mercantile chose CCI as an existing, trusted supplier, which has always rendered good service in double-quick time. "They also supplied a very competitive quote. Finally, the Lucent range is of the highest quality in voice and data communications, so it was an easy decision to make."
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