Dimension Data slashes internal communications bill at Saffer

Slashing its high internal telephone costs by more than a third after implementing voice over data throughout its 10 branches in SA, hardware, plumbing and sanitary ware distributor Saffer is already reaping the benefits from its new network structure.

Group financial director David Ferguson says the lowered costs of internal voice communications across data lines, no downtime and guaranteed backup lines all managed by Saffer`s IT solutions partner Dimension Data has created a hands-free computing environment.

"As a service company, downtime is not an option. If any of our integrated systems are down - sales, warehousing, accounts or distribution - we could lose customers to competitors.

"These were the problems we faced with our previous network, when we experienced fairly frequent downtimes. An example was a lightning strike on a telecommunications tower in Johannesburg, where our server is based. [The outage] lasted for eight hours before we were live again," says Ferguson.

These issues led Saffer to seek an IT partner that could assist with improving the situation. The company required a partner which could look after the network, implement voice over data, provide the highest level of uptime and install backup lines.

Dimension Data was selected and Ferguson says from the outset a noticeable improvement was seen. Primer, Dimension Data`s integrated service methodology, was used to design and deploy a networking solution. Primer makes use of specialist project management and best practice methodologies to ensure the project is completed within budget and agreed timeframes.

"We now have a private network, with adequate bandwidth to all branches throughout the company, connected in a star topology. This means that if a line or backup line does go down, it is automatically re-routed to live lines without interrupting network traffic," says Ferguson.

Using Insite, Dimension Data`s proactive network management tool, Saffer`s network is managed from Dimension Data`s Operations Centre. Any issues are immediately dealt with while the IT integrator`s Uptime service offers flexibility in technical support configurations.

These service components include delivery of telephonic, technical and software support with equipment replacement and escalation management.

Ferguson says Saffer is paying the same fees to Dimension Data as it was to the previous provider, but is benefiting from the dramatically reduced internal phone bills.

"So far we have experienced zero downtime and whether it is because of our improved service ability or not, our business volumes are growing. Monthly meetings are held to review the network`s functionality and improve areas such as database housekeeping and management," says Ferguson.