CSC deploys IP telephony

System integrator and outsourcer CSC has deployed a Nortel Networks' IP telephony network across 1300 seats at its Macquarie Park headquarters in Sydney.

The deal with CSC is Nortel's largest IP telephony deployment in Australia and New Zealand to date.

Under the deal, CSC has deployed Succession enterprise IP telephony technology and a Nortel Multimedia Communications server (MCS) 5100.

The network lets users make video, voice and data calls via a web interface on a PC and standard network servers and also includes a contact centre which handles all CSC's customer service calls across the Asia-Pacific region.

Iain McGregor, director, CSC Network Engineering Services, claimed 'in general terms' the integrator would save $1 million in the first year with the new network. 'We're not just hoping, we're pretty confident about it,' he said.

'We initially projected savings of 5.5 percent. But in reality we are achieving considerably more than this in areas such as STD costs between our Perth and Sydney offices as well as move-add-changes (MACs) activity,' he said.

He said CSC chose the solution because it was primarily trying to reduce the costs of conference bridging from service provider Optus.

'[Now] with the MCS sitting in the middle for conference bridging, all the calls become free. At the moment, we have quite large costs around conference bridging and we see a major opportunity to reduce those costs,' he said. 'We should be able to even half our [conference linking] costs,' he said.

CSC has gone through the testing phase with the network and would move to full deployment over the next three to six months.

CSC chose Nortel due to the fact that Nortel's Meridian traditional PABX had been deployed at CSC in the United States. 'The standard was that we continue with Nortel because the plan is to hook everything up together.

The next phase for CSC is we'll establish links over our global network between the US and Australia,' he said. 'The Nortel solution had to stand-up to a technical evaluation which it did,' he added.

Past voice quality problems with IP telephony had been ironed out, he said. 'I think the problems are largely ironed out - we have not have stability issues. We know that with our customers, those issues are not happening now,' he said.

In the future, CSC would make the PC-based i2050 IP Software Phone available as a mobile tool, delivering video conferencing facilities to the desktop, unified messaging for voice mail, email and SMS to a single mailbox.

A wireless LAN is also planned. 'We have extensive shared meeting rooms and conference facilities and we are looking at how calls can follow people wirelessly within the campus. With i2050 Software Phones on their laptops, people will have their telephones with them wherever they go,' he said.