When a ransomware attack forced vcpi to shut down its IT environment — including the on-prem phone system that powered both the company’s internal communications and client support center — the incident prompted a search for a more resilient communications solution.
Gary Jones, General Manager of vcpi, explains that while the attack provided the initial catalyst for this search, his team quickly expanded the scope of their objectives to include other operational benefits.
“The on-prem system was consuming a lot of our team’s time,” Gary says. “Making even small changes required manual configuration work. And we needed those changes all the time, both internally and for our clients, many of which we were also supporting on our phone system.”
As Gary’s team examined the company’s overall IT environment, they realized they could also gain efficiencies through consolidation.
“We were using different solutions for phone and video, which didn’t communicate with each other and forced us all to maintain several sets of credentials. We also didn’t have a mobile solution, which forced employees to give out their cell numbers to clients and prospects. That also made everyone’s personal phones yet another category of communication devices for us to integrate into our employee expenses for reimbursement.”