FUNDING FOR MITEL SYSTEM RESOLVES inefficient messaging, costly administration and expensive inter-site telephone calls for University.

Background:
 The University of Cumbria is one of Britain’s newer institutions, formed in 2007 from numerous educational establishments. Campuses are located over a number of remote sites and communications between sites is a major issue; as is the fact that such a merger brings with it legacy telephony issues.

The requirement:
As a result of the dispersed nature of the campuses and the small study group model that the University employs, good messaging and simple low cost communications were a “sine qua non”. Legacy systems, much of which were outdated, meant a great deal of human intervention to ensure good internal processes University functions. The cost and inflexibility of the old system was impacting effectiveness and, having re-thought its telecommunications in the light of modern, data and voice functionality, decided to ask us to deal with the costs.

The solution:
The solution was a structured lease under which:

• The installer was paid as the system was delivered, commissioned and signed-off by the client

• These costs were repaid in line with the benefits of the new system and the University budget

The benefits:

• The installation was implemented in a timely fashion

• Implementer’s bills were paid in line with project stages

• Re-payments were spread over 3 years

• The client’s accounts payable and treasury departments avoided the administrative burden of invoicing and payments