Cosco Shipping Lines (Belgium)
Colt helped partner Quendra transform the communications of their client Cosco Belgium (an agent for China’s Cosco Shipping Lines), by integrating Microsoft Teams with SIP Trunking, IP Access and Cloud SBC.
Quendra's client Cosco Belgium (an agent for China’s Cosco Shipping Lines), provides importers and exporters in Belgium, Luxembourg and nearby countries with tailored logistics packages. Ensuring communications with customers and ships’ captains is an important part of the job for Johan De Wispelaere, IT Manager.
A long-term Colt partner, Quendra designs and delivers IT and communications solutions for enterprise customers in Europe. To ensure the quality and reliability of its solutions, Quendra works with market leaders like Colt.
Business drivers – why transform communications?
Migration from local Microsoft apps to Microsoft 365 led Johan to explore using MS Teams to meet Cosco’s voice and video calling needs. “The ability to use a computer as a phone with a fixed number was something our old PBX couldn’t support,” he says. With 75% of employees working from home due to the pandemic, Johan realised that MS Teams could make it easier to keep both internal and external communications running smoothly. As a Microsoft gold partner, Colt integrates Microsoft 365 with the Colt IQ Network to provide reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity for voice and video communications.
“Unlike other voice integration solutions we considered, Colt’s is based in the cloud, which fits with Cosco’s ongoing journey to cloud infrastructure,”
Johan De Wispelaere, IT Manager, Cosco Shipping Lines
What was the solution?
Colt integrated a cloud-based Microsoft-certified session border controller (SBC) with Cosco’s existing Colt IP Access and SIP Trunking services to support voice and video calls using MS Teams. Cosco kept its existing direct dial numbers, ensuring transparency for customers and other external callers. Employees use IP deskphones or softphones on their laptops to make and receive calls.
What was the business outcomes?
Following a brief proof of concept, the solution was rolled out to all 95 employees at the company’s Antwerp and Zeebrugge offices. The benefits of the solution included; easier set up of users and hunt groups, simplified call forwarding, people working from home were easier to reach and it was easier to organise high quality video calls for internal and external participants.
“Users love it – the interface is the same on all devices, and so intuitive that they’re discovering new features for themselves,” says Johan. “Users can also manage password resets without help from IT, which makes life easier for my team.” Being a cloud-based solution means a faster, non-disruptive rollout, as there’s no equipment to install or configure at the customer’s site. Colt’s solution also proved to be more cost effective.
Colt, Quendra and ez Networking (Cosco’s partner for Microsoft 365) worked closely together to ensure swift and smooth delivery. “The collaboration was excellent, with everyone understanding their responsibilities and bringing their technical expertise to bear,” says Johan. Switchover on a Friday evening ensured the solution was ready to use the following Monday morning. Cosco’s Rotterdam office is now also implementing the same solution.
COMPANY NAME
Cosco Shipping Lines (Belgium)
INDUSTRY
Container Logistics - Marine Transportation
CHALLENGE
To make it easier for employees to communicate with each other and to customers and as the pandemic saw shift into working from home. A priority to keep both internal and external communications running smoothly.
COLT SOLUTION
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