877.M5HELP3Derek Lam Transitions to New Location Using VoIP Technology
M5 Breaks Down Barriers to Growth for Rapidly Expanding Fashion Designer
The Challenge:
Derek Lam is an up and coming fashion designer located in Manhattan with over 100 retail locations worldwide. They experienced many problems with their old Verizon PBX phone system and decided to look for a new vendor when moving from their old office in the meatpacking district to a bigger space. The company needed a solution that would accommodate their rapid growth rate, multiple locations, and international business. Derek Lam is constantly adding new showrooms and wanted to avoid the complications that come along with the implementation of traditional PBXs, such as high costs and slow up- time. CEO Jan Schlottmann wanted a reliable provider that made it easy to add lines and conduct voicemail transfer.
The Solution:
Derek Lam sought the help of Octopus Networking, which provides technical support for small to mid-sized businesses in the fashion industry. Benjamin Irvine, CEO of Octopus Networking, developed a relationship with M5 Networks after growing tired of dealing with the unprofessional and difficult technicians at old-school telecom vendors. He exclusively recommended M5 to the fashion manufacturer, recognizing that they could provide both the technical features and customer support that Derek Lam needed. Octopus helped Derek Lam build a new network from the ground up using Cisco POE(Power Over Ethernet) switches that reduced the cabling to half that of a typical installation, creating a sleek look that fit the company’s image.
The Results:
M5 removed the usual barriers associated with rapid growth and saved the company money on their international phone bill. Phones were up and running in one day, with minimal disruption to productivity. With the advanced features of M5’s VoIP phone system, Derek Lam is able to easily add new lines and directly access employees. M5’s flexibility and speed is imperative in a start up like Derek Lam, who now reports growth of up to four new phone lines a month. The company is currently adding a new showroom, which would have been hard to implement with a traditional phone system. The modern look of the Cisco phones compliments the design of the office, which holds significance in an industry where aesthetics are highly valued.
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