877.M5HELP3Kaplow Communications Selects M5’s Outsourced IP Phone System
Fast-Growing Public Relations Firm Selects M5 to Accommodate Growth
The Challenge:
With more than 60 employees and growing and satellite offices in Toronto and London, Kaplow Communications is one of New York's most respected midsize public relations agencies. Kaplow represents a diverse portfolio of clients in areas such as consumer products, technology, and business-to-business. When the agency hit fifty employees, Chris Livingston, Kaplow’s Director of Technology and Research, learned they had reached capacity on their existing analog PBX. Kaplow was on a track for rapid growth—expecting to grow past 80 employees within the year—and needed a solution quickly. Initially, the company’s decision makers looked into upgrading their PBX. However, they realized that in addition to being costly, this option would only lead them to the same problem the next time the phone system reached its capacity. Reluctant to invest money into outdated technology, Kaplow searched for an easily scaleable solution that could accommodate future expansion and streamline communications between multiple offices.
The Solution:
Livingston, was familiar with M5 from work on previous projects and recommended its Outsourced IP Phone System. After M5 installed two T1 lines with a DSL backup and Kaplow received switches and VLAN configuration from a network specialist a few weeks prior to implementation, the agency’s phone system deployment was simple and was completed in less than three hours. Kaplow received redundant voice and data connectivity and an easily scaleable phone system solution with remote usage capability. An M5 trainer was available onsite for an entire day to instruct employees on how to use the new phone system. A few power users, such as the office manager and receptionist, also received additional training on advanced features and software applications.
The Results:
M5’s Outsourced IP Phone System gives Kaplow virtually unlimited capacity, allowing them to add as many additional users as they need. Livingston reports that time spent on phone system issues has dramatically reduced. Performing moves, adds and changes are so simple that the receptionist can take care of it when he’s away by sending a quick email to M5’s support department. Changes are performed remotely—usually the same day—and no longer require onsite technician visits. Employees appreciate that they can log into different phones throughout the office and that they easily use their phones from home or on-the-road when they need to. When planning Kaplow’s future, executives have also realized that they can easily open offices anywhere in the world without worrying about inter-office communications system because M5 can provide 4-digit dialing access between all offices using remote phones.
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