877.M5HELP3Lazare Kaplan Cuts Costs and Streamlines Communications by Switching to M5
M5’s Outsourced IP Phone System Dazzles Premier Diamond Cutter
The Challenge:
Founded in 1903, Lazare Kaplan is one of the world’s premiere diamond cutting companies and an innovative force in the diamond industry. Headquartered in New York with global offices in Japan, Moscow, Belgium, and Namibia, the organization depends on its phone system to conduct business and maintain important contacts. After ten years of use, the premise-based phone system in Lazare’s New York office became unreliable and frequently needed repair. Stuck with only one local vendor able to service the phone system, Lazare spent over $900 each month on maintenance alone. In addition, housing the phone system equipment onsite used up a significant portion of Lazare’s corporate office space. As the company prepared to relocate its headquarters, Lazare’s Vice President of Information Technology, Jeff Edelstein, decided to replace the existing phone system.
The Solution:
Edelstein evaluated several premise-based solutions, including a traditional PBX from Toshiba and a premised-based VoIP solution, but neither phone system addressed his concern of managing expensive equipment onsite nor provided a solution for improving communications between the company’s global offices. A senior analyst at Lazare ran across M5’s Outsourced IP Phone System while researching alternatives on the web, and Edelstein chose M5 after meeting with an M5 phone system consultant and speaking with several existing clients. By switching to M5, Edelstein projected that Lazare Kaplan could save $600K-$700K over seven years. The company now has 65 users in its New York office and remote phones used in overseas offices, allowing employees to 4-digit dial between offices in different parts of the world just as if they were in the same location.
The Results:
M5’s Outsourced IP Phone System has made Lazare Kaplan a more efficient organization. Features such as the implementation of hunt groups within each department help ensure that important calls are never missed. Along with other executives, Edelstein enjoys using his M5 remote phone on the road and appreciates the ease with which he can stay in contact with clients and colleagues. Most importantly, Lazare no longer deals with phone system equipment and maintenance. With one simple phone call or email, most support issues are resolved the same day without an onsite visit.
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