Johannesburg, 15 Sep 2004
Global technology group, Buhler, has installed a total Cisco IP telephony solution from Business Connexion.
As a provider of technically sophisticated and innovative components, systems and processing installations, the Buhler brand stands for a high degree of engineering progress and productivity. Buhler builds upon interdisciplinary technologies: milling, mixing, conveying, thermal treatment, and forming in the production of basic foodstuffs and engineering materials. The company is represented in over 140 countries.
According to Guido Meier, MD of Buhler South Africa, the SA operation services around 13 markets in sub-Saharan Africa, and, as such, has a large operation spread across two sites, in Wadeville and Cresta, Johannesburg.
"As you can imagine, operating costs with separate sites almost 50km apart were becoming quite high, which prompted Buhler to combine the Wadeville manufacturing plant and the Cresta sales, engineering and administration operations into a single site in Honeydew," Meier says.
Buhler`s new premises were built from scratch, which gave the company an opportunity to invest in the latest network and telephony technologies from the beginning.
Meier says installing an IP telephony system made the most business sense in this scenario, aligning the company with the group`s technology strategy and allowing for a system that is scalable well into the future.
"Also, there was no way that the relocation and support costs of our existing Siemens PABX system would make any business sense," he comments.
Buhler selected Business Connexion to implement the technology, based on the solution designed by Business Connexion and its additional value-added services, which Meier says were not offered by any other player in the market.
Business Connexion sales executive, Ettienne Smit, says Buhler had very specific requirements, which included the ability to scale the network further than voice and data.
"To this extent," Meier says, "Business Connexion offered Buhler a full consulting service, where additional recommendations and value adds were integrated into the total solution."
"Business Connexion handled the installation, configuration and training for the new IP telephony system," Smit says, "as well as the roll-out of Cisco wireless IP phone roaming, both in the warehouse and outside the building."
"In addition," he adds, "Business Connexion`s project managers were contracted out to Buhler to third-party-manage the installation of various other systems including the building`s access control systems and video surveillance - also LAN-based."
Buhler maintains that going the IP route for its voice traffic was the logical step to take. Meier says the cost benefits and increase in efficiency have made this installation very successful.
"In addition, not having to pay for a Telkom line between two separate sites means the ongoing running costs will be much less. Also, the ability to connect to Buhler head office directly through our data network will greatly decrease our total cost of ownership and increase our operational efficiencies," Meier says.
According to Smit, this implementation is the first of a number of steps forward in rolling out the latest technology at Buhler. "Business Connexion has subsequently implemented extension mobility, allowing users to be contactable on any phone, anywhere on the Buhler network," he comments.
"This will be an ongoing process, which will see Business Connexion assisting Buhler in adding additional functionality to the systems. The systems are future-proof and will ensure the technology investments are protected for years to come," Meier concludes.
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