The Challenge
Several issues emerged when reviewing the existing phone infrastructure:
High Costs: The city was overspending significantly on phone services, carrier contracts, and the ongoing costs required to support aging infrastructure and virtual resources.
Complex Management: The previous system was challenging for IT staff to maintain, resulting in delays and inefficiencies.
Lack of Training: Employees were not adequately trained, limiting their ability to effectively use system features.
Miranda explained, “We were spending significantly on telephony services. It became clear that significant savings and operational improvements were possible by evaluating alternative solutions.”
The Solution
Newark conducted a formal RFP (request for proposal) process, thoroughly evaluating multiple providers. City employees from various departments attended demonstrations of several leading systems, including RingCentral.
Miranda highlighted, “We prioritized ease of use, especially fundamental functions like call transfers, voicemail, and conferencing. It was essential that employees could quickly adapt to the new system.”
RingCentral was ultimately chosen because:
- It offered extensive features matching the city’s outlined requirements.
- Its intuitive interface allowed rapid adoption by employees.
- It demonstrated strong security practices and high reliability.
- It delivered significant cost savings, reducing annual telephony expenses by nearly 50%.
“RingCentral’s intuitive interface and strong reputation made it the obvious choice,” Miranda noted. “Many employees were already familiar with it from prior experiences, which eased adoption.”
Implementation
The transition to RingCentral was carefully planned and executed over a single weekend to minimize disruption to city operations. Maverick Networks managed the entire installation, from initial setup through final deployment, working closely alongside Newark’s IT team.
Miranda described the experience positively: “The installation process was excellent. Maverick brought in their team, and we transitioned smoothly over a weekend, starting Friday and finishing by Sunday. They carefully planned around our emergency services to ensure downtime was minimal and at a manageable time. Overall, it was seamless, quick, and professionally handled.”
The Results
Switching to RingCentral brought significant improvements to Newark’s communication capabilities:
Substantial Cost Savings:
By moving to RingCentral, Newark achieved annual cost savings of nearly 50% compared to their previous phone system, freeing up budget for other critical technology projects.
Improved System Reliability:
The cloud-based solution greatly reduced downtime, ensuring uninterrupted communication. Employees can now rely on consistent service, avoiding the frequent disruptions experienced previously.
Higher Employee Satisfaction:
Modern phones, enhanced functionality, and comprehensive training resulted in positive feedback from staff. Users quickly embraced the new system because of its intuitive design and familiar interface.
Simplified IT Management:
The new solution streamlined administration and reduced complexity, significantly cutting down the workload for Newark’s small IT team. This allowed the department to allocate resources to other priority initiatives.
Miranda summarized the benefits clearly:
“RingCentral has exceeded our expectations. Our staff face fewer issues because the system consistently meets their needs. It's been reliable, intuitive, and much easier for our team to manage.”
Future Outlook
The successful phone system upgrade has provided the City of Newark with a solid foundation for pursuing additional technology improvements. With a reliable and cost-effective communication platform in place, Newark’s IT department can now focus resources on other strategic initiatives to benefit the community.
Miranda concluded, “Choosing Maverick Networks as our partner was an excellent decision. Their ongoing support, expertise, and proactive approach ensured a seamless upgrade with minimal downtime. They consistently check in and proactively alert us to potential issues. I knew Maverick wouldn’t let us down, and they haven’t.”
Considering a Phone System Upgrade?
Maverick Networks can evaluate your current communications, provide objective recommendations, and expertly manage your transition.
Contact Maverick Networks today to explore how to enhance your communication infrastructure.
