How Santa Barbara City College transitioned from a legacy phone system to Zoom Phone, with Maverick Networks supporting every step of the way.
Chris Miller, Network Specialist at Santa Barbara City College, has overseen the college's phone systems for over 20 years. Over that time, the college implemented several versions of their legacy phone system. While it had served the institution well for decades, the growing demands of hybrid work made it clear the legacy infrastructure was no longer enough.
Miller led the charge to modernize communications in a way that would be easier to manage and more flexible for the college's evolving needs.
A legacy system installed in the early '90s, relying on physical lines and aging infrastructure.
The system lacked the tools necessary for effective remote communication. During COVID, those limitations became even more apparent.
It was a good system. It served us well, but we kind of grew out of it, especially with COVID. It just wasn't built for people working remotely. Chris Miller, Network Specialist, SBCC
Maintaining the system became costly and time-consuming. Upgrading would have required a major investment in hardware. The college needed something more modern, mobile, and lower maintenance.
Santa Barbara City College has partnered with Maverick Networks since 2016. The college chose Maverick for their responsiveness, transparency, and practical approach to long-term support.
We started looking at other vendors, and Maverick stood out among the rest as a good company, a very responsive and reasonable company. Chris Miller
When it came time to explore UCaaS solutions, Maverick helped the college evaluate several leading providers, including RingCentral and Zoom. Because the Chancellor's Office had secured a special agreement with Zoom, it emerged as the best fit, both technically and financially.
Zoom Phone was a natural fit. The college was already a "Zoom campus," and the move to Zoom Phone felt like a seamless extension.
Most users transitioned to softphones, with Poly desk phones installed only in shared spaces like front desks and classrooms. The total phone count dropped by more than half, saving on hardware and maintenance.
With Maverick's support, the college completed the transition in about six weeks. Maverick handled the decommissioning of the legacy system, helped identify what needed to be migrated, and ported the remaining lines while retiring the old PRI circuits.
Maverick Networks also provided extensive training, led by Cloud Engineers Harrison and Susan, including:
They did a lot of work for us. I couldn't have done it without them. I didn't have a large telecom team, and Maverick made it manageable. Chris Miller
Immediate, noticeable improvements for staff and IT operations.
Users loved getting voicemail in their email, which made staying on top of communications easier, even working remotely.
Physical phones dropped from over 1,000 to about 400 as users switched to softphones. Less to manage, lower long-term costs.
Cloud-based platform with no backend programming. Updates happen quickly without needing outside help.
The Chancellor's Office Zoom agreement plus reduced on-prem dependency lowered both upfront and recurring costs.
Voicemail transcription sealed the deal for so many people. Getting messages in their email just made things easier. Chris Miller
Santa Barbara City College continues to rely on Maverick Networks as a trusted advisor. The relationship remains strong even after the transition is complete.
We've had a good experience with Maverick for years. I've recommended them to several school districts and other organizations. They've always been friendly, knowledgeable, and quick to respond. Chris Miller
Having direct access to Aaron, the CEO, makes a big difference. You don't get that with big companies, but with Maverick, you do. Chris Miller
Having direct access to Aaron, the CEO, makes a big difference. You don't get that with big companies, but with Maverick, you do.Chris Miller, Network Specialist, SBCC
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