Profile

Bristol is one of the most popular and successful universities in the UK and was ranked within the top 50 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2018.

It has around 17,000 undergraduate students and more than 5,000 post-graduate students. The university has had a reputation for innovation since its founding in 1876. Its research tackles some of the world’s most pressing issues in areas as diverse as infection and immunity, human rights, climate change, and cryptography and information security.

It currently has 40 Fellows of the Royal Society and 15 of the British Academy, and is involved in numerous international research collaborations and integrate practical experience into its curriculum.

It appointed Spectrum, following a competitive tendering process, to provide a replacement resilient SIP trunking solution, to replace its existing Sonus session border controllers and SIP, plus a number of standard phone lines and data connectivity services, including FTTC & ADSL.

Solution

  • Project design, configuration and implementation support
  • Centralised SIP connectivity
  • Traditional telephony
  • SBC deployments across all faculties, with SBAs for local Skype server resilience
  • Local inbound SIP connectivity for remote site resilience.
  • Consolidated voice services provision, billing and support

Results

  • Enhanced connectivity and voice routing options
  • Access to latest technology
  • Real-time control of data usage
  • Enhanced network security
  • Cost saving though rationalisation

The Challenge

The University of Bristol adopted a strategy to replace its aging telephone systems with a hybrid solution based upon both Microsoft Skype for Business (SfB) and Unify Openscape over the next three years.

User-based telephony will be migrated to SfB unified communications (including telephony), while location-based telephony will be migrated to Unify Openscape.

Some location based telephony will utilise SfB where collaboration capabilities are required.

Both business systems will be provisioned with SIP trunking services over which will be provisioned over the Janet Network, with additional SIP trunking service to be routed / provisioned independently of the primary SIP services to provide resilient carrier connectivity to both the Openscape and Skype for Business solutions.

Spectrum's Approach

A full voice and connectivity audit was undertaken to assess the university’s exact requirements, before we made a number of recommendations regarding the provisioning.

A phased implementation plan was also prepared and executed, to support a smooth transition and end user adoption in several stages.

Rationalisation of existing connectivity and migration over to a Spectrum IP telephony solution, incorporating SIP and ISDN services, took place, providing complete control over the routing of individual DDIs.

Integration of Sonus session border controllers into existing infrastructure, enabled any-to-any connectivity between legacy PBX technology and SIP connectivity.

The Results

Spectrum delivered an easily-managed, resilient, feature-rich, highly-scalable and futureproofed telephony platform which is adaptable to suit the growing needs and capabilities of the University of Bristol.

Consolidation led to increased flexibility and cost savings for the delivery of network services using Spectrum SIP products.

Staff and students now have access to a wide range of communication tools, which offer greater flexibility in call handling, interaction and collaboration.

These considerable benefits were combined with the design, procurement and complete lifecycle delivery offered by Spectrum.

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