XETA’s Unified Communications System Saves Money, Enhances Instruction for Tulsa Technology Center
XETA Technologies (Nasdaq: XETA), a national provider of converged voice and data communications solutions for the enterprise marketplace, announced today that it will deploy its largest Nortel/Microsoft unified communications (UC) platform to date at Tulsa Technology Center, the oldest and largest career and technology education center in Oklahoma. The platform is expected to enhance student-teacher communication while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for the school.
XETA deployed Nortel’s cutting-edge CS1000 Voice-over Internet Protocol (VOIP) platform in August 2007 to converge phone and Internet access into a single system. Next week, XETA will integrate Tulsa Tech’s e-mail network into the system, adding virtual communication capabilities for audio, video and web conferencing as well as a variety of other features.
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Tulsa Tech to include their Microsoft OCS integration,” said Scott Davis, Executive Director of Sales for XETA, a Broken Arrow-based national provider of converged voice and data communications solutions. “From simplifying IT efforts to increasing efficiency, consolidation of the school’s communications into one delivery system, will ultimately enhance student-teacher interaction across all four Tulsa Tech campuses.”
The new UC platform will connect the school’s approximately 700 staff members and 3,000 students through a Microsoft program, Sharepoint, allowing teachers to conduct class virtually with actively enrolled students worldwide. A feature called Presence will show teachers whether a student is “attending” class regardless of the student’s physical location as long as he or she is logged on to the school’s Sharepoint website. The site also will function as a social network to keep students in touch with classmates, teachers and other subject-matter experts after leaving Tulsa Tech.
Another unified communications feature, Voicemail to the Exchange Inbox, will provide Tulsa Tech staff members direct access to voicemail from their e-mail accounts. Features will also allow users to just click their mouse to dial the person they are trying to reach, and the network automatically will tell the dialer whether the person is already on the line or writing an e-mail, making communication attempts more efficient. Additionally, a voice-driven feature will allow staff to vocally transcribe, send and receive e-mails, as well as access e-mails audibly.
Tulsa Tech’s construction portfolio continues to grow, making a converged phone and communications system critical to enhancing instruction and communication capabilities, according to Jerry Moore, director of client and network systems for Tulsa Tech. The UC platform will dramatically increase functionality for students and staff while the VOIP system keeps phone installation and maintenance costs low.
“Expanding the school’s old digital phone system through traditional duplicate cabling would have cost Tulsa Tech several hundred thousand dollars in our current construction projects alone,” Moore said. “Instead, XETA was able to provide an affordable unified communications solution with the superior reliability, performance and value required to take Tulsa Tech’s communication to a new level.”
About XETA Technologies
XETA is a leading provider of communication technologies with a comprehensive array of products and services available from industry leaders. The Company has earned and continues to maintain the industry’s most prestigious certifications as an Avaya Platinum Business Partner, Nortel Elite Advantage Partner, and Mitel premium PARTNER. Being able to provide solutions and service for these leading vendors is a unique value proposition for Fortune 1000 customers with multiple locations and complex networks. With a 26 year operating history and over 16,000 customers from coast to coast, XETA has maintained a commitment to extraordinary customer service. The Company’s in-house 24/7/365 call center, combined with a nationwide service footprint offers customers comprehensive maintenance programs that ensure network reliability and maximized network up-time. More information about XETA (Nasdaq:XETA) is available at http://www.xeta.com.