Microsoft Lync 2010Customer Solution Case Study

Utility Cuts Costs by Replacing Existing Telephony with Unified Communications

OverviewCountry or Region: HungaryIndustry: Utilities

Customer ProfileTransdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV), based in Siókfok, Hungary, provides water and sewerage services to 700,000 people in the Transdanubian region of Hungary.

Business SituationDRV wanted to reduce its integrated services digital network telephony costs by replacing it with a unified communications platform using an IP solution.

SolutionThe HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership delivered a unified communications and collaboration solution using Microsoft Lync 2010, offering a converged infrastructure of servers, storage, networking, and management services.

Benefits Significant savings through

collaboration Easy scalability Improved productivity for 600 desk-

based users New features for further improvement

“The project has given us a basis for further improvement in customer service by extending Microsoft Lync 2010 to the customer call centre in 2013. It supports a mobile or distributed workforce without adding new IT resources.”

Csaba Hornyák, IT Director, Transdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV)

Transdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV), one of the largest utilities in Hungary, wanted to standardise its heterogeneous business communication system for its 50 operational sites. The HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership, together with local partners Delta and Geomant, offered an end-to-end unified communications and collaboration solution based on HP networking components and Microsoft Lync 2010. The solution is helping DRV save money and enhance efficiency using unified communications supported by IP telephony. Lync 2010 also provides other features to users, including video conferencing, rich presence, and remote access. The utility has significantly reduced the operational cost of telecommunications by adopting new technology and using desktop-to-desktop communication more frequently.

SituationTransdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV) is a water and sewerage utility authority that handles 250,000 accounts and manages extensive operations in the Transdanubian region of Hungary, with seven business units and 50 sites. DRV is one of the largest utility companies in Hungary. It has 1,700 employees and provides water and sanitation services to 700,000 people, including in summer resorts around Lake Balaton and Lake Velence.

In Hungary’s deregulated utilities market, DRV needs to remain competitive by continually improving customer services while keeping costs low. Csaba Hornyák, IT Director, Transdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV), says: “We wanted to develop an integrated and centralised communications operation. As a result, we looked to design and install a unified communications and collaboration solution to support our economic requirements, accelerate decision making, and better handle customer support.”

DRV wanted to achieve a business transformation programme with Active Directory IP-based telephony to future proof its communications technology and cut costs. This involved giving its managers video meeting tools, remote access and home working support, and flexible mobile integration.

To underpin this strategy, DRV wanted to replace its outdated time division multiplexing telephone system for its 50 sites, encompassing 47 branch offices, by investing in IP telephony. DRV also needed an enterprise-level management solution that offered value for money and integrated well with existing Microsoft desktop technologies.

The utility didn’t just want to replace one telephony system with another—it recognised that it could run all communications through a single, on-premises unified IP-based platform.

SolutionThe HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership, together with partners Delta and Geomant, proposed a solution involving Microsoft software and HP hardware, including a high-performance network based on HP enterprise switches and routers. The Microsoft communications solution uses Microsoft Lync 2010 unified communications technology with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 communications server and the Exchange Unified Messaging feature. The solution uses HP 4110 and HP 4120 Lync-certified IP telephone stations.

HP engaged with Microsoft Gold Partner Delta Group—the largest privately owned systems integrator in Hungary, and HP and Microsoft Frontline Outstanding Partner of the Year 2012. The partner provided project management, network design, installation and delivery, and the Windows operating system.

DRV chose Delta as its lead contractor. Hornyák says: “HP/Microsoft offered the best price–performance ratio for an end-to-end unified communications and collaboration solution for Voice over IP (VoIP), video, presence, and conferencing with a solution based on Lync 2010.”

Microsoft Unified Communications Partner Geomant—a sub-contractor of Delta—handled deployment of managed telephony, gateways, session initiation protocol (SIP) trunks, and Lync 2010.

The solution provides a stable, future-proof platform for mission-critical applications,

“The project so far has given us a basis for further improvement in customer service by extending Lync 2010 to the customer call

centre in 2013. It supports a mobile or distributed

workforce without adding new IT resources.”Csaba Hornyák, IT Director,

Transdanubian Regional Waterworks, Hungary

with a reliable, high-speed data network. It offers intelligent prioritisation and quality of service for audio, video, and IP communication, as well as high-definition telephony voice. Other features include desktop video collaboration integrated with the Polycom-based video rooms at the major locations.

The HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership, together with its two local partners, delivered a system with several unique features. There was a complete replacement of the existing PBX infrastructure, new SIP-based mobile and fixed-line connection, and a voice-controlled auto attendant and unified inbox for users. The solution involved integration of existing components, including the DRV customer call centre, and centralised management through a standardised platform.

The DRV telephony and network reconstruction started at the end of 2011, with Lync 2010 connectivity going live in February 2012. The implementation team completed full deployment ahead of schedule by the last week of August 2012. In a second phase, DRV plans to extend the IP telephony solution with Lync 2010 rolled out at its customer call centre.

BenefitsThe HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership has provided DRV with a complete communication and collaboration platform, integrating voice, video, desktop content, and instant messaging. It has significantly reduced the cost of communications compared to the previous system and can scale up easily to accommodate new sites. Hornyák says: “In our view, no other vendor has such an offering—combining Microsoft software with HP hardware. This is why we

worked with the HP/Microsoft Frontline Partnership.”

DRV Cuts the Cost of Collaboration with Virtualised PlatformThe entire unified communications solution operates on an efficient virtualised platform, which cuts the cost of IT management. DRV has now reduced the number of telecommunications trunks from 50 to two, and has replaced 20 PBX devices with one system. Lync 2010 helps provide free connection between fixed lines and corporate mobile phones. Federation with major technology and business partners provides VoIP voice and video communication. Solution Scales to Accommodate New SitesMicrosoft Lync 2010 scales easily to meet DRV requirements for new sites, in contrast to the previous integrated services digital network (ISDN) solution. Hornyák says: “It’s much faster to connect new offices to the telephony network or introduce the system to new operational sites. This is important because we serve 700,000 customers and need to meet high standards of service delivery.”

DRV is taking unified communications and collaboration to a new level with an HP converged infrastructure and Lync 2010. It has replaced an expensive ISDN system with enterprise-class telephony at 50 sites.

In the first year, DRV forecasts that it will significantly reduce the operating cost of telecommunications. And it expects savings to increase over time as user numbers rise to around 800. Hornyák says: “This is a long-term project to support better customer service across a large number of our branches and sites, and reduce the operational cost of telecommunications.”

Lync 2010 Improves Productivity of Desk-Based WorkersDRV is making significant efficiency savings due to increased productivity with the new telephony system using Lync 2010, which delivers a consistent worker experience.

Hornyák says: “Lync 2010 offers instant messaging, presence awareness, and audio and video conferencing, as well as full enterprise voice capabilities. As a result, our staff can better serve customers, spend less time travelling to meetings, and give DRV a competitive edge. Microsoft Lync 2010 offers seamless integration with other Microsoft desktop products.”

DRV Values Features in Lync 2010 Unified Communications PlatformThe new features of Lync 2010—such as full voice communication on any mobile device and Skype integration out-of-the-box—provide additional benefits and help to reduce operational costs even further.

Hornyák says: “The project has given us a basis for further improvement in customer service by extending Microsoft Lync 2010 to the customer call centre in 2013. It supports a mobile or distributed workforce without adding new IT resources and helps to differentiate our business from competitors in a deregulated market.”Microsoft Exchange Server 2010Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 can help you achieve better business outcomes while controlling the costs of deployment, administration, and compliance. Exchange Server 2010 delivers the widest range of

deployment options, integrated information leakage protection, and advanced compliance capabilities, which combine to form the best messaging and collaboration solution available.

For more information about Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, go to:www.microsoft.com/exchange

For more information about Microsoft Unified Communications, go to:www.microsoft.com/uc

For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about Geomant products and services, visit the website at:www.geomant.com

For more information about Transdanubian Regional Waterworks (DRV) products and services, visit the website at:www.drv.hu

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2013

Software and Services Microsoft Office− Microsoft Lync 2010

• Microsoft Server Product Portfolio− Microsoft Exchange 2010