LifeSize Video Solution Helps Metropolitan Bank Cut Costs, Save Time, and Increase Collaboration

Customer Success Story

Executive Summary

Metropolitan Bank •Foundedin2008 •Approximately90associates •SevenofficelocationsinMississippi andTennessee

Challenge • Improvethequalityandefficiencyof communicationsamongthebank’s associatesatmultiplelocations •Makecommunicationsmore meaningfulthroughtheuseof HDvideo

Solution • LifeSizeExpressvideoconferencing unitsateachheadquarter’ssite •LifeSizeRoom220systemsfor multiplelocations •Networkupgradetoimproveaudio/ videoquality

Results • Robustvideoconferencingexperience thatspeedsdecisionmaking, improvescommunicationaccuracy andenhancesorganizationalunity •Easy-to-usevideoconferencing platformthatrequiresminimumband widthandrapidlyscales •Thousandsofdollarssavedintravel costsandhundredsofhoursoftravel timesaved

ventech.com

Foundedin2008,MetropolitanBankhasheadquartersinbothMemphis,TennesseeandRidgeland,Mississippi.InadditiontoRidgelandandMemphis,theyhaveotherMississippilocationsinFlowood,CrystalSpringsandHazelhurstandanewlocationinNashville,Tennessee.

Asarapidlygrowingorganizationwithmultipleofficesandacultureofpervasivecommunication,associatesatMetropolitanBankfoundthemselveslookingforamoreeffectivewaytocommunicatethanusingonlyemailandconferencecalls.

InAugust2010,thebankcontactedVenturetoprovideandinstalltwoLifeSizeExpressvideoconferencingunitstoconnectthebank’sheadquartersinRidgelandandMemphis.

“Priortothissolution,ourcommunicationmodelfocusedonconferencecallsthatlackedapersonaltouchforefficientcommunication,”saidChiefOperationsandInformationOfficer,PamWare.“Wewantedourassociatestohavetheabilitytointeractonamorepersonallevel.”

Ware’sbusinessstrategyencompassedmakingvideoconferencingastandardofMetropolitanBank.Aspartofthisinstallation,theofficescametorelyonvideoconferencingasadailynormincreasingefficiencyandencouraginggreaterengagementinthecorporateculture.

“Ourinterofficecommunicationnowisnotonlymorefrequent,butit’salsomoreeffective,”saidWare.“We’vesavedhundredsofhoursandthousandsofdollarsintravelexpenses.Ican’tevenbegintoquantifythehugesavingsandgreatefficiencieswe’veacquired.”

Inadditiontosavings,theLifeSizesystemenablesthemtoeasilyshare,discussandeditdocumentsduringmeetings.Thisaddedfeatureandeaseofusehavegreatlyenhancedcollaborationbetweenthebank’soffices.“Wefindourselvesusingthevideomoreandmoreoften,notonlyformeetingswithmultipleattendeesbutforquick,one-on-oneexchangesthatarebetterhandled‘face-to-face’,”saidRickAdams,thebank’sChiefAdministrativeOfficer.

InDecember2011,thebankorderedfourLifeSizeRoom220units.TheoriginalExpressunitsconnectedjustMemphisandRidgeland.ThenewRoom220unitsallowthebanktoconducthigh-definition,face-to-facemeetingswithuptoeightlocationsincludingtheoriginalExpressunits.

Theyalsoinstalledaseparatenetworkwithpoint-to-pointconnectivitybetweenlocations.“Inthepast,wehadallbeenondifferentvideoconferencingsystemsandthatwasn’tefficient,”addedWare.“Thequalitywasverypoorwithfuzzyvisualsanddroppedcalls.”Point-to-pointconnectivitytookcareofallthat.

Asagrowingorganization,MetropolitanBankhasexpandedtoNashvilleandplansoninstallingevenmorevideoconferencingsystemsintheirnewoffices.VentureTechnologieswillbetheirtrustedsolutionsproviderfortheseexpansions.

Wareexplainedthataswithanysignificanttechnologicalchange,therewerechallengesininstallationandsetup,buttheVentureteamkeptatituntilitwasperfect.Ongoingservice,thoughrarelyrequired,hasbeeneverythingtheyexpected.

Sheadded,“VentureTechnologiesmadeusapriorityanditshowed.Wewerecomfortableeverystepofthewayrelyingonthemforsuchanextensiveproject.”

February2012