Cheektowaga implemented an Asterisk phone system with Polycom phones and Dell servers to replace an end-of-life Nortel analog system across 15 locations. The Asterisk solution provided improved functionality, reliability, and expansion capabilities while saving $60,000 compared to traditional PBX systems. Nimble Group expanded their Asterisk system running on an Intel modular server to support a growing call center of up to 1,000 users. Michigan Caterpillar redesigned their IT infrastructure using Asterisk across seven locations to replace an aging Avaya system and improve call quality while reducing costs through SIP trunking."

1. More than a phone system.
It’s a better way to communicate—and save.
Asterisk
®
Open Source Communications

2. Cheektowaga
Objectives:
Replace an end-of-life Nortel® analog
telephone system (that is patched with
equipment from various vendors) with
a web-centric VoIP infrastructure to
reduce communications costs for this
New York municipality. The project
includes designing and implementing
a VoIP infrastructure for 500
employees in 15 separate locations,
including the mission-critical police
department; the town hall campus,
which contains six buildings; and the
core location on Alexander Street.

3. Challenges: Solution:
1. With Nortel equipment at the end of its Asterisk phone system, Polycom®
15-year lifecycle, Cheektowaga was phones, and Dell® servers.
Cheektowaga has a lot having difficulty managing the system Quoted at thousands of dollars less than
themselves. There were also problems traditional PBX systems, Asterisk uses
more functionality than
hiring external vendors for support. broadband (Internet) connections to tie a
they did before, with business network to the traditional global
2. The system needed a complete
unified communications telephony network. Since it uses broad-
overhaul with highly-customized
that allow voice mail to band instead of phone lines, employees
infrastructure that would accomplish
can work remotely, as long as they are
email communications; both an upgrade to VoIP, and cut
connected to the Internet. They use a
call queues; group rings; communications costs.
centralized administrative console at
and Find Me/Follow Me 3. The system was non-expandable. each of the three main locations with
capability. auto-call routing and direct inward dial
4. Cheektowaga was experiencing
(DID). They also installed 300 Polycom
limited voicemail capability
desk set phones, and redundant Dell
5. Cheektowaga required multiple levels servers at each of the four main
of redundancy for what they termed campuses. DID enables callers to dial
“Continuous Government” — that in the directly into an extension without using
event of a power failure, server failure, an auto-attendant and they utilize SIP
or telecom outages at any one location, trunks that replace legacy PRIs and
the phone system would continue to analog lines that were driving up
function. communication costs.

4. Results: About the Company:
Since Asterisk is an open source Cheektowaga, New York
software solution, Asterisk was able to This New York Township is a suburb of
save the City the $60,000 they had Buffalo with a population of nearly 96,000
allocated for network upgrades by residents.
olling $60,000 in equipment into what
Phone system being replaced:
amounted to a $100,000 communications
Mixed-bag analog telephone system
budget with no out-of-pocket product
costs. This alternative proved significant
in terms of cost savings to implement the
overall task.
“Cheektowaga is very happy with the system
because it is engineered for flexibility,
reliability, functionality, and expansion that
will keep up with the growth of the town.”
Eric Heuser
President & CTO
Source Technical, Digium Preferred Partner

5. Nimble Group
Objectives:
Having expanded into two call
centers in Cape Town, Nimble Group
requires a scalable telephony system
to support the rapid growth of their
call center, while also building an IT
infrastructure to support an existing
staff of 350 - 400 representatives,
with plans for 750 - 1,000 callers
by the end of 2011.

6. Challenges: Solution:
Two years ago, Clarotech installed a Combined Asterisk with an Intel®
single, non-redundant server on which Modular Server.
Nimble Group felt open source Asterisk software could The Intel Modular Server has six separate
connect up to 60 calls, simultaneously. modules and a built-in Storage Area
price was important
With the aggressive expansion of the call Network (SAN) as the platform. One
but not exclusive. center, Nimble Group needed to add to module runs the database for Asterisk,
Functionality and the existing Asterisk solution and install one handles incoming calls, and the
reliability was at the a scalable and fully redundant solution remaining four are split into two dual-
that met the unique needs of a growing node clusters that manage the thousands
core of the decision.
call center. This was important because of outgoing calls made every day.
Functionality and if the system went down long enough to Configured in pairs, the modules (or
reliability are Asterisk’s be realized by the call center employees, servers) were scattered randomly across
biggest advantages and it caused a significant disruption which four quadrants of the call center.
could negatively impact sales.
it gave Nimble Group
the confidence
everything would work,
as designed.

7. Results: About the Company:
Each module is capable of handling Nimble Group
200 calls at a time. By scattering them Nimble Group is a leading credit
throughout the call center, only one in management company located in
four representatives would know if a Cape Town, South Africa, providing
server went down, thereby causing little anextensive range of services that
if any disruption of workflow in the event include outsourced receivables
of failure. With each server acting as management, collection services, and
backup, no caller should be down more credit-risk consulting.
than two minutes at a time.
Phone system being replaced:
A SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server
running Asterisk open source software,
designed to support a 20-person call
center. The expansion now supports
1,000 users.
“Three separate companies recommended …
implementing Asterisk. Why should I
consider anything else … just get on with it!”
Tony Russell
IT Manager
Nimble Group

8. Michigan
Caterpillar
Objectives:
Implement Asterisk open source
software and redesign the entire IT/
telecommunications infrastructure
throughout corporate headquarters
as part of an effort to overhaul the
existing Avaya 8500 Definity G3
telephone system. Use a web-centric
VoIP system that could include their
six additional locations throughout
Michigan and implement SIP trunking
technology to greatly reduce costs.

9. Challenges:
1. Needed to design (from scratch) the 4. The existing infrastructure did not
IT infrastructure to support an entirely support more than 15 VoIP phones,
new telephony system consisting of and there were problems transferring
Michigan Caterpillar
corporate headquarters, two call cen- calls into and out of the call center.
implemented Asterisk
ters, and six other remote locations. 5. Call quality was not up to standard
across seven locations
2. Six locations had Centrex lines and 6. An aging AT&T network backbone
and successfully
additional analog lines connecting had been overhauled in order to
reduced call center them to the other stores and the PSTN accommodate upgrades in the old
costs by more than (analog lines) so they had 4-digit Avaya system.
40 percent. dialing within the state of Michigan.
3. Many of the locations utilized one or Solution:
more PRIs operating within the ISDN in Upon implementing Asterisk, the cost
order to implement multiple DSO. This savings were immediate. The open
process enabled them to work faster, source Asterisk solution was flexible
at a more reliable rate, and at a lower enough that Michigan Cat could continue
cost; however, it still could not com- using Cisco hardware, switches, and
pete in cost savings with SIP trunks. routers — because it was compatible
with the existing hardware infrastructure.
Even with the added cost of the Cisco
equipment, the end-product savings
were undeniable.

10. Results: About the Company:
By implementing Asterisk with Cisco Michigan Caterpillar
hardware it costs only $200,000 Michigan Caterpillar, whose corporate
compared to the cost of using Cisco’s headquarters is located in Novi, Michigan,
complete VoIP telephony system half-hour northwest of Detroit, was
(including hardware) which would have founded as Michigan Tractor and
run Michigan Cat about $550,000. Machinery Co. in 1944. In January 2011,
the company sold to MacAllister
Machinery Co. Inc., the primary dealer
of Caterpillar equipment in Indiana. The
Asterisk project consisted of improving
the telephony for nearly 400 employees
in two customer call centers, the Power
Systems division, the corporate head-
quarters in Novi; and locations in
Grand Rapids, Mason, Kalkaska, Shelby
Township, Saginaw, and Brownstown
Township, Michigan. Michigan Cat
“Asterisk has provided Michigan Cat with a grosses $400 million in revenues annually.
seamless, flexible system that is easier to Phone system being replaced:
use than we ever expected.” 15-year-old Avaya 8500 Definity G3
John Laffey Other solutions considered:
Open Source VoIP Programmer Cisco, ShoreTel, Siemens,
Michigan Caterpillar upgraded Avaya

11. Digium. We’re changing the way businesses communicate.
®
Founded in 1999, Digium is the creator The award-winning line of Switchvox IP Want more information
and primary developer of Asterisk, the PBX phone systems provides more than on Switchvox?
industry’s first open source telephony a phone system — it delivers a Unified Take a virtual tour of
platform. More than one million customers Communications platform that integrates this powerful Unified
in 125 countries have deployed Asterisk- multiple features that increase productivity Communications platform:
based systems. Digium is committed to and lower monthly communication costs. www.digium.com/switchvox
ending the days of expensive, proprietary It’s the affordable solution with a proven
telecom. The Switchvox family of Unified return on investment for businesses Contact us —
Communications solutions is built on with 10 to 400 users. we’re here to help.
Asterisk and is designed to provide Talk with a Switchvox specialist:
Learn more at www.asterisk.org
enterprise class features at affordable 1 877 344 4861
prices for small and medium businesses. 1 256 428 6271
sales@digium.com
Copyright © 2011 Digium, Inc. All rights reserved. Digium and Asterisk are trademarks of Digium, Inc.
All other trademarks are property of their respective ownrs.