Isabella Bank migrated from an aging Frame Relay system to CenturyLink's IQ Private Port and Long Distance services to implement a cost-saving VoIP project and gain quality of service capabilities. Working with CenturyLink specialists, the bank installed Private Port circuits at 22 locations and transitioned long-distance contracts to CenturyLink's service. This reduced expenses by up to 66% compared to their previous provider and lowered long-distance rates. The reliable IP-based network allowed them to successfully deploy VoIP while the Control Center application simplified administration of consolidated phone bills.

1. CenturyLink Solutions Featuring:
CenturyLink IQ™
Private Port Service
CenturyLink™
Long Distance Service and
CenturyLink™
Control Center Application
Case Study: Isabella Bank

2. Customer:
Isabella Bank
www.isabellabank.com
Business Challenge:
IT managers resolved to migrate their
aging Frame Relay system over to an
IP-base network. The switch would allow
them to implement a cost-saving VoIP
project as well as quality of service (QoS)
capabilities. Moreover, by consolidating
onto a single provider, managers would
reduce the administrative burden of
managing 70 monthly phone bills.
Solution:
Isabella IT staffers worked with
CenturyLink specialists to install the
CenturyLink IQ Private Port service at 22
bank locations. As long-distance contracts
came up for renewal, executives migrated
to the CenturyLink Long Distance service.
Managers use the CenturyLink Control
Center application to efficiently manage
consolidated phone bills.
Benefits and Results:
Migration to the CenturyLink IQ Private•
Port service cut some location expenses
by up to 66 percent over previous
solution with another vendor
Cut long distance per-minute costs•
by transferring to CenturyLink Long
Distance service
Reduced phone system help desk calls•
to 2 percent of total
CenturyLink IQ Private Port solution•
significantly increased the reliability of
the network
CenturyLink IP-based network allowed•
the bank to implement QoS to support a
cost-saving VoIP deployment
Control Center application consolidated•
long distance bills to significantly
simplify administration
Isabella Bank
With 1.4 billion in assets , Isabella Bank has become a recognized
financial services provider in Michigan. Based in Mount Pleasant, the
firm supports customers through 24 state-wide locations. These
services include 24-hour banking locally and nationally via ATMs. A
corporate Website provides customers access to 24-hour on-line
banking applications. On the loan side of the business, employees
originate and process residential and commercial real estate loans along
with student loans and credit card accounts among other offerings.
The “always-on” expectations of banking customers today requires IT
managers to maintain high availability to applications, data and voice
communications across the firm’s network.
FACING THE CHALLENGES
Managers recognized that it was time to retire their aging Frame Relay
system. “We wanted to get away from our fairly risky Frame Relay
network,” said Vern Houin, network manager for Isabella Bank.
The President of Financial Group Information Services, (a wholly owned
subsidiary of Isabella Bank Corporation) Jon Wainwright agreed, saying,
“We’d taken Frame Relay about as far as we could go with it and we
were concerned about its limitations going forward. That’s when we
started looking seriously at MPLS technologies.”
Beyond his concerns, Houin was excited about the opportunities that
MPLS solutions offered. “We were looking to expand into voice over IP
services and to leverage quality of service capabilities along with other
initiatives. We knew that only new MPLS technology could bring that to
us.”
Budget considerations also weighed on managers’ minds. “Our long-
distance contracts were coming up for renewal, so we used that
opportunity to evaluate alternatives,” said Houin. “We wanted to install
*These results are unique to this entity and should not be considered an indication of the amount of savings or
improvements, if any, that may be realized by any other entity subscribing to comparable services.

3. “The consultation, advice and proactive support we’ve
received from the folks at Qwest have shifted the way we
think about them—to us they’re a partner, not a vendor. Our
network is now based on modern MPLS technology which
gives us the flexibility to adapt to future business needs.”
— Jon Wainwright, President, Financial Group Information Services,
(a wholly owned subsidiary of Isabella Bank Corporation)
a contiguous solution from a single provider so that we
didn’t have 70 phone bills to administer every month
from different companies.”
PROVIDING A SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION
Managers worked with CenturyLink specialists to
install the CenturyLink IQ Private Port service at 22
bank locations. Once deployed, Isabella IT managers
implemented a VoIP system at these sites. The
combined circuits provide employees with voice and
data services to support their customers.
Executives have phased in the CenturyLink Long
Distance service at sites as their existing contracts with
other vendors run out. Employees use the Web-based
CenturyLink Control Center application to effectively
administer the bank’s consolidated phone bills.
DELIVERING RESULTS
To date, the CenturyLink solutions and account team
have performed as advertised. “We’re very happy to
have them as our business partner,” said Wainwright.
“The migration to the Qwest iQ Private Port and long-
distance services have reduced our expenses while
giving us the reliability that we wanted.”
CENTURYLINK SOLUTIONS REDUCED EXPENSES
The migration of Frame Relay contracts to CenturyLink
IQ Private Port circuits have provided significant savings
in some locations. “We’re literally looking at costs that
are one-third the size (66 percent savings) that we had
with our prior vendor,” said Wainwright.
Executives also reached their goal of reducing long-
distance expenses. “The Qwest long-distance service
achieved a lower per-minute rate than what we paid
to our previous supplier, so we feel those savings are
something we can hang our hats on,” said Wainwright.
ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY AND PERFORMANCE
The CenturyLink IQ Private Port service delivered the
functionality managers sought. “The MPLS circuits
allowed us to implement the QoS we needed to roll out
voice over IP service to our employees,” said Houin.
“That has made the phone system much more stable
and it’s also given us the savings that come with an
internal VoIP system.”
Additionally, Control Center delivered the phone bill
administrative relief that Houin desired. “The application
allows us to consolidate our long-distance bills. Control
Center also gives us the granularity to give different roles
to different people. Those two things have allowed us to
handle electronic billing more efficiently.”
HIGH RELIABILITY
The reliability of the CenturyLink IQ Private Port service
has met managers’ expectations. “We’ve been able to
depend on the Qwest network services,” said Houin.
“We don’t have the outages that we had previously, and
that gives us peace of mind.”
(continued on back cover)
*These results are unique to this entity and should not be considered an indication of
the amount of savings or improvements, if any, that may be realized by any other entity
subscribing to comparable services.

4. The consistent performance of the CenturyLink Long Distance
circuits has had a direct effect on the bank’s help desk staff. “The
calls we get related to the phone system or voice over IP issues
have dropped to two percent,” said Wainwright. That works out
to be around 10 calls per month in an organization that serves
over 350 people. So as far as our phone system is concerned, it
takes care of itself.”
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Denver, CO 80202
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www.centurylink.com/business
©2011 CenturyLink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Not to be distributed or reproduced by anyone other than CenturyLink entities.
CR090882 04/09
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