Subaru Canada, which distributes vehicles to dealerships nationwide, wanted to improve its employees’ communications productivity—especially for its mobile sales staff, who frequently had to check in for voice-mail messages. With the help of Navantis, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, Subaru Canada implemented Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Enterprise as part of a unified communications strategy. Subaru Canada will use Exchange Server 2010 to save mobile employees more than 15 minutes a day, while also saving money on phone charges, because the employees no longer have to dial in to check voice-mail messages. The company will also take advantage of Exchange Server 2010 to provide users with larger mailboxes at a lower cost, deliver a highly available solution while improving IT efficiency, and more easily comply with regulations.

DynaLIFEDx is a Canadian healthcare company that provides laboratory, consulting, and management services. Previously, employees relied on phone calls and e-mail for most communications and lacked conferencing tools. An ongoing transition to an IP Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system was expensive and slow. With help from Long View Systems, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, DynaLIFEDx deployed Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Now, employees can access software-powered voice over IP and unified e-mail, voice-mail, presence, instant messaging, and conferencing tools. Employees communicate more efficiently, and in the future the company can increase its training offerings while spending less money and time on travel. DynaLIFEDx also has the option to eliminate the PBXs at its branch offices, which could save up to U.S.$55,000 annually.

Canada-based Georgian College offers degrees in fields such as business, engineering, and design. Previously, workers on its 11 campuses communicated mainly by e-mail or phone, hampering long-distance collaboration and isolating workers based on outlying campuses. Employees used a third-party conferencing service, but it required IT department assistance and administration. With help from Dell, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, Georgian College deployed Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 with voice over IP, instant messaging, presence awareness, and conferencing. Now, communication is more efficient. The college has eliminated its external conferencing service, saving U.S.$4,300 annually in conferencing costs, and it has reduced travel for a savings of $16,600 a year. Georgian College also has the potential to save about $215,000 by avoiding a Nortel voice-mail upgrade.

Independent software vendor (ISV) ComputerTalk integrated its contact-center software with Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 R2. With this solution, the ISV’s clients gain presence awareness for their agents, as well as new IM and video capabilities beyond existing voice and e-mail channels. Now ComputerTalk can use this unified communications solution to help its clients to increase productivity, efficiency, and ultimately, customer satisfaction.