Findwell is a full-service real estate brokerage that helps homebuyers and sellers save money. As a small but growing startup, finding a cost-effective telephony solution was a high priority. In particular, Findwell required a phone system that would help improve responsiveness to interested homebuyers and accommodate the mobile nature of real estate agents. "As realtors, we're only in the office part of the time, so it's important for potential buyers to be able to track us down, wherever we are," states Kevin Lisota, President of Findwell. The company wanted a phone system that could integrate e-mail with voice mail. It also wanted call-forwarding features so that agents could receive calls while away from the office.
"I researched some of the more traditional phone vendors, like Panasonic and Nortel," says Lisota. "But when I took the price of the system, added on the options I needed, and then considered installation costs, it was too expensive." Lisota looked into used phone systems and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, such as TalkSwitch, Qwest, and Speakeasy, as an alternative.
Unfortunately, these solutions were not much cheaper and were difficult to install and maintain for Lisota. "The office space was already prewired with Ethernet," Lisota explains. "I didn't want to have to rewire for a phone system, so it was important to find a system that used the existing network."
Through his research, Lisota discovered Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software, an advanced phone system, designed especially for small businesses. Microsoft Response Point is available through the Microsoft Small Business Specialist partner program, so startup businesses like Findwell can minimize the number of vendors it needs to work with. "It's great that the same vendor who supports my computer network can also support my phone system," says Lisota.
Using the specialist locater on the Microsoft Response Point Web site, Lisota contacted Tom Strickland from Congruent Software, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that specializes in providing IT services for Microsoft solutions. "Tom gave us a great overview of how to use the system, and we ended up ordering six phones, which we received within two days," raves Lisota. "Tom helped us with the basic deployments and the initial installation. From that point, we configured the basics ourselves." The setup took no more than half a day.
"Microsoft Response Point has a voice command feature that makes the phone really easy to use. It's designed acknowledging the fact that most people don't know how to use their office phones," says Lisota. "With the press of a button, you just speak a command and the phone does it."
Congruent Software also integrated Microsoft Response Point with Windows® Small Business Server 2003 and Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client so that voice mail messages are delivered to an agent's inbox. "We use Small Business Server 2003 to run our e-mail, and integrating Response Point was simple and seamless. We can retrieve voice mail without leaving Outlook 2003 and without following voice prompts on our handsets," raves Lisota. "We can also access voice mail from anywhere, whether we're in the office or checking e-mail on our Windows Mobile® phones."
Lisota plans to dedicate voice mail mailboxes to listings in a particular neighborhood, a geographic area, or to specific properties for sale. This way, buyers can listen to property descriptions by phone and leave a message in the mailbox regarding a given property.
Findwell now serves the real estate needs of its clients and pursues its growth goals, without investing additional time and resources setting up and maintaining a phone system. "Microsoft Response Point helps us project a professional image over the phone," says Lisota. "It makes us feel like a much larger company when we have a system in place that is so easy to use."
Microsoft Response Point phone system software has been extremely easy for Findwell to use and configure. "The system is very plug and play." We can add phones, users, and mailboxes all by ourselves," states Lisota. "If you've got an existing computer network, you'll be up and running in no time." The system requires little to no maintenance, and all actions can be carried out with the push of a button, making it easy to learn, use, and manage—perfect for small businesses.
As the owner of a startup company, Lisota could not invest considerable resources in a costly telephony solution. "There are very large installation costs with traditional phone systems. Plus, you can't do anything by yourself. Any time you want to add a phone, you've got to call the telecom partners to get something installed," explains Lisota. With the Microsoft Response Point phone system software, Findwell has a phone system that costs only a fraction of what other systems cost and enables Lisota to make any changes on his own. "The price of the hardware, the installation, and the ongoing maintenance of the system is lower than other telephony solutions. I'd highly recommend Microsoft Response Point to other small businesses."
Microsoft Response Point helps Findwell capture sales opportunities that fuel company growth. "If somebody sees a "For Sale" sign, and they happen to call at 8:00 P.M., Microsoft Response Point has us covered with automatic call routing," states Lisota. If the buyer has to leave a message, an agent can easily access the voice message by phone or through the e-mail inbox and respond quickly. "I'm a big fan of the e-mail integration for our voice mail," says Lisota. "I think this is going to serve our needs for the future."
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
The Bullitt County Adult and Community Education (BCACE) serves the citizens of Bullitt County, Kentucky, by offering educational programs that assist families and individuals at risk. BCACE fulfills its mission by enabling people to achieve their personal goals through GED courses, job training, and much more.
Originally, BCACE provided services from the Adult Learning Center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Over time, community members sought to add new services to the facility. But the Adult Learning Center was already struggling to make space for existing programs. By soliciting donations and volunteers, BCACE facilitated the remodeling of the Bullitt County Temporary Courthouse into the Bullitt County Education and Career Center (BCECC), less than two miles away from the main Adult Learning Center.
Marc Tolbert, Volunteer Technology Coordinator for BCACE, offered to help choose a primary phone system for the new facility—one of the center's top concerns. He wanted a solution that would resolve some of the prominent limitations of the existing Nortel phone system used at the main facility. "There were some fundamental issues with the Nortel-based phone system. For one thing, nobody knew anything about it. People actually used their cell phones so that they could avoid using the main phone system," recalls Tolbert.
The BCECC had the option to hook into a phone system recently implemented by the Bullitt County Board of Education. But doing so would have cost the center approximately U.S.$30,000—not including handsets. This was not a cost-effective option for the BCECC. "We wanted to stretch the money that people donated to remodel and equip the facility. We worked hard to get those funds, and we plan to use as much of it as we can for student scholarships," explains Tolbert.
To avoid headaches and high costs, Tolbert looked for a phone system that would be easy to set up, easy to use, and affordable to manage.
Tolbert evaluated Microsoft® Response Point™, advanced phone system software designed especially for small businesses. He liked its user-friendly management center that enables easy setup and system changes, along with its unique voice-enabled user interface that simplifies calls and call transfers.
To obtain Microsoft Response Point, Tolbert had to find distributors who were shipping the product. He contacted Allen Miller Computer Consulting, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist and authorized Microsoft Response Point reseller, to place an order. "Allen went out of his way to help us. When that first shipment was being unboxed at the distributor, we got the phones at the top of the box," says Tolbert.
Upon receiving the phones, Tolbert set up Microsoft Response Point and tested the system for 10 minutes. Afterwards, he distributed the phones, which were quickly ready for use. "I set up the phone system, gave instructions to the staff, and designed the infrastructure to support it, but I haven't had to do anything with the phone itself. I plug it in, and it works," raves Tolbert.
With Microsoft Response Point phone system software, the BCECC can now focus its attention on answering the calls of community members, rather than struggling to keep the lines of communication open. Whether it's routing calls that come in after hours or knowing how to transfer a call to somebody who can provide better assistance, Microsoft Response Point helps BCACE bring effective communication and messaging to both centers. "The immediate impact of the Microsoft Response Point phone system was to greatly enhance our organization's communication and structure," says Tolbert. "It was the only option that would help us achieve this."
Microsoft Response Point phone system software has enabled the BCECC to maximize its connectivity to the community. Now that calls from people seeking help can be transferred to the right people—even after business hours—the BCECC provides better communication among staff members, associated organizations, and the community.
"When people ask for help, we want to take advantage of that opportunity. In the past, we might have to refer them elsewhere. Now, with Microsoft Response Point, the resources are at our fingertips," says Tolbert. "Microsoft Response Point helps us provide a better connection between people in need and the resources and support structures that can help them achieve their goals."
Microsoft Response Point phone system software offers a quick and simple implementation process for BCECC. "In the past, phone systems were not inherently intuitive to set up or configure. But the Microsoft Response Point system is intuitive. I still have not read the manual. I just plug it in, and it works," says Tolbert.
In light of his experience with complicated phone systems, Tolbert's first hurdle after setting up the system was to reassure people that they would have no trouble using Microsoft Response Point phones.
"From the setup to the usage, everything about Microsoft Response Point makes people self-sufficient," says Tolbert. "For example, visually impaired individuals can use the voice prompts in Response Point to operate the phone system."
It wasn't long before everyone at the center could use the phones. "With Microsoft Response Point, you don't even have to pick up the handset to call someone. You just press the Response Point button, say the person's name, and it calls them," exclaims Tolbert. "Microsoft Response Point makes it easy to access your voicemail, and the ability to arrange calling structures has been absolutely wonderful."
The BCECC did not have the funds to support a complex enterprise-level system. Tolbert explains, "By having the Microsoft Response Point phone system running off of my network backbone, I don't have to pay any additional expenses like I do with other phone systems."
Cost avoidance was a huge upside for the BCECC because money saved on facility and infrastructure costs goes directly toward student scholarships. "As far as I'm concerned, there is no comparison," continues Tolbert. "The money we saved by going with Microsoft Response Point enabled dozens of individuals to obtain college scholarships."
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
Since 1990, Harrison Technology Consulting has stayed in close step with the changing IT needs of the small-business segment. A small business itself, the company brings relevant perspective to its clientele, which consists of companies with 25 to 75 employees and annual revenue between U.S.$1 million and U.S.$20 million. Harrison Technology Consulting is a Microsoft® Small Business Specialist and partners with other firms to source technical talent. Once technology is in place, the company's three in-house employees help customers integrate and use the technology within the context of their businesses.
Harrison Technology Consulting complements its IT services, which range from network and server implementation to Web site design, with an ardent focus on understanding and exceeding customer expectations. "Once we've established a relationship with a customer, it's an ongoing relationship," says Jason Harrison, President of Harrison Technology Consulting. "We become their technology partner, helping them take advantage of what they've invested in and making sure that their investment continues to pay off. In the end, this approach creates long-term customer relationships. In fact, we don't even call them customers—they're clients." Harrison Technology Consulting benefits from a core client base, many of which have been with the company for as long as 15 years.
Although Harrison Technology Consulting can partner with other companies to provide almost any IT service, Harrison Technology Consulting left one avenue unexplored. "Phone systems were always something sitting off to the side," says Harrison. "We will only recommend a product to customers if we have used it ourselves and feel really great about it. Most of the unified communications technologies that allowed for phone integration were too expensive for the vast majority of our clients."
In 2007, Harrison Technology Consulting came across Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software and identified it as an opportunity to support its clients‟ telephony needs. Says Harrison, "My immediate reaction to seeing Response Point was "that's going to be really big!'"
Harrison understood that Microsoft Response Point phone system software was designed with the needs of small businesses in mind. This means Harrison can offer his clients the rich functionality commonly associated with more expensive systems, at an attractive price. And by integrating Microsoft Response Point with Windows® Small Business Server, Harrison can provide his clients with remote management as well.
Before offering Microsoft Response Point to clients, Harrison Technology Consulting installed the product in its own offices. "Our own experience with Response Point was flawless. It is really simple and easy to use—just plug and play," explains Harrison. "It didn't take us more than a couple of hours one Saturday afternoon to set up."
To drive revenue, Harrison Technology Consulting has taken a "services-only" approach, partnering with a variety of companies that offer Microsoft Response Point out of the box. Says Harrison, "We don't resell Response Point, and we're not focused on licensing revenues. We are 100 percent service-focused." Harrison Technology Consulting charges for procurement, and after the customer receives the item, the company provides deployment and training services.
Since adding Microsoft Response Point phone system software to its portfolio of offerings, Harrison Technology Consulting has closed several deals and sparked a great deal of interest among potential and existing clients.
Microsoft Response Point has enabled Harrison Technology Consulting to increase touch points with customers and ultimately provide solutions that encompass broader client needs. "Small businesses are demanding more because they actually need more than they did in the past," says Harrison. "And with Response Point, they are getting just that."
The integration between Microsoft Response Point and other Microsoft products and technologies has helped Harrison Technology Consulting present the product to clients as part of a more comprehensive solution set. By using the system in its own office as a test bed, the company began developing solutions around the phone system.
Harrison found that by integrating Microsoft Response Point with Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 and Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager, he could create a cost-effective business management solution for small businesses. "Most of the people in small businesses wear an awful lot of hats," says Harrison. "Often, a receptionist may need to field questions about payments, account balances, and invoices because in most small businesses, the accountant or bookkeeper is pretty busy."
With Microsoft Response Point, Microsoft Office Accounting, and Outlook with Business Contact Manager, employees can now answer a call, click on the pop-up information about the client, and then drill down into basic account information. "It's an extremely powerful solution when combined with other products," says Harrison. "Response Point really offers clients an incredible bang for the buck."
Microsoft Response Point has provided Harrison Technology Consulting with a relatively easy way to enter new markets. "Until Response Point, we really could not penetrate the telephony business because there was no continuity with our other offerings," says Harrison. "Most systems were complex and complicated to deal with, and people had to rely on the phone company to implement it. But Response Point leverages our existing networking experience; with that skill set, it is absolutely painless and amazingly easy to implement and support."
Harrison Technology Consulting has found that Microsoft Response Point pairs well with the needs of IT services companies that rely on managed services revenue. But Microsoft Response Point not only provides an opportunity to sell services; it also provides an opportunity to dive into solutions that go beyond just basic infrastructure.
"By offering Response Point, companies that have traditionally done only infrastructure can think beyond those constraints," explains Harrison. "Response Point helps IT services companies bring together the business and technical side of IT, providing them with the means to transition into a more comprehensive service provider."
"By offering Response Point, companies that have traditionally done only infrastructure can think beyond those constraints," explains Harrison. "Response Point helps IT services companies bring together the business and technical side of IT, providing them with the means to transition into a more comprehensive service provider."
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies .
Founded in February of 2002, Vowire LLC is a five-person IT practice that delivers high-quality services to small and midsize businesses in southeast and western Michigan. The company specializes in supporting desktop, server, and network infrastructure; developing custom software solutions; and deploying Windows® Small Business Server 2003 and Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM.
As the single point of contact for many of its clients' IT needs, Vowire understood that its customers were generally dissatisfied with their phone systems. "We definitely saw the need in our existing customers—nobody liked their current phone system. But telephony was one area where we did not have an offering," recalls Gregory Brewer, Managing Member of Vowire.
Vowire initially pursued the telephony market by attempting to partner with long-time phone solution providers, such as Cisco and Linksys. Unfortunately, these solutions were better suited for enterprise customers in both cost and complexity.
"While we have the expertise to configure these enterprise-class systems, our clients certainly don't. That means they would have to depend on us for even the simplest changes to the system," says Brewer. "To complement our small-business offerings, we wanted to offer more of an appliance-based telephone system."
When Microsoft announced the release of Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software, Vowire recognized the opportunity to offer an advanced phone system that is both easy for customers to use and easy for Vowire to manage. After attending a series of five webinars and a day of on-site training, Vowire was listed as a qualified Microsoft Response Point specialist on the Microsoft Response Point Web site.
Shortly after, Vowire began receiving calls from customers expressing their interest in the phone system. "I got three calls in one day asking about the Microsoft Response Point phone system software—one from an existing customer and two from new prospects," says Brewer.
On their first engagement, Vowire discovered that deploying Microsoft Response Point is a painless process. The company contacted Call Management Products, a Syspine distributor, to order the base units. Call Management Products provided Vowire with the support necessary to set up the hardware. The Microsoft Response Point phone system software is so intuitive that Vowire has found no need to contact Microsoft for additional training or support.
Since January 2008, Vowire has deployed one Microsoft Response Point phone system, with two more deployments scheduled for March of the same year. "In the first deployment, we set up a fairly complex system of 22 phones for a company with four receptionists and several different groups. It took us less than an hour to set up the system; it was all very easy," says Brewer.
In addition to functioning as a full-featured, stand-alone phone system, Brewer sees integration between Microsoft Response Point phone system software and other Microsoft technologies, such as Microsoft Office Outlook®, as a key selling point for customers—and an opportunity for Vowire to develop value-added services.
"My clients love the fact that Microsoft Response Point integrates with Microsoft Office applications," says Brewer. "But Microsoft Response Point does not integrate with Microsoft CRM as it is right now. So our developers are already planning to create some add-ons and plug-ins for the phone system, especially for Microsoft Dynamics CRM."
With Microsoft Response Point phone system software, Vowire can offer a phone solution that is easy to configure and specifically designed to meet the needs of its small-business customers
Small and midsize companies require intuitive, affordable phone systems to manage their businesses. Microsoft Response Point enables Vowire to meet this demand by offering a solution that its small-business clients will want to use. Through fast training and qualification, Vowire has quickly taken the new service to market. The strength of the Microsoft brand, combined with the online tools that connect customers with local specialists, continues to drive the growth of the company's new service offering.
With Microsoft Response Point, Vowire offers a phone system that the company can stand behind and support, without increasing demands on its support staff. "One of our biggest fears in getting into the telephony market was that it represents a mission-critical service for our customers. If their phones go down, they're done," says Brewer. "But with Microsoft Response Point, we don't have to worry about fixing everyone's phone systems all the time." The phone software simplifies phone configuration, so customers can tailor settings to fit their business needs.
Microsoft Response Point phone system software has also enabled Vowire to drive more business to its core service offerings, particularly server infrastructure and custom development. "We wanted to expand our market, and we're finding that Microsoft Response Point is a very good entry point to sell additional services to clients," explains Brewer.
By capturing customers' telephony services, Vowire opens opportunities to innovate across the entire technology stack, particularly by integrating Microsoft Response Point with the company's other service offerings, such as Windows Small Business Server 2003 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
