Bury telephony expert set to book £750k savings for national retailer

National book seller Waterstones is set to achieve savings of up to £750,000 through a bespoke internet telephony solution by Bury-based data, networking and communications specialist Pennine.

The new centralised Voice over IP (VoIP) solution operates across the retailer’s existing IT infrastructure to serve 3,500 staff at the UK’s leading book seller.

It has replaced a network of individual private branch exchanges (PBXs) and ISDN lines previously installed at each of Waterstones’ 285 stores and offices in London and Birmingham.

Savings will be delivered primarily through removal of line rental charges, £20,000 in annual telephone switch fees and the maintenance costs associated with the retail estate’s PBX network.

In addition, calls made between stores are now free, with each simply treated as an extension.

A phased roll-out of the solution has now been completed following a successful proof of concept project.

This saw the technology installed at 10 stores and Waterstones’ relocated customer service operation in Burton last October.

It was then tested across the crucial Christmas trading period.

The upgrade was subsequently signed off by Waterstones directors and roll-out commenced in May.

“The main motivation for this upgrade was obviously cost,” said IT services manager Matt Langner.

“I sat down with the board and explained how Pennine’s solution would work and that it would save Waterstones between £120-£150,000 a year.”

Over the term of Pennine’s contract this means the bookseller will benefit from net savings totalling £500-750,000.

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