telephone system Archives

Odyssey Systems has received top marks from The Education Village Academy Trust (EVAT) after revamping the telecommunications infrastructure serving the Multi Academy Trust’s five schools, which span three separate locations.

After experiencing problems with its aging system, which was installed almost 10 years ago, The EVAT decided to upgrade; after considering a number of providers, it gave Teesside-based Odyssey Systems the call.

The installation of the new Mitel network, carried out by Odyssey’s expert engineers, is an IP-based system and much more flexible than its predecessor, which often required inconvenient upgrades and maintenance.

Following the completion of the two-week project, which included more than 150 phone extensions, The EVAT’s five schools are fully-connected, with staff now able to easily make internal calls between its facilities – which will be particularly useful for its centralised administration department.

The EVAT comprises Haughton Academy, Beaumont Hill Academy, Springfield Academy, Gurney Pease Academy, and Marchbank Free School, which together make up an all-age a Multi Academy Trust.

Its Haughton, Beaumont and Springfield academies share a state of the art, £27 million building at The Education Village, which has allowed for a unique and innovative service provision.

Mike Odysseas, managing director at Odyssey Systems, said: “The EVAT is a forward-thinking educational provider and it was great to work with them. The new system is extremely durable and will maintain its reliable performance without the need for regular updates; it will serve them well for many years to come.”

Paul Thompson, IT & Media Manager at The EVAT, said: “After having a few weeks to test out the Mitel system we are very pleased with the final product. The service has also been first-class; our network presented a unique challenge and Odyssey’s engineers have worked tirelessly to identify and deliver a suitable infrastructure package, which would connect each of our five schools.”
Telecommunications expert and founder of Odyssey Systems, Mike Odysseas has warned that rural areas of the UK would be the biggest losers if the government was to redistribute subsidies supporting the rollout of high-speed broadband.

Mr Odysseas has spoken out in favour of government support for BT’s rural infrastructure expansion, amidst strong criticism from the UK’s second largest broadband provider, Virgin Media.

Under subsidies announced in 2012, BT has received almost all of the scheme’s state aid, which has helped take national coverage of fibre optic broadband in the UK to approximately 90 per cent. However, Virgin Media are calling for the second, £500m phase to be halted as other private sector companies feel they are more than capable to match BT’s provision.

Mr Odysseas has voiced concerns over Virgin Media’s claim and said: “BT is perfectly-placed to deliver high-speed broadband to rural areas and difficult urban zones as a result of decades of investment in communications infrastructure.

“Virgin’s position on the matter is a direct contradiction of its business model, which only serves resident areas and limited commercial locations, which already have access to high-quality coverage. If the government was to press pause on BT’s rollout, a large number of rural businesses would remain without adequate broadband for at least another three years.

“The government’s decision to utilise BT and its existing infrastructure, is a sound business move that will help deliver an accelerated programme, which bolsters the UK’s broadband network. Any plan to alter this subsidy scheme would prove disastrous for technology-reliant companies in hard to reach locations.”
Put simply, Mitel is one of the leading communications solutions companies in the world. Offering a myriad of features and benefits such as call quality and value for money, they are pretty much unrivalled when it comes to desktop IT telephones. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages a system like this could have for your business…

Who is Mitel?

Mitel business phone systems cover a wide range of digital and IP phones, conference telephones, consoles, and peripherals suited to businesses ranging in size, and span across countless industries and sectors. Having one of the market’s most comprehensive portfolios of products solidifies their place as an industry leader. Mitel phones are not only offer advanced features and functionality, but are also very simple to use for all employees within your business.

What are the advantages of using a Mitel phone system?

There are so many advantages of using a top of the range telephone system like this. Not only is it the most utterly bombproof and reliable system bar none, it also continues to work without reboots unlike any other system on the market. Here are just some of the key reasons to invest in telephony like this:
- Efficiency – There are a plethora of added features on a Mitel phone system that will give your employees the opportunity to work smarter. As the systems come with multiple features such as auto attendant and unified messaging, this ensures that call handling is much easier than ever before. Another key feature, ‘Presence’, has the intelligence to locate someone that is available to answer a call at the time – whether they are inside or outside the office.
- Cost-effective – The initial purchase of a complete business telephone system can be costly, however, the advantages of a Mitel system will help you tighten your budget in the long term. Utilising just one network for both data and communication requirements, this will greatly reduce call costs, which is ideal for organisations that operate from multiple locations.
- Productivity – Increasing productivity is crucial within any company, and a Mitel system can help you do this. Being straightforward and enjoyable to use and manage, calls can be handled competently, saving time in the long run. With Mitel, you can be safe in the mind that all calls can be answered, and with a single number and mailbox system for every individual, it takes the hassle out of telephony.
- Enhances customer experience – Customers can be diverted to their desired point of call through Mitel’s automatic call distribution feature. There is also the ability to apply pre-recorded messages so that callers can be diverted to the correct department or person they require at any given time. Not only does this increase customers’ reliability but it also gives a more professional appearance to your business.
- Saves time for intelligent working – If you want to work remotely, then this is something you can do easily, allowing you to take your work wherever you want. ‘Hotdesking’, teleworking and twinning are also great features offered by Mitel. ‘Twinning’ prevents important calls from being missed and will give employees the freedom to move around the office, routing their preferences to any IP enabled telephone handset within the building.
- Flexibility – Mitel provide many different types of telephone solution and are equipped to service all businesses sizes, from SMEs to large enterprises. These bespoke solutions allow your staff to work outside of the office, driving real efficiency within the organisation. Dynamic extension is an excellent feature that will stop you worrying about the availability of your staff, granting them the privilege of being a lot more flexible with their time. Up to eight different devices can be linked to just one phone number, so customers will be able to contact an employee without having to dial numbers for every single department.
For more information on how Odyssey can transform your business telephone system with a Mitel solution, as well as the different models that are available, give us a call on 01642 661800, or drop us a line on post@odyssey-systems.co.uk.

Who is Mitel?

What are the advantages of using a Mitel phone system?