January 2011 -- OCS, the facilities services and strategic outsourcing company, has awarded systems integrator and managed services provider Azzurri Communications a £5 million pound three year contract for the design, implementation and management of a Unified Communications (UC) solution, to support OCS’ drive for productivity and innovation based on flexible and collaborative working.

The solution will integrate OCS’ existing data networks (WAN & LAN) with a centralised and hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) network, replacing older PBX technology. New converged mobile and fixed devices will also provide users with feature-rich standardised functionality and connectivity any time anywhere.

The nature of OCS’ contract services business means they have numerous staff located at company and customer sites all over the UK. Operational efficiency demands seamless access to key applications such as SAP on the corporate network. The new UC solution will provide remote access to the network through devices deployed and managed based upon user profiles, ranging from the very latest BlackBerry devices for senior executives, to rugged PDA devices for field based engineers, through to basic GSM devices with restricted capability for contractors and temporary staff.

The new contract will also enable OCS to reduce its communications spend by over 30% in the next three years, whilst continuing to refresh its technology platform through harnessing new technologies such as Ethernet First Mile (EFM). The new integrated and ‘unified’ platform will allow the firm to provide significantly improved services to its customers through service innovation and workforce productivity.

This is because the solution is the first of a new breed of UC solutions to be deployed in the UK which federates the services of a number of previously conflicting vendors and carriers to deliver a fully managed solution. Azzurri, as an independent provider, will use its unique cloud-based network ‘fabric’ to bring together multiple suppliers of MPLS, Ethernet, SIP and DSL services, combined with mobility from Telefonica O2 and hosted VoIP capabilities from Avaya.

Jenny Sener, OCS’ ICT Director, said: "We really challenged the market with our requirement for a transformational communication infrastructure. Our vision is to take advantage of paradigm shifts in technology to gain an edge in a highly competitive sector. We have chosen Azzurri to help us achieve our roadmap for innovation, productivity and cost reduction to support improved customer services. We believe that a consolidated, managed platform delivered by one primary supplier provides the leverage for delivering economies of scale for major UC implementations."

Martin Flick, Director of Mobility and Converged Solutions for Azzurri said: "OCS wanted a partner who could match their ambitions and we’re delighted to be working with them on this ground-breaking project. Our 11 years of experience as an independent provider of all of the core communications disciplines gives us a significant advantage over newer entrants into the converged telecoms market."

Flick continues: "Our ethos to align to the customer requirement in the first instance, rather than be tied to a particular technology or carrier, allowed us to meet the challenges OCS posed with an open mind. Once the concept had been developed, it was then down to us to select the best of breed suppliers to partner with, to deliver OCS an innovative solution and ongoing service that will be far more valuable than the sum of its parts."