ARN shifts to the cloud

Solution

Simplified, enterprise-grade calling in the cloud

ARN’s ultimate goal was to move to Microsoft Teams Calling, enabled by Microsoft Operator Connect from Telstra. This would allow ARN to have a Microsoft accredited telephony provider like Telstra for PSTN calls, while having the flexibility to use its existing network provider.

Microsoft Operator Connect and the Microsoft Teams Phone system provides full voice functions with cost-effective pricing. It not only simplifies call routing; it offers simple administration via a portal - even after hours. ARN can transition legacy phone numbers at their own pace and even roll them back if needed, with no external tech support and no downtime.

However, achieving the end goal was complex since ARN couldn’t move to Microsoft Operator Connect in one hop. And it involved moving 1700 numbers across six locations: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and Brisbane. Underpinning everything was extreme urgency.

To address these issues, Telstra brought in experts in Microsoft Teams migration and telecommunications infrastructure to work with Platinum Technology.

A plan was formulated to divert existing numbers temporarily to a new 100 number range. So the first phase was to move phone numbers into Enterprise SIP from ISDN/Business SIP. Temporary numbers were assigned to users, call queues, and auto attendants, with 1-to-1 call forwarding set up to Microsoft Teams numbers.

In phase two, numbers were migrated from Enterprise SIP into Microsoft Operator Connect, and the temporary numbers and call forwarding were removed. Users, call queues, and auto attendants had their original numbers reassigned. 

Telstra scheduled each phase of the migration, coordinating tasks like network assessment, equipment provisioning, testing, and deployment to ensure deadlines were met without compromising service quality. 

Both Telstra and Platinum Technology proactively solved problems to mitigate risk and ensure smooth progress of the migration. In addition, ongoing support helped to ensure any post-migration issues were promptly resolved. 

Change management was a key part of the project. Platinum Technology conducted remote training for both the ARN IT Team on managing Teams Calling, as well as ARN staff how to use Teams Calling. A Teams Calling User Guide and Admin Guide was also created. 

The migration project was delivered within the deadline of 24 days without technical failure or disruption to everyday operations. It was a resounding success.

Impact

Savings of $1 million in CAPEX and 30% in operating costs

The move to modern cloud-based calling has transformed ARN's telephony system into a state-of-the-art solution, elevating communications to a new level. This has offered significant benefits across the board. 

There has been a substantial cost reduction: ARN saved an estimated $1 million in capital expenditure on new on-site phone system. It has also cut operating costs by 30%, reducing the number of serviceable lines by 75%. 

Reliability has improved dramatically. The old telephony equipment required vendor intervention if there was an issue, which could be a slow process. Similarly, downtimes of at least a day were experienced when problems occurred with the ISDN. With the deployment of Microsoft Teams Calling’s cloud-based system, redundancy is built in to provide high availability and keep the business running.

Management time of ARN’s telephony infrastructure has been reduced. “Broadcasting is moving to digital, and I need my team to focus on the high-value pieces rather than a desktop phone. We run a very lean team internally, and we were looking to take the workload off our network engineers, so this was a key benefit of the project,” explains Mat Williams, Head of Technology Operations, ARN.

Scalability has been another advantage. The system has centralised communications across all locations, and has made it easier for ARN to integrate new business acquisitions. Cloud calling has also supported a better employee experience with simplified, enterprise-grade calling with Microsoft Teams. 

Employees have been freed from their work desks: they can log in and enjoy a consistent experience at any desk or radio station location. That’s important for ARN, who want staff to work in the office to be in tune with its unique radio station culture. 

The move to cloud calling also aligns with ARN’s vision of being an employer of choice by leveraging modern technology to provide the best tools to its staff, which also benefits its listeners, and ultimately the business and shareholders.