Enhancing communications at Tablelands Regional Council

Challenge

Reducing business disruptions and improving resilience in case of natural disasters 

TRC had been relying on an on-premises Skype for Business solution that was becoming end of life. While this solution provided temporary telephony services, it had limitations in terms of functionality, resilience and integration with other Microsoft technology applications. 

The existing platform was reliant on a single carriage access and a single piece of onsite hardware. As Far North Queensland is prone to cyclones and other weather events, the system was also at high risk for failure.

Tablelands Regional Council IT systems engineer Jimmy Bosquant says resiliency was the biggest driver for change, as the existing system “could be affected by anything from a natural disaster to a simple power outage”.

These communication channels are critical during an emergency, as the council provides timely public safety information and disaster management services. TRC wanted to strengthen the resilience of its communication system to ensure the community had access to support when it needed it the most.

The scale of the area covered by the TRC was also a consideration. “We cover approximately 11,400 square kilometres and that requires a lot of remote working and brings some connectivity challenges,” Amanda Henderson, Manager of Systems and Information, Tablelands Regional Council adds.

TRC recognised the next step was to look for a modern telephony system that would align with its cloud strategy, enhance its cybersecurity posture, and ensure uninterrupted communication with the community during critical events.

Solution

A cloud-based solution that caters to the modern communication needs of council and the community

TRC engaged Telstra and managed service provider RMT to help it replace its interim phone system with a new modern phone system. The solution is based on the MS Teams platform which was integrated with TRC’s call centre software.

Migrating TRC to the Telstra-supported MS Teams Calling solution involved retiring the legacy Skype platform, and deploying a new solution under TRC’s existing Telstra Managed Services agreement.

The MS Teams Calling solution integrated telephony capabilities into the MS Teams platform, allowing for flexible call management, improved disaster management, and remote work functionality.

The solution also extended to mobile applications, enabling staff to handle fixed business calls from their mobile phones. TRC is no longer reliant on any on-premises infrastructure for its phone systems, having migrated everything to the cloud.

The migration to MS Teams Calling with Telstra provided TRC with a resilient, cloud-based telephony platform that improved their ability to manage community and business call requirements. It provides a unified communications platform for all employees, meaning staff can quickly and easily share information with each other and the community.

MS Teams has also enabled the community to become more involved with decisions and the conversations going on at council. The new functionality – which includes the deployment of Teams mobile applications – helps the council maintain a more active presence within the community, supporting the delivery of better resident services.

“All calls are now routed through Telstra’s Operator Connect, which is in the cloud. This means our staff can work anywhere at any time. I can simply move my call centre operators to another building, or another site and they sign into Teams and away we go”, says Bosquant.

The ability of staff and customer service teams to work remotely offers TRC greater corporate flexibility and ensures uninterrupted key services. This level of flexibility means that in the event of disruption, TRC employees can easily continue their work from an alternative location.

Impact

Better work-life balance and communications for remote employees 

As well as a significant reduction in the possibility of downtime, the solution has helped TRC offer better work-life balance for its staff as they are no longer bound to the office. The new solution also allows for faster call redirections and continuous communication with the community during natural disasters, enhancing public safety and disaster management efforts.

As the regional council also has 5G access, the addition of Teams mobile app has revolutionised the company’s day-to-day interactions. It allows workers in the field to stay in touch, boosting productivity and speeding up TRC’s delivery of services.

By partnering with Telstra and RMT to migrate to the Telstra-supported MS Teams Calling solution, TRC is set up for future success and is prepared for any weather-based contingency. It serves as a lighthouse reference point for other councils in Queensland, positioning TRC as the gold standard for communication and technology innovation.