Rescue Workers Reduce Costs and Improve Processes With Unified Communications

Overview

Tayside Fire and Rescue provides emergency services to 400,000 people in Scotland. The organization spends most of its budget on its people and equipment - with only a small percentage available for Information Communications Technology (ICT). Although employees used e-mail and the telephone to communicate, the organization did not have voice mail. In addition, high PBX support costs significantly affected the ICT budget. In 2007, Tayside Fire and Rescue took control of its telephony and deployed a unified communications solution built on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. As a result of its solution, the organization is raising the competency of its firefighters, accelerating communications, facilitating mobility, providing voice mail, and reducing costs through increased operational control.