The Newbury Academy Trust (NAT) provides high quality learning in a safe, caring and purposeful environment that supports children and young peoples’ personal and academic development across three schools in West Berkshire – Trinity School, Fir Tree Primary School & Nursery and Speenhamland Primary School
Objectives
- Improve inter-site communications between sites
- Reduce costs
- Implement new technologies
- Prolong the life of existing hardware
Products/Services
SMART Fibre Equipment
Hosted Telephony System
ISDN to SIP Converter
Managed Hardware
Solution
With Stream Networks being a Newbury based business, we have heavily invested in our footprint in the local area. This footprint allows us to offer huge cost savings on internet connectivity in the region versus national carriers whilst also delivering a “hands on” provisioning service.
Following these discussions, we provisioned a Point-to-Point Fibre Ethernet connection to aid inter-site communication. This was a cost effective, and most importantly a highly secure solution to ensure sensitive data could be shared between the two schools. A new Gigabit capable connection with automated failover to a back-up circuit was installed in Trinity School ensuring that ample bandwidth was available for staff and students to capitalise on an ever increasing demand on internet dependant technology going forward.
Alongside boosting connectivity, the Newbury Academy Trust also wanted to explore their telephony infrastructure to see if they could reduce costs by capitalising on modern technologies. Fir Tree School had a legacy telephone system that had reached the end of its life. Fir Tree are now utilising a Stream Networks hosted telephony system that brings a range of features and facilities to improve efficiency and call reporting, as well as use of internet SIP trunks for calls which reduces costs owing to inclusive call allowances.
The situation at Trinity School was different. Having not long invested in a new system it was difficult to justify the expenditure of writing off one system and replacing it with another. Stream Networks proposed the installation of an ISIP converter, a simple plug and play device that allowed the school to utilise the cost savings of SIP Trunks without having to replace the system.
“Selecting Stream as our Communications supplier has been of great benefit to the NAT. We have seen enhanced inter-site communications whilst ensuring our staff and students have access to all the technology that is fundamental to their success. Stream are always quick to respond to any queries, and we can rest safe in the knowledge a team of experts are just around the corner ready to help around the clock. “ – David Branston, IT network manager, Newbury Academy Trust