Helena Romanes School deploys unified communications software to drive efficiency and cut costs

'The solution is delivering efficiencies and an enhanced, more resilient service,' said Liz Evans-Barlow, business manager at Helena Romanes School

The Helena Romanes School and Sixth Form Centre in Essex has selected collaboration software provider Unify to upgrade and futureproof the institution's entire communications infrastructure.

By deploying Unify OpenScape Business across the campus, it's hoped that the school's 200 staff will improve the way they work together and communicate, as well as driving down costs and improving efficiency.

It isn't the first time an educational institution has turned to Unify; South Staffordshire College has also deployed the collaboration and communications software.

Helena Romanes School has more than 1,300 students and wanted to improve the way teachers could communicate with not only their peers, but also with students and their parents.

It set out to find a communications infrastructure that would improve efficiency, while also keeping costs to a minimum, given government-imposed funding limitations on education spending.

The school selected Unify's OpenScape business unified communications platform in order to meet these goals. One bonus was that the school was able to improve its telecommunications systems without having to replace physical infrastructure.

There was also no requirement to install new handsets, representing a significant cost-saving for the school, which took one day to complete the OpenScape Business deployment.

The new software was rolled out with the aid of Opus Team, a business solutions provider that specialises in providing services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"We have a long-standing relationship with Opus and we inherently trust their advice. Working with them, and selecting Unify's OpenScape Business, has enabled the school to reach its goals of communication technology transformation, future proofing and cost savings," said Liz Evans-Barlow, business manager at Helena Romanes School.

"The solution is delivering efficiencies, an enhanced, more resilient service and is even enabling us to ensure that we are ahead of the curve with compliance," she added.

Tony Smith, UK and Ireland channel sales director at Unify, welcomed the partnership with Helena Romanes School, which is ultimately designed to futureproof the institution.

"Alongside our Professional Partner Opus Team we have been able to deliver a robust and future proof communications infrastructure to Helena Romanes School, one of a number of secondary education institutions that are realising the benefits of this," he said.

"OpenScape Business can deliver the cost savings, resilience, flexibility and scalability to support the demands of a modern education system, all while helping staff to realise their desire to find new ways to work," Smith concluded.

While Helena Romanes School has embraced cloud for communications and collaboration, a recent study found that SMEs are rejecting cloud as a storage platform.