A Unified Communications Implementation
Project for Genesis Energy, L.P.

Cutting costs was just as important to Genesis as improving communications and collaboration

Background
Genesis Energy is always looking for technology that can help it reduce costs and increase productivity. When the company began planning a move to a new headquarters site, its IT department investigated options for replacing an aging Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone system.

Genesis was particularly interested in voice over IP (VoIP) systems that could deliver cost advantages and greater efficiencies by integrating with PC network systems. These benefits included more centralized and responsive IT management, lower costs stemming from Internet-based telephony, faster communications between employees, and rich communications features for mobile workers. The company also wanted to reduce costs related to travel, a large budget item for an organization with many regional offices.

After evaluating competing products, Genesis decided to install a unified communications solution from Microsoft, The new system is based on Microsoft® products and technologies, including Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Enterprise Edition. For its phone calls, the company installed Polycom IP-based phones including the Polycom CX700 and CX200 models. The solution also uses an AudioCodes Mediant 1000 gateway that links to a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) service. The PRI service provides multiple channels for delivering voice, data, and video-conferencing capabilities.

Now employees have an easier time keeping up with important phone calls, the IT department responds faster to help-desk requests, and Genesis is poised for potential savings of up to $50,000 annually by reducing travel-related and communications-related expenses.

Insource Approach
Insource, working with the participation of Microsoft Corporation and AudioCodes, developed a two-phased approach to the project. This included the analysis and design of the UM and OCS solutions as Phase I and implementation and integration of the approved design implementation as Phase II.

Insource, working in close collaboration with Genesis IT management:

• Performed a detailed analysis of Genesis’ business needs in relation to UC
• Assessed and analyzed the business and technical requirements, including the IT environment in terms of its readiness for Exchange 2007 UM and OCS
• Completed a thorough analysis of the Genesis telephony needs and dialing habits
• Developed overall requirements for the Exchange 2007 UM and OCS environments as well as for OWA, Outlook Anywhere, Smartphones, etc.
• Implemented Phase II, which included the provisioning, configuration and testing, and rollout of the project

UC Benefits For Genesis

With its new solution, Genesis is benefiting from more efficient communications that employees can use to perform tasks and resolve business issues faster than before. The company has eliminated an aging and hard-to-maintain PBX, replacing it with tightly integrated communications technology that is easy for a small IT staff to maintain. The new solution’s Web-based conferencing is saving the company money by reducing travel expenses and communications costs.

More Efficient Communications
The presence technology is a big benefit to users, especially when they are out on the road. It makes it so much simpler to keep track of the availability of people in the offices. For example, an executive who needs to speak with a manager as soon as possible can use presence information to determine when the manager is available for a phone call. This is much more efficient than leaving multiple phone messages or sending several e-mail messages. The executive can also easily catch up on voice mail by listening to it from the Outlook inbox. Other benefits include low cost video conferencing from the desktop as well as the conference room, Instant Messaging, faxing and much more.

Up to $50,000 Savings Annually for Genesis
The efficiencies delivered by the UC technology for Genesis are also saving the company money. The virtual-conferencing capabilities of OCS will result in less travel and lower travel expenses going forward. The IT department also estimates that it is saving about $1,500 a month just in Houston by streamlining and consolidating its phone system. Genesis was able to reduce its ongoing phone-related expenses to about 50 percent of what they used to be for its Houston operation alone.

For more information contact Steve Miller at 281.774.4002 or steve.miller@insource.com