Adapted from NVT Phybridge case studies
A U.S. school district, government agency and university are among the many Avaya customers who have benefited by moving from a legacy system to a modern LAN. Investing in simpler, technologically advanced solutions allowed these organizations to reduce their infrastructure costs, while delivering enhanced communications features to their end users.
One recent case study focuses on a major school district with 200,000 students and 18,000 staff members across more than 300 primary, elementary and high schools. The legacy phone system was supported by a CAT3 infrastructure. Rather than rip and replace the existing infrastructure to support a modern IP platform, ConvergeOne used an NVT Phybridge PoLRE® (Power over Long Reach Ethernet) solution to establish a secure and robust PoE backbone using the existing voice infrastructure.
Through modern LAN principles and leveraging innovative technology, ConvergeOne helped the district reduce infrastructure costs by over $3 million and reallocate the savings to more IP applications, while avoiding disruption to staff and students. The project also had a minimal impact on the environment; avoiding over 42 tons of e-waste. ConvergeOne and NVT Phybridge have partnered to help more Avaya customers replicate the success of this project.
A surveillance solution
A U.S. government agency with an outdated analog surveillance system wanted to modernize to a comprehensive IP solution across 360 customs offices and border crossing locations. The agency was also looking to improve efficiency by automating most of the processing of imports and exports to increase economic growth and foreign trade.
The agency’s systems integrator recommended an NVT Phybridge Ethernet over Coax (EoC) solution to transform the existing infrastructure into a power-packed platform to support more than 8,000 Hanwha IP cameras. Given the existing point-to-point topology of the coax-based infrastructure in every location, the systems integrator was able to apply a repeatable, predictable and scalable deployment methodology in all 360 locations; eliminating risk and fast-tracking the agency’s IP modernization.
By leveraging the existing surveillance infrastructure, the agency was able to reduce infrastructure costs by over $3 million and accelerate the deployment time by 80 percent. By avoiding the traditional rip-and-replace model, the agency removed more than 60 tons of e-waste from its digital transformation.
The agency’s new IP surveillance system delivers high-resolution viewing and recording capabilities; providing officials with better recognition and identification of potential safety threats. The agency was also able to leverage new business intelligence and technology to implement a new automated customs process using QR readers within the import and export locations.
Modernizing a university system
When a legacy Centrex communication system in several buildings became too costly and difficult to maintain, a major university turned to Meridian IT to migrate the entire campus to IP phones. The legacy phone system was supported with a CAT3 infrastructure and the university was concerned with the potential high costs, long deployment times, and the environmental impact of a rip-and-replace solution. In addition, many older buildings on the 200+ acre campus were considered historical landmarks. Finally, there was not enough space or budget to install intermediate repeaters or server closets to extend connectivity to all areas of the buildings.
Due to the restrictive nature of the upgrade, Meridian IT recommended Modern LAN design principles and the NVT Phybridge PoLRE® solution. The result was a modernization path that best fit the university’s needs.
Meridian IT helped establish a secure and robust PoE backbone for their new communication platform using their existing voice infrastructure while deploying over 4,000 new IP phones throughout the campus. By leveraging the existing CAT3 voice infrastructure, the PoLRE solution reduced infrastructure costs by over $8 million and accelerated the deployment time by 90 percent. The university also avoided installing more than 100 IDF closets, reducing ongoing energy consumption.
“Modern LAN design and the PoLRE solution allowed Meridian IT to modernize an entire building in one day, compared to the initial forecast of 20 days,” said David Morefield, Central NA Regional Sales Manager. “Now multiply that by 100 buildings and you can imagine the time and cost savings.”
While every communications network has a unique topology, migrating from a legacy system to a modern LAN is a pivotal step forward in providing end users with the applications and tools they need to succeed in today’s business world.
