Customer:
Based in Fairfield, N.J., Datatec Systems is focused on the rapid deployment of large-scale technology implementations of servers, workstations, routers, switches and IP telephony solutions. Its customers include Fortune 1000 companies and world-class technology providers.

The company employs approximately 700 people, most of whom are located away from headquarters. Two hundred sales, technical, administrative and project management associates work from 10 branch locations across North America, and an additional 400 field service engineers (FSEs) are constantly on the road.

Problem:
Datatec System’s highly distributed workforce requires close contact, coordination and communications among its associates. The company relied on outsourced conferencing services from one of the major carriers to handle all conferencing, including weekly sales and sales plan updates, and team project coordination.

Using the outsourced service provider, conferencing costs represented a significant operating expense– as high as $8,000 per month. In addition to its impact on profitability, this high expense discouraged broader use of conferencing within the organization.

Using the outsourced provider for conferencing also limited flexibility. To coordinate these conferences, the company needed to call in conference details and schedule calls with the carrier’s conferencing call center. The centrally managed system required Datatec Systems to set up conferences several days in advance, thus eliminating the flexibility of ad hoc conferences and inhibiting cross team and company collaboration.