Case
Studies
The Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT)
Partners: Avaya and Connex
Global Storm wins the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) bid to upgrade its ageing Centrex phone system with an advanced, digital IP-PBX across all GNWT offices and departments. Global Storm partnered with Avaya and Connex Telecommunications. Principals from Global Storm, Connex & Avaya actively participated from start to finish in formulating a Win Strategy over Mitel, Cisco & Shortel.
The GNWT is represented by core government departments operating in 33 communities located throughout the 1.35 million kilometres of health care facilities across the Northwest Territories. The TSC supported infrastructure consists of Fiber, Digital Microwave and Satellite-based technology extending services across the GNWT.area making up the Northwest Territories. Information Technology (IT) services and support are delivered by the Technology Service Centre (TSC) within the GNWT. The TSC is responsible for the infrastructure that interconnects over 500 departmental local area networks in Gov’t offices, schools and communities.
Customer business issues: Current GNWT voice services delivered on a centrex model hosted by the local service provider. This was an outdated solution offering only digital and analog telephony services along with basic voice messaging for standards-based, have proven track record for reliability and resilience and that the solution would support a centralized model with distributed localized survivability to minimize a risk of IP network disruption.majority of Gov’t departments. In a few communities, GNWT department user telephony services were being delivered on non-Avaya PBX systems, again only delivering basic server functionality. These legacy communication solutions were not meeting the increasing user mobility needs of the GNWT and impacting business efficiency. GNWT required a Unified Communications solution that could deliver an enhanced consistent end-user experience with multi-media enabled collaboration, messaging and mobility functionality. TSC had just completed an SPB core data network extending across dual data centers and desired a solution that could leverage their investment in a highly resilient core network. The expectation by GNWT that the solution would be.
Solution: Dual Avaya CPODs with Communication Manager, Session Manager, Basic Contact Center, WFO-ACR, Avaya Aura Messaging, Avaya AURA Conferencing, AES, Presence, OneX Attendant, Avaya SBC, 96xx sets (Qty 3550). The total solution includes 3 yr Support Advantage / Upgrade Advantage.
Key factors and customer value in the win: The team worked with the customer over a period of 18 months to understand their business challenges and desired functionality of an in-sourced UC solution. The team leveraged knowledge transfer sessions with key GNWT decision makers representing various ministries, facilitated Product BU sessions highlighting Avaya UC portfolio roadmap and strategy. The team assisted TSC with facilitating a proof of concept to evaluate and validate an in-sourced UC solution influencing customer desire for a turn-key private cloud solution incorporated as part of the GNWT Tender requirements.
The Tłı̨chǫ Government
Partner: Avaya
The Tłı̨chÇ« Government is the governing authority within Tłı̨chÇ« Lands. The four Tłįcho communities are: BehchokÇ«Ì€, Gamètì, Wekweètì and Whatì.
BehchokÇ«Ì€ is the largest Tłįcho community with approximately 1950 people. It consists of two distinct townsites: Rae, located on Marion Lake, which is the main community where most of the people and services are located, and Edzo, a small “bedroom” community located just off of Highway No. 3. BehchokÇ«Ì€ houses the central offices for the Tłįcho Government and the Tłįcho Community Services Agency.
The communities of Gamètì, Wekweètì and Whatì isolated and smaller communities located inland off the main NWT highway system and are only accessible by regular scheduled commercial air service all year round. However in the winter, from January through March, an ice road highway is built across the tundra and frozen lakes, joining these communities to Highway No. 3.
Customer business issues: Several years ago, the Tłı̨chǫ Government contracted Global Storm IT Corporation to review its ageing and disparate communications infrastructure, including telecom. Based on a needs analysis, a new telecom system design was completed and implemented.
Solution: Avaya IP Office servers were installed in each of the four Tlicho communities and in Yellowknife. The overhaul included a network overhaul utilizing Avaya switches. The end result was a unified communications system with direct dialling between all five office centers with no long distance charges. This allowed for significant savings through a reduction of both unnecessary analog lines and toll calls.
The three communities not on an all-weather road are served via satellite for the internet. This resulted in significant challenges in delivering acceptable quality voice calls over IP. The financial and non-quantitative benefits achieved were immediate and are ongoing.
Det’on Cho Corporation
Partner: Avaya
Det’on Cho Corporation is the economic arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Owned by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation membership, the shares of the corporation are held in trust by the Chiefs and Council who are the Yellowknives Dene Government. Det’on Cho exists to create prosperity for the Yellowknives Dene.
Det’on Cho’s story is one of determination and hard work. With no land claim or self-government settlement to finance its businesses, Det’on Cho began with a $15,000 grant in 1988. Today DCC has turned that modest seed capital into 20 subsidiaries and counting, with annual earnings of $40 million. Det’on Cho continues to identify economic opportunities that lead to prosperity for the community.
In looking for opportunities, Det’on Cho focuses on three core businesses:
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Mining-related products and services
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Human resource services
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Property development and project management.
Customer business issues: Det'on Cho has had very rapid growth in the past 10 years. Many systems, including data and communications, did not keep up.
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Solution: Global Storm acts as an outsourced IT service provider for Det’on Cho and its many subsidiary corporations. As part of the consulting services provided by Global Storm IT, Det’on Cho has had a thorough review of the services and costs incurred in their IT management. In partnership with CanNor, project consultants reviewed the services and costs for basic infrastructure, connectivity, and overall service delivery.
Over a period of several years, Global Storm executed a multi-phase corporate overhaul of all critical data and communications systems. Part of this process was an IPT assessment to determine the feasibility of implementing a corporate-wide IP-based unified communications system. Global Storm installed a multi-site Avaya IP Office phone system.
