Ralph turned to Insight, a global integrator of technology solutions and services, for advice in choosing a communications vendor. Morrisville’s top criteria: cloud based and easy to use. Insight recommended the 8x8 eXperience Communications Platform with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams to allow users to make and receive calls natively from any Teams endpoint.
“8x8 fit the bill, ” Ralph says. “It matched all our criteria for modernizing our communications. 8x8 sales was very responsive and took the time to understand what’s different about Morrisville.” In less than a month, Morrisville went live on 8x8.
“The implementation experience was the best I’ve had,” recalls Danny Reilly, IT Operations Manager for Morrisville. “It couldn’t have been simpler. It was one of the smoothest transitions in my career in IT.”
A cloud-based system gives Morrisville more versatility to pursue strategies that were impossible with the old phone system.
“With 8x8, we have the flexibility to explore programs and services that we couldn’t in the past,” Ralph says. “Plus, we’re always connected. If a citizen or employee needs us, wherever we are, we’re available.”
When Ralph attended a Smart Cities conference, he took calls using the 8x8 Work app on his mobile phone. “I didn’t miss a beat. It’s like I never left the office,” he says.
“Honestly, the softphone has been a godsend for everybody,” Reilly adds. Staff love 8x8’s ease of use and the flexibility to take calls on any device.
Some staff who use desk phones were thrilled to learn they can plug them in at home and reach colleagues just by dialing their four-digit extensions. Staff can manage their own changes, like vacation greetings, without submitting a help desk ticket. And Morrisville has seen a rise in the number of residents using the self-serve IVR to get information faster.
Administration is much easier now. Instead of spending 20 minutes in two systems to set up a new user, Reilly gets it done in five minutes or less with 8x8. Help desk complaints have dropped from several tickets per week for the old system, to zero for 8x8. And Morrisville saves the $25-per-phone annual maintenance contract on their old phone system.
“In strategic planning, we focus a lot on citizen engagement and how we can better serve the community. That’s why we exist,” Ralph explains. “8x8 fit right into those plans. It’s an important tool for achieving our mission now and in the future.”
