Case Studies

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Case Studies

Wadsworth Atheneum Upgrades to 3COM NBX 100 & SuperStack 3 :

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art's phone system had begun to show its age, with more frequent repairs.

It was also getting increasingly expensive to support and fix, with parts often being obsolete or unavailable. Additionally, the museum was very dependent on the manufacturer or a local vendor for even the slightest change, costing the museum excessive amounts of money each year. Finally, they needed additional voicemail ports and capacity for additional phones, but with their current system, such an upgrade would have been cost prohibitive.

When the Wadsworth Atheneum requested a proposal LeBlanc Communications responded with the suggestion that a Networked Telephony system from 3Com would be the ideal solution. Replacing the Wadsworth's analog telephone lines with Digital T1 lines and replacing the phone system with one that could be managed by the museum's IT Director and his staff through a web browser would be cost effective. LeBlanc also suggested obtaining DID numbers (direct inward dial – private numbers for each employee) a move that would eliminate the need for a full-time attendant and so LeBlanc recommended an increase the number of voicemail/Auto-attendant ports for incoming calls.

LeBlanc Communications installed the system in 1999. The ultimate installation consisted of a 3Com NBX100 with 135 phones, 12 ports of voicemail, 2 T1s for voice calls. LeBlanc also installed line-sharing devices for more than 18 modems and fax machines.

One of the best things about the 3Com system for the Wadsworth Atheneum is that it uses the same wires for both the organization’s Network and Telephone. No longer were separate dedicated cable runs necessary for telephones. Now, a telephone could be plugged in anywhere on the network and function as expected. Staff could also move their own phone from one room to another with no help from a museum technician.

Later, because of their growth and the need for more auto attendant ports, the Wadsworth upgraded to the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBX, with 48 ports of voicemail and redundant hard drives, power and Ethernet ports.

“We believed,” noted Michael LeBlanc president of LeBlanc Communications, “that our estimate of the savings to the Wadsworth Atheneum after the first few months would save more each month in phone call costs than they were paying in lease payments for the equipment.” Because of initial difficulty dealing with the local telephone carrier, the museum could not quickly install local digital service in the Hartford area. When the Atheneum finally got digital service installed the savings were realized as estimated.

In fact, says Director of Properties and Information Systems, Alan Barton, "We saved more than anticipated because we were able to manage the entire system ourselves. The service we are able to offer our staff has also improved because we can respond in minutes to change requests."

When asked whether or not he would choose LeBlanc and 3Com again if faced with a similar situation, Alan says: "Sure thing. LeBlanc's service has been outstanding, and the product we received from them has been very good for our organization." Back to top

Barnes Aerospace

Barnes Aerospace is a leading provider of precision manufactured solutions for the aerospace industry. They manufacture top quality components, kits and assemblies, as well as overhaul & repair for the largest and critical elements in the industry - the airframe and engine.

Barnes came to us looking for ways to cut costs and increase efficiency among their many international locations. After researching the company's needs, LeBlanc recommended and implemented a Voice-over-IP solution by 3Com which rode over a private Frame-Relay network. The quality and economics of the solution were a great success and the customer raves about the functionality and ease of self-management by their its IT/Telecom staff. Back to top

Wadsworth Museum of Art · Barnes Aerospace