The Isle of Wight NHS Trust is partnering with Cinos to upgrade its telephony and Unified Communications (UC) system.
The Cisco Powered UC telephony service from the Cinos Cloud will provide a secure and flexible solution to facilitate hybrid working practices.
The system, which integrates with Microsoft Teams, aims to simplify management, improve the user experience, and enhance resilience. It is expected to save the Trust an estimated £360k annually. The upgrade retains certain existing features to ease the transition and future-proofs the service beyond the 2025 ISDN switch-off.
- The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has partnered with Cinos to implement a new telephony and UC solution.
- The Trust will adopt a hybrid cloud strategy that combines cloud services with on-premise infrastructure to ensure always-on communications.
- The new solution will integrate with Microsoft Teams and provide a reliable and scalable voice solution, resulting in significant cost savings for the Trust.
Isle of Wight NHS Trust Joins Forces with Cinos for New Telephony Solution
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust is gearing up to better serve you as it teams up with Cinos in a bid to implement a fresh telephony and UC solution. The Trust aims to provide a more secure and dependable service, offering the adaptability and sturdiness that new hybrid working practices require.
Revamping the Trust’s Communication Infrastructure
The Trust’s current UC platform is reaching its twilight years, hence the need for an upgrade. The focus is to facilitate modern working practices and improve service delivery. With Cinos at the helm, the Trust is set to embrace a hybrid cloud strategy that delivers a robust cloud service while retaining a minimal range of services on-site.
This approach offers an extra layer of resilience for the Trust, which is located on an island. The idea is to ensure uninterrupted communication in the event of any network glitches.
Integrating with Microsoft Teams
The new service will cater to the Trust’s 3,900 employees and will be integrated with Microsoft Teams, aligning with the NHS’ broader adoption strategy. Thanks to the new platform, users can make and receive calls from any location using a single collaboration application. Moreover, the hybrid cloud UC platform will offer additional calling services.
Jake Gully, Digital Operations Manager at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, remarks:
“With the increasing need to support our staff in adopting hybrid working practices and the ability to work from anywhere, we recognised the importance of introducing a new telephony and UC solution for the wider Trust.”
Focused on Resilience and User Experience
The Trust aims to simplify telephony management and free up the Digital team’s time to focus on core infrastructure and user experience. Capital investment has also been secured by the Trust to move towards a resilient voice solution built around Microsoft Teams.
Marcus Garman, Digital Infrastructure Programme Manager, at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, says the new solution will simplify management, enable scalability, and improve the end user and patient experience.
Maintaining Familiarity and Future-Proofing Services
To ensure a smooth transition, the Trust will upgrade and retain its existing call recording and operator console. This move will allow the Trust to maintain its licensing investments and eliminate the need for user training during the onboarding process.
Additionally, Cinos will provide the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking service, enabling the Trust to move away from the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and future-proof the service.
Delivering Resilient and Reliable Communication
Dan Worman, Executive Director of Cinos, notes the vital role that resilient and reliable communication systems play in hospital departments and emergency services. He expressed pride in partnering with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust to help deliver better services for island residents.
Final Thoughts
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s partnership with Cinos represents a significant step forward in improving communication infrastructure and enhancing service delivery.
The integration of new technology, the adoption of a hybrid cloud strategy, and the focus on resilience and user experience all indicate a promising future for the Trust and the people it serves. The continued commitment to delivering efficient and reliable services is commendable, and the Trust’s efforts to facilitate improved working practices and patient experiences are certainly worth noting.
While the journey towards complete digital transformation is a long one, the Trust’s current efforts are indeed a stride in the right direction.
FAQ
Q: What is the purpose of the partnership between the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Cinos?
A: The partnership aims to provide and manage a new telephony and UC solution for the Trust.
Q: What type of telephony service will be provided to the Trust?
A: The Trust will receive a Cisco Powered sovereign UC telephony service delivered from the Cinos Cloud.
Q: Why is the Trust updating its unified communications infrastructure?
A: Certain elements of the existing UC platform are reaching the end of life, and the Trust wants to enable new working and service delivery practices.
Q: How will the new solution support hybrid working practices?
A: The solution will provide the flexibility and robustness needed for hybrid working, allowing employees to make and receive calls from any location under one collaboration application.
Q: How will the partnership with Cinos help ensure always-on communications?
A: Due to the Trust’s location on an island, the hybrid cloud strategy adds an extra layer of resilience to ensure uninterrupted communications in case of network interruptions.
Q: How many employees will benefit from the new telephony and UC solution?
A: The service will be utilised by the Trust’s 3,900 employees.
Q: Will the new solution integrate with Microsoft Teams?
A: Yes, the solution will seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Teams as part of the wider adoption strategy in the NHS.
Q: How will the new solution simplify telephony management?
A: The solution will simplify telephony management, freeing up the Digital team to focus on other priorities such as core infrastructure and user experience.
Q: Will the Trust save money with the new solution?
A: Yes, there will be significant recurrent cost reductions of approximately £360k each year on telephony within the Trust.
Q: What services will Cinos provide as part of the solution?
A: Cinos will provide the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking service and help migrate the Trust away from Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) to future-proof the service and bring cost savings on call and line rental charges.