Communications solutions integrator NEC (News - Alert) Unified Solutions has installed its UNIVERGE UM8500 unified messaging platform in Wichita, Kansas Public Schools.

 

In an effort  to create more personalized parent-teacher communications, as well as higher technology utilization rates, the school system installed the UM8500 to help integrate voicemail with Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook, creating a tool that enables relationships between parents and teachers, according to Cathy Barbieri, CIO of Wichita Public Schools.

“This solution makes it effortless for our teachers to check their voicemail via email and forward, categorize, save and delete messages with a click of the mouse. As a result, over time, the communication culture here has improved greatly,” said Barbieri. “Over the years we’ve come to trust NEC as being innovative and more of a partner in our long-term success.”

 

The school system, which has nearly 50,000 students and employs of approximately 4,000 teachers, 3,000 support staff members and 240 administrators, has been an NEC customer for more than 10 years.

 

Before implementing NEC’s UM8500 unified messaging, voicemail usage by teachers at Wichita Public Schools was low or non-existent, according to Barbieri.

 

“This solution makes it effortless for our teachers to check their voicemail via e-mail and forward, categorize, save and delete messages with a click of the mouse. As a result, over time, the communication culture here has improved greatly,” said Barbieri.

 

In the past, teachers and parent’s communications were limited to a few e-mails and phone correspondence through a school’s office. Because of the limited technology, the lag-time between initial contact and response was lengthy, according to Barbieri.

 

Now, with UNIVERGE UM8500, teachers and administrators receive voicemails directly from parents and other contacts by e-mail. The school’s administrations expect to increase the district’s usage of voice technologies and facilitate a personal connection between parents and teachers.

“Unified Communications (News - Alert) comes in many forms. The benefit of NEC’s UNIVERGE360 role-based approach is that the customer can choose what makes sense for their organization,” said Don Fiorentino, vice president of Western Regional Sales at NEC Unified Solutions.

“For Wichita Public Schools, this means unified messaging and voicemail that improves communications efficiency between staff, parents and teachers.”

 

NEC Unified Solutions serves as the North American communications integration arm of global giant NEC Corporation for Fortune 1000, as well as small to mid-sized businesses in vertical markets such as hospitality, education, government and healthcare.

 

In a recent TMCnet article, NEC Unified Solutions President Jeff Kane discussed IP communications and the current opportunity in unified communications.