Eastman

David Wright, with 31 years of experience at Eastman, provides an insightful account of the company's four-year journey in modernizing its voice network. The transition from traditional telephony systems to modern solutions like Microsoft Teams involved evaluating the current infrastructure, implementing SIP connectivity, and making strategic decisions about phone carriers. David emphasizes the importance of flexibility, strategic planning, and learning from mistakes. Significant cost savings were achieved through infrastructure upgrades and technology diversification, with over a million dollars saved by transitioning from traditional PRI systems to SIP. The journey also highlighted the importance of maintaining a hybrid cloud approach for resilience and availability. David discusses the complexities of migrating existing systems, the need for careful planning to manage equipment delays, and the benefits of maintaining diverse technology solutions to avoid reliance on a single vendor. The presentation underscores the importance of assessing the current voice infrastructure, understanding various call scenarios, and building strong vendor relationships. David's detailed account serves as a compelling case study for organizations looking to upgrade their telephony systems, showcasing the transformative power of careful planning, strategic partnerships, and adaptability in the ever-changing landscape of IT and communications.