Barclays Global Investors has removed the need to staff 24-hour
call centres by implementing networking technology that allows the
company to respond with a global "follow-the-sun" system.
The investment bank has also cut costs and simplified system
management following the installation of a converged voice and data
IP network across its offices worldwide.
Using the follow-the-sun system, users can dial their country
office at any time. Out of hours they are transferred automatically
to a centre working office hours in another time zone, which then
deals with their query.
Putting voice and data onto one network has allowed Barclays Global
Investors to put data and voice groups under one manager and
simplify the management of the network.
Patricia Green, telecoms manager for Barclays Global Investors,
said, "We have eliminated trunks and associated plant. Where there
were dedicated resources we will make savings. Having only one
network to administer obviously simplifies things and installing
phones is so much easier [using Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol, which automatically assigns IP addresses to
clients]."
With thousands of clients moving funds worth $800bn (£544bn)
through its networks every year, the company puts a premium on
reliability, performance and cost effectiveness in its
communications.
Green said Barclays Global Investors is "on the leading edge" and
that most financial services firms are not using Voice over IP. She
said the company's aim is to develop solutions that other financial
services companies want.
In selecting its IT suppliers Barclays Global Investors organised a
seminar for several candidates where it presented its
specifications and asked, "How can you satisfy our
requirements?"
Avaya was chosen for its Definity communications servers.