More Saudi Arabia IP Communications Stories

Virtualized network computing saves money, boosts employee productivity, enhances business continuity and provides greater flexibility by consolidating enterprise-wide applications, both voice and data on a single server.

National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO), a healthcare supply chain company in Saudi Arabia, has selected Mitel Virtual Solutions to do just that by providing a singular network to run both voice and data. It will also be using Mitel’s (News - Alert) products to run a new contact center.

Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, NUPCO was established by the Saudi Arabian government in 2007 and is the exclusive supplier of medical procurement and logistics for more than 4,000 public hospitals and health care units. 

In selecting the Virtual Mitel Communications Director (Virtual MCD) as the backbone of its system, NUPCO gains, Mitel says “a flexible system that is scalable and intuitive for its growing workforce”. In the first phase of deployment, NUPCO has rolled out Virtual MCD at its head office, providing the ability to network individual offices and remote locations seamlessly. 

The rollout of Virtual MCD coincides with NUPCO's implementation of a complete virtualization strategy, with a goal of complete data center virtualization using VMware. By deploying Virtual MCD, which leverages VMware vSphere 4, NUPCO can consolidate voice and data applications onto a single server, cutting server hardware costs and maintenance time for IT staff, and reducing operational costs. 

“The decision to move to a virtualized environment for our voice and data needs was an easy one," explains Ibrahim Al Omar, IT operations and networks manager, NUPCO. “Our head office is supported by Virtual MCD and we will be implementing Mitel solutions at all our 19 warehouses and remote locations. This will increase our return on investment in good time. Our aim in phase two is to virtualize all applications by merging our data centre with voice real time apps, hence the selection of Virtual MCD software. This will help us achieve our goal of a centrally managed voice and data network.”

NUPCO has also selected the Mitel Applications Suite (MAS), which provides a rich set of advanced software applications including Mitel Audio and Web Conferencing (AWC), Mitel Business Dashboard and the Mitel Teleworker Solution on a single server. MAS provides a single point of access to administer applications and to optionally manage all users on Virtual MCD. With MAS, NUPCO is able to add applications as needed, providing seamless integration across all communication. 

With the addition of MAS to its communications roster, NUPCO is planning a rollout of Mitel Unified Communicator (UC) Mobile, to enable employees to link an office extension with any other telephone, mobile, or landline, meaning all employees can stay connected via just one number. 

NUPCO will be setting up a contact center for inbound calls. With Mitel Customer Service Manager, NUPCO contact center employees can implement an intelligent queuing system designed to effectively route all calls. While Unified Communicator (UC) Advanced, Mitel’s unified communications application, will provide agents with screen pops displaying customer information that enables for a more personalized experience. 

“With the selection of Virtual MCD and MAS, NUPCO is moving toward the seamless environment it hopes to store its data and voice in,” said Hisham El-Amili, sales director, Middle East, Mitel. “NUPCO can now improve the management of information between its customers, partners and suppliers, giving it the competitive advantage needed to save time, enhance productivity and allocate IT resources effectively. As NUPCO continues to grow, Mitel's flexible offerings will provide a seamless experience for every employee, so that NUPCO can service its customers at the highest level.”