Ministry of Sound gets wired for IP telephony

Nightclub signs contract for unified communications

Ministry of Sound is introducing voice-over-IP

Internationally renowned nightclub Ministry of Sound is installing IP telephony to reduce international call costs and help co-ordinate more than 500 events a year.

It has signed a contract with NEC Philips Unified Solutions to connect staff at the London headquarters with employees based in Toronto and travelling the world.

Ministry of Sound, which is also an independent record label, fields between 5,000 and 10,000 calls each month, says telecoms and network manager Mark Preest.

‘In terms of functionality, simplicity is key,’ he said. ‘The solution is easy to deploy and from a user perspective, the interface is uncomplicated.

‘The new system will give better connectivity to all employees whether they are in London, or working remotely on a mobile from abroad or from home, making it far easier for staff to be productive while on the move.’

By deploying a purely IP-based solution, Ministry of Sound will also be able to remove excess cabling in the office by converging its voice and data networks.

The nightclub required a cost effective solution that would unify and simplify their communications through a desktop interface, says head of operations James Bacchus.

‘NEC Philips was able to prove that its solution could work and deliver without incurring additional costs,’ he said.

The system is based on NEC’s 2000 IPS voice server which will be integrated with Microsoft Outlook, once the company upgrades to Exchange 2007, to allow users to process voicemail alongside email and scheduling.

‘The integration should also enable calls to be routed more effectively because the system can detect which employees are online.

The next phase will be to integrate the communications system with its Microsoft Dynamics customer relationship management software to provide further flexibility and efficiency by enabling users to make calls directly from the database.