BOSTON BALLET SUCCESS STORY

Boston Ballet Keeps Productions Running Gracefully With Behind-the-Scenes Help from ShoreTel Voice System

CHALLENGE:

• BostonBalletneededaphonesystemthatcouldkeepupwithemployeesanddancersconstantlymovingamongtheoffice,Schoolandtheatertohelpthemcommunicatewitheachotherandparents,particularlyduringproductions.Additionally,ithopedtoreducetheburdenonITstaffformakingchanges,whilereducingmaintenanceandsupportcosts,whichconsumedasignificantamountofitsannualbudget.

SOLUTION:

• AsanIPtelephonysystem,ShoreTelsignificantlyeasesmanagementforBostonBallet’sITstaff;offersmultipleeasy-to-usefeaturesthatenhancecommunicationamongemployees,parentsandpatrons;reducesBostonBallet’slineandmaintenancecosts;andoffersunprecedentedreliabilitythroughitsdistributedarchitecture.

BENEFITS:

• ITstaffcanmakesystemchangesonitsown,inminutes.Intotal,easeofmanagementandreducedlinecostswiththeShoreTelsystemsaveBostonBallet$30,000to$40,000annuallyandhelpsproductionsgooffmoresmoothlyinthepublic’seyesandbehindthecurtain.

Nowinits41stseason,BostonBallethasbuiltaninternationalreputationforitsdancinganditseducationandoutreachprograms.UndertheleadershipofArtisticDirectorMikkoNissinen,theCompanygarnersoutstandingreviewsanditsannualproductionofTheNutcrackerisoneofthemostbelovedintheworld.BostonBalletSchoolisthelargestinNorthAmerica,servingover2,000studentsinthreelocations.TheBostonBalletCenterforDanceEducationproducesarangeofeducationandoutreachprograms,includingCitydance,whichhasbroughtthejoyofdanceandmovementintoBostonpublicschoolclassroomsfor14years.

BehindtheSchoolandeveryperformance,astaffofabout120handleseverythingfromticketsalestomarketingtocostumedesign.EnsuringthattheSchoolandballetcompanyrunsmoothly,especiallyduringTheNutcracker,dependsonseamlesscommunicationwithballetpatrons,andamongstaff,dancers,teachersandparents.BostonBallet’sphonesystemisacriticalpartofitsbehind-the-sceneseffortsanditsservicetothepublic.

Afewyearsago,itsphonesystemofferedlittleflexibilityforroutingcalls,managingvoicemailandaddingextensionsastheCompany’sneedschangedthroughouttheyear,particularlyduringproductions.Moreover,theoutdatedsystemconsumedasignificantpartofitsannualbudget,requiringongoingcostsformaintenanceandsupportfromoutsidevendors.

Critical Flexibility with IP TelephonyFrustrated,BostonBalletbeganlookingforanothersolution.TheCompany’slongtimenetworkvendor,GuardianInformationTechnology,introducedtheCompanytotheShoreTeldigitalvoicecommunicationssystem.AsanIPtelephonysystem,ShoreTelwouldreduceBostonBallet’smonthlylinechargesandrecurringmaintenancecostsbyenablingtheITstafftohandlechangeseasilyonitsown.Thebrowser-basedinterfacewouldallowthein-housestafftotakecontrolofevenmajormoves,addsandchangestothevariousextensions,ratherthanrelyingonoutsidevendorseachtime.

ShoreTel and Boston Ballet PAGE 2

ThesystemconsistsofShoreGear60/12and120/24voiceswitches,whichrunanembedded,real-timeoperatingsystem,andoneT1interfaceunit.TheT1interfaceallowsBostonBallettoeliminateasignificantnumberofindividualPOTSlinesandconsolidateserviceontoasingle,cost-effectiveandreliablecircuit.

AttheSchool,BostonBalletinstalledaswitchconnectedtoa512Kframe-relaycircuitusedtocarryexistingdatatraffic.There,BostonBalletwasabletoeliminatefive$180per-monthOPXlines.WithShoreTelinbothlocations,BostonBalletreduceditsmonthlyphonebillbyalmost50percentbycuttingthenumberoflinesitneeded.

Reducing Costs, Complexity with Advanced FeaturesAbout150staffmembersanddancersnowusetheShoreTelsystem,withsomeonphoneextensionsandothersjusttakingadvantageofvoicemailcapabilities.TheCompany’s60dancers,whodonothaveindividualphones,candialinanytime,fromanylocationtoaccesstheirvoicemailmessages.

WithShoreTel,ITstaffeasilyconfiguredvariousmenusfortheboxoffice,balletcompanyandSchool,givingcallersoptionstoquicklyselectandgettotherightindividual’sphoneorvoicemail.Overtime,asstaffinghasshifted,BostonBallethasfounditnolongerneedsreceptionists,savingatleast$30,000ayear.

ShoreTel’scallhandlingfeaturesletBostonBalletstaffshiftcallstoringatanotherextension,suchasanexternalnumberorcellphone.StaffwhoarenotintheofficecalltheShoreTelsystemremotelytoredirectcallstotheirhomesandkeepcommunicationflowing.MostofthestaffalsoaccessvoicemailmessagesontheirPCsviaintegrationwithMicrosoftOutlook.Withaunifiedmailbox,theycanretrievetheiremailandvoicemailinasinglelocation,andeasilyforwardmessagesontoco-workers.

AdditionalShoreTelfeaturesfurtherenhancetheBallet’sabilitytocommunicateinternallyandexternally.ConferencingenablestheCEOtocommunicateeasily

withartisticdirectorsanddancersaroundthecountry.StaffoftentapintoShoreTel’scallhistoryrecordstofindapreviouscaller’sphonenumber,iftheydidn’thappentorecorditpreviously.

Grace Under Production Pressure Duringproductions,advancedfeaturesoftheShoreTelphonesystemallowBostonBallettohandleanincreasingnumberofcallsandextensions,aswellaseasilyforwardcallstootherphonesasthecrewmovesamongtheSchool,officesandtheater.

TheboxofficetakesadvantageofShoreTelworkgroupfeaturestoround-robincallsamongthestaffandensurethatpatronsreachthenextavailablecustomerservicerepresentativetopurchasetickets.Staffcanevenround-robincallsacrosslocations,thankstoShoreTel’sdistributedarchitecture.Whensomeonegoestolunch,theysimplylogoutoftheirextension.

“Workgroupshavebeeninfinitelyhelpfulwithroutingtraffic,”saysMichaelKernochan,ITCoordinatoratBostonBallet.“Inthepast,itwasveryrarethatacustomerwouldcallinandimmediatelygetthepersontheyneededtospeakto.”

WhenTheNutcrackerseasonrollsaroundeachyear,BostonBalleteasilyconfiguresthesystemwithaNutcrackerinformationhotline.Thechildren’scoordinatorforthebelovedholidaytradition,responsibleformanagingthe260youngdancersintheshow,easilyforwardsherextensiontoringatheroffice,hercellphoneoratthetheater.Whiletheirchildrenarerehearsing,parentsonlyhavetorememberonenumber,insteadofthemultiplenumbersinproductionspast.

“Ifthere’sasnowstormorcancellation,atamoment’snoticestaffcanremotelychangetheirvoicemailrecordinginstantaneouslyfromanywhere.WithCallManager,workgroupsareflexibleandeasytosetup,ensuringthatcallsfrompatronsimmediatelygettotherightperson,”Kernochansaid.

“If there’s a snowstorm or

cancellation, at a moment’s

notice staff can remotely

change their voice mail

recording instantaneously

from anywhere. With Call

Manager, work groups are

flexible and easy to set up,

ensuring that calls from

patrons immediately get to

the right person.”

Michael KernochanITCoordinator,BostonBallet

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About ShoreTel

ShoreTel is a provider of business communication solutions whose brilliantly simple unified communications platforms, applications and mobile UC solutions promise a new rhythm of workforce engagement and collaboration. With costly complexity eliminated by design from its award winning, all-in-one IP phone system, UC and contact center solution, and its industry leading hosted business phone system, workers enjoy a freedom and self-reliance that other providers can’t match. Users have full control to engage and collaborate, no matter the time, place or device, for the lowest cost and demand on IT resources in the industry. ShoreTel is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has regional offices and partners worldwide. For more information, visit shoretel.com or shoretelsky.com

Likewise,thesystemsupportstheSchoolinallowingteacherstoroutetheircallstothetheater,andrecordinformativemessagesforparentsontheirvoicemail,fromoffsite.

Results: Saving $30,000 to $40,000 AnnuallyBynothavingtocallinoutsidehelpforchanges,theballetcompanycanrespondmorequicklytouserneedswhilereducingitscostsforonsitetechnicalsupport.ShoreTel’sdistributedarchitectureoffersexceptionalreliability,whichiscriticalduringproductions.“Inmycareersofar,theShoreTelphonesystemiseasilythebestI’veseen.Administrationandmanagementofmoves,addsandchangesisabreeze–allpossiblefromasinglegraphicaluserinterface,”Kernochansaid.

Thoughthelargenonprofitoperateswitha$20millionannualoperatingbudget,withfundingfromdonations,sponsorsandticketsales,itmustcontinuouslykeepacloseeyeonitsoperationalefficiency.Intotal,theShoreTelsystemsavesBostonBallet$30,000to$40,000annuallyandlikewise,thesystemsupportstheSchoolinallowingteacherstoroutetheircallstothetheater,andrecordinformativemessagesforparentsontheirvoicemail,fromoffsite.

“Workgroups have been

infinitely helpful with

routing traffic. In the past,

it was very rare that a

customer would call in and

immediately get the person

they needed to speak to.”

Michael KernochanITCoordinator,BostonBallet