The modernisation of the council’s legacy telephony system had been a priority when the pandemic first began. However, the area’s aging copper-based telecommunications infrastructure and inconsistent mobile coverage have created doubts about the feasibility of such an upgrade.

The migration of terrestrial services from copper to fibre-based connections and the introduction of Starlink services for remote locations also came.

Then, following a series of high-rainfall events in 2022 and 2023, the need to “improve the telephony infrastructure” became even clearer, according to Kawerau District Council information services manager Andrew Bluett.

“These events served to underscore the critical need for reliable communication in civil defence emergency management,” Bluett says.

In 2023, the council engaged BayCom, its technology partner to review a range of options. Following this evaluation, a decision was made in March 2024 to deploy Access4’s cloud-based voice platform.

BayCom worked to ensure the transition to Access4 was seamless by undertaking pre-configuration of the system and providing onsite support during the switch-over. All existing desk phones were replaced in a single day, with critical ones complemented with IVRs for customer service switched after-hours.

“It was clear from the trials that the Access4 platform had the capabilities to fully meet our requirements,” says Bluett. “The flexibility of being able to route calls over the public internet met our business continuity needs perfectly. The infrastructure is now live and supporting council’s 90 staff across 21 locations.”

Ease of use
Changed work patterns were introduced during the pandemic means an increased number of council staff spend at least some time working from home. Access4’s cloud-based voice platform ensures they remain contactable regardless of their working location.

“Our staff can simply unplug their desk phone, take it home or to another location, plug it into an Internet router, and continue their calls,” Bluett says.

Migration to the cloud
Switching to a cloud-based platform has allowed the council to remove existing rack-mounted telephony equipment.

“It has resulted in a significant reduction of equipment required in our server room,” Bluett says. “We also anticipate cost savings as a result of the transition.”

The council is also benefitting from the Access4 platform’s close integration with iCall Suite Call Reporting and live analytics. Previously, the organisation had relied on expensive add-on software for its on-premise PABX to report on call volumes or missed calls.

“Having access to powerful analytics and reporting has been a complete game-changer for us,” says Bluett. “Once you fully understand your organisation, you can ensure that resourcing is effective in the right areas and meets the needs of our rate payers.”

Kawerau District Council is located in the North Island’s Bay of Plenty region and serves approximately 2,700 residential, 250 commercial and industrial ratepayers as well as a number of rural and lifestyle properties.