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Case study

et in 83 acres of Cheshire countryside, Cheadle Hulme

School prides itself on providing a challenging, dynamic and relevant education that prepares its students to play a positive part in their communities and the world.

When Cheadle Hulme was examining options to replace its telephone system, IT Manager Mark Smith contacted du Pré for advice on available options. Mark said: “Performance of previous suppliers could have been better but I had a good experience of du Pré while at my last school and the pricing provided was competitive.”

du Pré treats each customer as an individual, working with them to find the right solution, an approach that Cheadle Hulme appreciated. “du Pré was very helpful and worked with us to choose the right system. We didn’t have much information to provide at the outset, but du Pré outlined the available solutions and helped us to select the right one for the school,” said Mark.

The school chose an Avaya IP500 telephone system, connected using SIP trunks, a way of making and receiving calls over the internet in a

Cheadle Hulme School Cheshire

IT manager Mark Smith knew from previous experience that du Pré plc would provide excellent service when upgrading the school’s telephone system and data connection.

About the schoolCheadle Hulme is a leading independent co-educational HMC (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) school. It has a reputation for delivering a dynamic and relevant education for the 1400 pupils on its roll.

Websitewww.cheadlehulmeschool.co.uk

IT ManagerMark Smith

similar way to Voice over IP (VoIP).Implementing new technology can

be daunting, but as Mark explains, du Pré helped to remove that fear. “du Pré recommended a gradual move to SIP telephony. Many suppliers wanted to go straight to that solution, which we were apprehensive about.”

The new system was installed on schedule during the summer holidays. “The actual installation process, including the du Pré engineer, was excellent. He was very good at configuring the system and showing staff how to set-up and use the new phones.” added Mark, “It wasn’t just another job to him. He was always helpful with his advice and promoting the benefits of the system.”

Cheadle Hulme also installed a 30Mbps fibre optic connection, providing many new benefits to the school, as Mark explains. “The new fibre connection will handle internet access, routing of telephone calls, remote access for pupils and staff, plus allow parents to connect to our parent portal.

“The opportunity for 24/7 education is improved now staff and pupils have fast remote access into the school. The high-speed fibre connection is also beneficial for accessing cloud-based services from within the school, and we have the option to increase the bandwidth in the future if required.”

Overall Mark is pleased that the school chose du Pré and is happy with the service so far. “The installation went very well and I haven’t had to call support too often, but when I do issues are dealt with quickly. Support was one factor in making the decision to choose du Pré in the first place.”

To conclude, Mark adds: “I like knowing that when you call du Pré someone will answer in a set amount of rings. I’m never left waiting in a queue and the response is always really good.”

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