The approach to customer service is what makes Cross a best-in-class provider of maintenance and support in any industry. “Even though Cross is a big company, it was nice to see them take the time to understand our needs and not just offer a solution but customize it.” — Matthew Fuoco, IT Director, KUMC

About KUMC: The Kansas University Medical Center is an integral component of the University of Kansas and Kansas Board of Regents System. KUMC is composed of the School of Medicine, located in Kansas City and Wichita, School of Nursing, School of Allied Health, the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City and a Graduate School. The KU Medical Center is a complex institution whose basic functions include research, education, patient care and community service involving multiple constituencies at state and national levels.

The Challenge: KUMC was in search for an Avaya business partner that could provide a full line of products and services customized to meet their
needs. “We wanted more control over our maintenance costs and flexibility,” said Telecommunications and Networking Director Matthew Fuoco. “We were looking for an alternative to our current service, to a business partner that provided a full services model.” Before their interaction with Cross, KUMC experienced the following problems:

• Their current maintenance plan offered few options, so they paid for unneeded services.
• They were only supported from 9 x 5 due to the inflexible maintenance options.
• Maintenance and support provided was inconsistent. This led to unpredictable invoices, making it difficult to budget for
  additional IT needs.
• Network and service records were poorly managed and organized, which hindered KUMC from an efficient running VoIP solution.
• Lack of application development slowed growth for modern technology and advanced capabilities.

Formula for Success: KUMC approached Cross in search of a cost effective solution that could be tailored to fit their needs. Coupled with Avaya’s technology and the ability to design a flexible customer friendly solution, Cross was a perfect fit for KUMC. Fuoco said, “The CrossNet block of hours was a huge savings for us because we could use them for
consulting or training.” Cross was able to provide an entire portfolio of services that ranged from maintenance and support to implementation design and training. Cross recognized that KUMC possessed unique internal skills in support of its Avaya communications infrastructure – skills that could be leveraged while Cross layered in a flexible services offer custom made for KUMC. With a unique set of certifications and a Professional Services team of over 140 employees, Cross is certified in every pillar of Avaya technology and Avaya’s only partner to have achieved its very highest certification – Integration Expert. As a result, Cross is uniquely positioned to field the myriad of calls and complexity required in supporting KUMC end-to-end:

• KUMC was able to receive 24x7 support due to a cost saving flexible solution provided by Cross.
• Cross provided a network health check which highlighted areas of weakness and inefficiency to provide a smooth running VoIP solution.
• The implementation by the Cross team was seamless as they sorted through service records to measure which communication solutions needed maintenance and support.
• The block of CrossNet Support hours allowed for budget flexibility to use for support or Cross University training.

The End Result: The End Result: Now that KUMC has their day to day support model running flawlessly, they can move to several communications technology projects that will provide a significant positive impact to their business. The following projects KUMC is now able to focus on will provide both cost savings and improved capabilities implications allowing for improved feature functionality. These projects include the implementation of ACM 5.2 throughout their entire network, CMS upgrade, overall expansion including the archive module, an increase in licenses for additional campus use, and the migration of multiple G3SIs to Gateways. Cross provided KUMC with a flexible and dynamic communication solution that continues to pay dividends.