When the three companies that make up Chorus were first brought together, the move created some sizable technological challenges. Three different computing infrastructures had to be streamlined and standard processes and workflows put in place.

There were also challenges when it came to communications. Each of the companies had been using a different platform and all were out of date. According to Chorus Head of Customer Relations Jamin Hirte, the most modern system was three years out of warranty and the oldest was approaching a decade.

“We found that one of the platforms relied on a special type of hard disk that was increasingly difficult to source,” says Hirte. “We’d purchased the last three disks in Australia and, if they had failed, we would have had no backup.”

The telephone platforms were also not linked, making communication difficult. Staff could not route calls between different locations and staying in touch with field workers was an ongoing challenge. “It was clear that we needed to find a replacement unified communications system that could support our ongoing activity and growth,” he says. “Retaining what was already in place was never going to be a viable option.”