While not all technological innovations can be expected to be overwhelmingly successful — take the glowing puck experiment the National Hockey League tried some years back, for instance — others can provide organizations with distinct benefits, especially as they look to improve communications within their facilities.

In a move to improve the effectiveness of its communications system, the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have chosen to deploy ShoreTel’s (News - Alert) IP PBX (News - Alert) system in its HSBC Arena home, including nearly 700 IP phones and 19 switches to accommodate the more than 530 users in the facility. In addition, the deployment will include the recently announced ShoreTel Contact Center 4.6 application suite, which will integrate contact center functionality enabling the team’s fan-facing staff to more effectively respond to requests and concerns. Phone staff will be able to easily view important caller information, including customer profiles for season ticket holders and other prior customers. By simplifying the process for CSRs, the ShoreTel system, ultimately, provides a much friendlier customer experience.

 

ShoreTel’s hardware and features extend to the arena’s luxury suites, allowing suite users easy access to arena staff on game night and during various other events HSBC Arena is host to each year —Buffalo Bandits’ home lacrosse matches. The advanced telephony features enabled by ShoreTel will enhance communications within and between various arena areas, including locker rooms, suites, concession areas, and management offices.

 

The organization assessed several vendors, ultimately opting for the ShoreTel system, with its local partner, PremCom, largely based on the ease of installation and use, as well as the flexibility of the system. The ShoreTel switch-based solution distributes intelligence throughout the network, providing greater redundancy and failovers than many alternative solutions, reducing overall capital expenditure and increasing ROI for customers, while maximizing the features and system flexibility designed to provide for an optimized communications experience.

 

The $600,000 deal between PremCom and the Sabres includes prominent signage in and around the arena for ShoreTel and PremCom, so the next time you see the Sabres on ESPN, you’ll know that the ShoreTel advertisements you see are there because the NHL club needed a solution that could meet its communications needs without breaking the bank — and it chose ShoreTel.