Windstream helps Pratt Industries be more productive with MPLS-based UC services

Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN) has racked up a new win in its business services column as Pratt Industries, one of the largest privately-held 100 percent recycled paper and packaging companies, has employed its managed unified communications services.

Like other multisite businesses, traditional voice and fax services are essential for Pratt's employees and management to communicate between their locations and with customers.

But before it began working with Windstream, each of Pratt's office locations were hampered by legacy PBX systems that often went down. Due to ongoing downtime and related maintenance issues, the company continually lost money due to what it says was "lost productivity."

"We didn't want to have a dedicated phone specialist on staff, and didn't want to have to try to coordinate with multiple vendors," said Juan Merelo, Technical Services Manager, Pratt Industries, in a news release. "Windstream provides all of the services and support that we need--it's a one-shop deal."

Windstream's answer was to provide a managed UC service that was designed around Pratt's specific needs. Instead of having PBX systems at each site, Windstream is providing a managed PBX service based on Mitel's 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP) out of one of its data centers. The service provider then leverages its MPLS network to provide necessary connectivity all of Pratt's locations.  

In addition to seeing enhanced voice quality and additional VoIP-based features, Merelo said that it had reduced network downtime to almost zero and that it had "significantly" reduced its long distance voice fees.

Serving over 72 U.S.-based locations, this is a sizeable win for the telco, and proof that its goal of becoming the fourth largest business services provider following its acquisition of PAETEC last December is on track.

For more:
- see the release

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