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Philippines-based Insular Life, a life insurance company, has been successful in enhancing its relations with customers by making use of Cisco (News - Alert) Unified Communications in the cities of Makati and Cebu. Another Cisco site in Alabang, where Insular’s headquarters is located, will be completed this year.

 

This system allows customers in the Philippines to dial a single toll-free number from anywhere to call and contact Insular Life staff or its agents in any of the three sites.

 

Trends & Technologies, a Cisco Certified Partner is involved in the implementation of the Cisco Unified Communications (News - Alert) project which was initiated two years ago. Trends & Technologies is replacing Insular’s old private branch exchange system (PBX (News - Alert)) with the new Cisco system. This has resulted in cost savings besides greater customer satisfaction.

 

Tisha Cruz, vice president of Insular Life's Information Services Division, said, “We were able to integrate voice communications in the three offices with one local numbering system, facilitating interoffice communications while improving cost efficiency. A Cebu-based customer, for example, may be passed on to a servicing assistant in Alabang as if it were a local call.”

 

“We want to provide tools to our executives and key personnel to deal with their mobility requirements and at the same time address some company cost issues,” added Cruz.

 

The project is expected to be completed by early this year with the linking of the Alabang headquarters with the other two sites in Makati and Cebu.

 

Christian Hentschel, Cisco’s managing director of emerging countries in Asia commented that Insular Life made a smart business decision two years ago to move to unified communications and is now reaping the benefits. He added that Unified communications enables companies like Insular Life, covering widely dispersed geographic locations, to collaborate effectively with its customers and partners.

 

Insular Life has earmarked a major part of its development budget for IT infrastructure enhancement, including the unified communications project.

 

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