The bank uses a full suite of phone and online customer channels, including internet and mobile banking.
The Challenge
TSB Bank’s extensive legacy communications network servicing retail branches and customer contact centres was ageing and unable to support enhancements, innovations and more comprehensive security measures.
The project was more than just a simple telephony upgrade. TSB Bank needed to create a transformation platform for next generation unified communications, and balance this development with legislative audit requirements and policies.
To further complicate the challenge, one of TSB Bank’s points of pride and a core value statement is based on complete commitment to their customers; ‘your calls will be answered by our friendly, helpful staff, not an answerphone’.
Finding a partner they could trust to provide a fail-proof system for the delivery of voice services without adverse customer interruption was an essential part of TSB Bank’s selection process.
The Datacom Difference
We chose to develop a solution based on industry best-in-class Cisco Unified Communications Manager, with the solution’s core spanning two geographically diverse data centres: TSB Bank’s own New Plymouth Data Centre and Datacom’s Kapua Data Centre.
Additionally a number of complex third party solutions were needed to provide call recording, fax management and billing. This required in-place infrastructure upgrades at all TSB Bank sites, which was not only technically complex, but also a large logistical challenge.
Beyond the centrally managed core telephony services, the platform enables full unified communication functions; video conferencing, document collaboration, instant messaging and presence. These systems allow TSB Bank to leverage the platform for new and advanced services to customers, for example, video calling via the TSB Bank website to a staff member. This helps TSB to differentiate from other banks with a focus on local care and personal service.
The project started early in 2014 and continues today in a very close collaborative partnership. We have visited 28 physical locations, created disaster recovery sites in new data centre locations, introduced our nationwide field services capability and started proof of concept for Datacom-led cloud technologies.
“We have realised considerable cost savings through the elimination of legacy local phone lines and creation of a progressive multi-channel communications platform. We are also pleased to have our critical systems properly backed-up by one of two data centres in the event of a major outage.”
Marie Collins - CIO, TSB Bank