Company
A long-term Colt partner, Quendra designs and delivers IT and communications solutions for enterprise customers in Europe. To ensure the quality and reliability of its solutions, Quendra works with market leaders like Colt.
Business drivers - why transform communications?
The migration from local Microsoft applications to Microsoft 365 led Johan to explore using Microsoft Teams to meet Cosco’s voice and video calling needs.
“The ability to use a computer as a phone with a fixed number was something our old PBX couldn’t support,” — Johan De Wispelaere, IT Manager, Cosco Shipping Lines
With 75% of employees working from home during the pandemic, Johan realised that Microsoft Teams could make it easier to keep both internal and external communications running smoothly. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Colt integrates Microsoft 365 with the Colt IQ Network to provide reliable, high‑bandwidth connectivity for voice and video communications.
“Unlike other voice integration solutions we considered, Colt’s is based in the cloud, which fits with Cosco’s ongoing journey to cloud infrastructure.”
The Solution
Colt integrated a cloud‑based, Microsoft‑certified session border controller (SBC) with Cosco’s existing Colt IP Access and SIP Trunking services to support voice and video calls using Microsoft Teams. Cosco retained its existing direct‑dial numbers, ensuring transparency for customers and external callers. Employees now use IP desk phones or softphones on their laptops to make and receive calls.
The Outcome
Following a brief proof of concept, the solution was rolled out to all 95 employees at the company’s Antwerp and Zeebrugge offices.
Key benefits included:
- Easier setup of users and hunt groups
- Simplified call‑forwarding
- Better reachability for people working from home
- Easier organisation of high‑quality video calls for internal and external participants
“Users love it — the interface is the same on all devices, and so intuitive that they’re discovering new features themselves,” says Johan. “Users can also manage password resets without IT support, which makes life easier for my team.”
As a cloud‑based solution, rollout was faster and non‑disruptive, with no equipment to install or configure onsite. The solution also proved to be more cost‑effective. Colt, Quendra and ez Networking (Cosco’s Microsoft 365 partner) collaborated closely to ensure a smooth deployment.
“The collaboration was excellent, with everyone understanding their responsibilities and bringing their technical expertise to bear,” says Johan.
A Friday evening cutover ensured the solution was ready for use the following Monday morning. Cosco’s Rotterdam office is now also implementing the same solution.
