Doss Aviation

Challenge

"An IP environment is all server based," said Jamie Trujillo, general manager of Information Technology at Doss Aviation. "You plug a phone into the wall, that phone talks to the server and registers it and bingo, you have yourself a fully-functioning extension wherever you'd like. I couldn't sacrifice a technician in a TDM closet cross-connecting wires all day long."

In addition to migrating to the latest technology, the company experienced significant phone outages caused by another vendor. "Our CLE C got to the point where our phone system was going down for days at a time every month," said Trujillo. "That had a negative impact on our operations and was simply unacceptable."

With the decision to move forward with an IP phone system, Trujillo's team evaluated Avaya, Nortel and Cisco solutions. The evaluators opted to go with the Qwest implemented Cisco solution for a number of reasons. "The Qwest customer service and follow-up skills as well as the overall installation, is what sealed the deal for us," said Trujillo.

Solution

CenturyLink designed and implemented a reliable phone system based on its T-1 local service and Cisco IP phones, routers, switches, Unified Communications Manager (UCM) and Secure Monitoring and Reporting System (SMARS). The solution supports the company's 250,000 square foot aviation training facility in Pueblo, Colorado.

Benefits and Results

• Reliable CenturyLink/Cisco solution all but eliminated phone outages
• Easy-to-administer IP phone system liberated substantial number of administrative labor hours to be spent upon mission-critical business applications
• Cisco SMARTnet hardware and software support contract ensures that the company's Cisco solutions are up to date, properly maintained and promptly repaired if needed
• The CenturyLink team delivered highly competent expertise and advice for the design, implementation and effective use of Cisco solutions
• Cisco UCM replaced basic functionality with feature-rich IP capabilities

Company Profile

Doss Aviation, Inc. manages air terminals and provides pilot flight training instruction. With direction from the company's Colorado Springs, Colorado headquarters, the firm's 500 employees support about 19 contract sites in 13 different states and a couple of overseas locations.

In 2006, the company was awarded a U.S. Air Force (USAF) contract to train the next generation of USAF pilots. To date, the $40 million per-year company boasts a proud safety record, posting over 118,000 accident-free flying hours while training over 5,900 USAF pilot candidates.

The company maintains a 250,000 square-foot facility in Pueblo, Colorado. It is here that USAF undergraduate pilot training takes place. The site houses aircraft, flight rooms, classrooms, an auditorium, 195 lodging rooms and fitness facilities. Because the building used a TDM phone system that offered only basic functionality, IT managers began researching IP technologies to implement a more robust alternative.