Case Studies
Liontrust
Liontrust is an investment management company that provides portfolio management services in UK and European equities and in fixed income securities.
Liontrust was facing the challenge of replacing an old telephone system that was expensive to run and did not meet the company's existing and future business strategy.
IT Manager at Liontrust, David Little explains, "Our existing traditional phone system from Toshiba was coming to the end of its life and we needed to upgrade it so it could support how our company wanted to work.
The old hardware based system was costly to manage and maintain and lacked some of the key features that we needed such as conferencing and comprehensive call recording. Due to the nature of our operation, we also wanted the option to support remote and/or flexible working, because many employees such as sales are on the road or other departments such as IT and operations sometimes need to work from other locations."
Everything at a glance
- Software-based Swyx offers maximum flexibility and the possibility of integrating the communications system with applications such as Microsoft Outlook.
- Swyx enables location-independent telephone system & flexibility for employees including home office and remote work.
- Use of softphones is a bonus for both productivity and work/life balance.
- Swyx automatically records calls to meet FSA regulations.
- Built-in conferencing function reduces costs.
- Staff can dial directly from Outlook or the CRM system and see who is calling.
Solution – Software-based Unified Communications from Swyx
After reviewing a number of different products on the market, Liontrust selected the SwyxWare software-based unified communications solution provided by Swyx Gold partner GPNS. David Little comments on the selection, "I was keen to adopt a software-based product because unlike hardware there are no moving parts and less to go wrong. It is also much more flexible with the possibility of integrating the communications system with other back-office applications such as Microsoft Outlook. GPNS listened to our challenges and then recommended Swyx as the most logical way forward, based on our demands for rich functionality and flexibility."The initial installation by GPNS went smoothly, taking just a couple of days. "A pre-built server was used that was configured and set up remotely. There was no interruption to our daily business," says David Little.
"We have now had the Swyx system for over 2 years and are delighted with the results. We use the built-in conferencing functionality to support four conference rooms that are very easy to use and are cheaper than other third party solutions, especially as these are used on a daily basis. In addition, Swyx automatically records all calls to meet FSA regulations. It is also incredibly easy to retrieve recordings according to date and time."
"Like anything new, there was some initial resistance whilst some employees got used to using softphones, but everyone now sees it as making their life much easier. Using the Swyx softphone which is incredibly slick in the way it works, staff know they have the choice to work on the move, in the office or at home and this is a great bonus for both productivity and work/life balance."
Direct dialling from CRM
"Our office-based traders can take advantage of being able to dial direct from Outlook or the CRM system, and they have also included fast buttons on their personalised softphones enabling them to speak quickly to brokers and funds administrators with whom they are in regular contact. They can also see who is calling them, because the system automatically pops up their names and details that are held in the database."
According to David, there is a 50/50 split between employees using softphones and those preferring handsets. The company is also currently trialling SwyxMobile that enables employees to have the same level of office-based functionality on the road, such as call recording, call forwarding and presence information on their mobile phones.
“We know that our investment in the technology is fully protected."
"In our particular industry where communication, customer service and compliance is key, Swyx perfectly satisfies what we are trying to do and the way we want to work. Because it is software-based we know we can always take advantage of the latest functionality and know that our investment in the technology is fully protected."
About Liontrust
Liontrust is an investment management company that was founded in 1994 and was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1999.
Liontrust provides portfolio management services in UK and European equities and in fixed income securities. These are managed on a long-only, long/short and absolute return basis through unit trusts, individual savings accounts (ISAs), offshore funds, pooled pension funds and segregated institutional accounts. The company markets its investment products to professional investors, predominantly in the UK and Continental Europe. These include pension funds and other institutional investors, family offices, private banks, private client managers, multi-managers, stockbrokers and financial advisers. The company employs 45 staff at its offices in Central London.
Swyx Partner: Elite Telecom