Property giant Knight Frank moves towards Unified Communications with Gamma

Knight Frank LLP is the world’s largest property agent, has more than 370 offices across six continents, and employs more than 12,000 people. Clients range from private individuals to major property developers, investors and corporate tenants.

Formed in 1896, Knight Frank’s founding principles remain to this day: the highest standards of quality, integrity and uncompromising professionalism. These very same standards helped the company scoop two coveted Estates Gazette 2012 awards for National Property Adviser of the Year and Residential Property Adviser of the Year, and led the judging panel to describe it as ‘a really smart business’.

The Benefits

  • A ‘rock solid’ architecture across the organisation welcomed by staff who are reaping multiple benefits.
  • Ability to deploy powerful computing and multimedia direct to users’ desktops.
  • A foundation for fixed/mobile convergence.
  • A migration platform towards true unified communications.
  • More than 40 times increase in network capacity.
  • Big savings from replacing hundreds of PSTN lines.
  • Fully supports BYOD fixed/mobile convergence and BYOD for a more seamless experience.
  • Able to exploit new opportunities in voice and video for customer interaction.

The Challenge

To meet a growing demand for real time audio, video and imaging on the desktop Knight Frank wanted to move away from computing in the server room and put processing power back on users’ desks.

At the same time the firm wanted to improve its communications infrastructure to better support a mobile and increasingly global workforce, and to deliver a seamless, multimedia and more collaborative experience for all users.

The Solution

Firstly we brought the Knight Frank branch network up to date by replacing some 600 legacy PSTN lines and ADSL links with an Ethernet wide area network, delivering a 40 times increase in capacity and generating new opportunities for video and voice.

Building on the new Ethernet infrastructure we implemented SIP telephony across the organisation, creating an environment for Microsoft® Lync® and leveraging our Lync® 2013 accreditation.

We brought Knight Frank’s extensive and disparate population of mobile devices under the Gamma umbrella, bringing opportunities for fixed/mobile convergence and BYOD.

We’ve given Knight Frank the infrastructure and tools it needs to evolve to unified communications, driving closer collaboration and a consistent one client/all channels experience.

Our new branch network is the enabler for increased use of image and video throughout the organisation, with the option to extend multimedia services out to clients.

600

Legacy PSTN Lines Replaced

40

Times Increased Capacity Delivered