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Presidio and Cisco Help National Engineering Firm Improve Bottom Line by Unifying Voice, Video and Data Networks

Integrated Network Spans Firm’s 22 Offices in Nine States; Move to Unified Communications Nets Firm 33% Savings in Monthly Telecommunications Costs

Greenbelt, MD – February 05, 2008 – Presidio Networked Solutions, the nation’s largest independent Value Added Solutions Provider (VASP), has joined with Cisco Systems to integrate three separate networks into a single converged network at Pennoni Associates, Inc., a multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm headquartered in Philadelphia. A single network that provides voice, data, and video services now connects Pennoni’s 22 offices in nine states, saving the firm more than $10,000 per month and providing additional savings through collaboration and productivity improvements.

“We’ve cut our telecommunication costs by about 33% per month as a result of flat-fee nationwide calling and an 80% reduction in phone lines,” said Markus Weidner, Pennoni’s Director of Information Technology. “We expect costs to drop even further as we continue our network consolidation. We’re earning money immediately on our Cisco investment, and the more offices we add to the system, the better economy we realize.”

Presidio Networked Solutions, Cisco’s third-largest unified-communications partner, installed, tested and deployed the system initially in Pennoni’s Wilmington, Delaware, office and networked six more locations over the following six weeks. Based on the rollout’s initial success and Pennoni’s need to manage its own unified-communications network, Weidner’s internal IT staff underwent training, including guidance by Presidio and Cisco during the initial deployment. Following training, Weidner’s crew rolled out the system to its remaining sites.

Cisco Unified Communications (UC) provides the foundation of the communication platform, streamlining business processes and collaboration by integrating Pennoni’s voice, video and data networks. For call processing, Presidio installed the scalable Cisco Unified Communications Manager 5.1, which enables unified messaging, multimedia conferencing, collaborative contact centers, and interactive multimedia response. Complementing UC Manager is Cisco Unity Unified Messaging 4.2, which unites voice, fax and email messages in a single mailbox for easy retrieval from any phone, computer or mobile device.

Pennoni also added Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express, an integrated voice, video and Web conferencing solution that enables employees to set up and attend meetings from a variety of different interfaces, including Microsoft Outlook calendars. Finally, Pennoni selected Cisco 7900-Series Unified IP Phones, which provide color LCD displays, soft (configurable) keys for automated use of advanced call features and functions and easy access to a variety of information.

“The collaboration of Cisco and Presidio, together with Pennoni Associates’ drive to achieve the real promise of unified communications, has resulted in one of the most feature-rich deployments of IP-based networking that Presidio has seen to date,” said Dave Hart, Chief Technology Officer for Presidio Networked Solutions. “With its core UC architecture in place and its 22 sites deployed, Pennoni Associates is now in position to leverage the scalability of Cisco Unified Communications to expand beyond its current geographical base and has the flexibility to add features as its needs evolve.”

In a converged network built around unified communications, Internet access, voice service, multimedia communications, and location services (“presence”) all become possible over a single, IP-based system and a single line to each user. Out of that core, a common platform emerges for user access to all types of communications. This approach provides flexibility as an enterprise grows, and can also reduce long-term operation and maintenance costs.


About the Presidio Networked Solutions

Presidio Networked Solutions, the IT infrastructure industry’s leading Value Added Solutions Provider (VASP), addresses the complete technology lifecycle – plan, design, integrate, operate and optimize – for the enterprise, commercial and government markets. Presidio’s comprehensive portfolio comprises Unified Communications, wireless, security, storage, and network infrastructure solutions, and the company represents such vendor partners as Cisco, EMC, IBM, Microsoft, NetApp, Nortel, and Sun. The company holds the highest networking industry certifications from Cisco Systems (Master Unified Communications Specialization and Gold Certified Partner), Nortel (Elite Advantage Partner), and IBM (Premier Partner), as well as a host of other high-level certifications. Presidio Networked Solutions also offers customers an extensive range of financing solutions, including leasing.

The name Presidio Networked Solutions is a trademark of Presidio Networked Solutions. Other trade names used in this document are acknowledged to be the properties of their respective owners.