8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), a provider of cloud-based unified
communications, contact center and collaboration solutions, today
announced that KC Integrated Services, a full-service transportation and
supply chain solutions provider for North America and beyond, has
implemented 8x8 cloud communications across its geographically
distributed organization, which spans 14 locations in Michigan, Ohio,
Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Ontario, Canada.
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Carleton, Michigan, KC Integrated
Services provides truckload services, finished vehicle transport, and
fleet leasing and maintenance through its KC Transportation, KACE, Tran
Tech, and Markare Services divisions. The company has also established
itself as one of the largest Certified Minority Owned logistics
providers in North America.
The newly deployed 8x8 cloud-based solution replaces an outdated analog
phone system that routed all communications through a central hub at the
company’s main office in Carleton. Whenever that office lost power or
connectivity, the entire communications system failed.
“Environmental factors definitely played a role in our decision to
deploy an 8x8 cloud solution,” said Bob Bergstrom, director of
information services at KC Integrated Services. “Michigan has brutal
winters and severe thunderstorms that made our previous system
vulnerable to outages. With 8x8, we can protect the business but still
communicate easily across all locations.”
KC Integrated Services currently uses 8x8 cloud communications services
in 14 sites across seven geographic locations. A centralized corporate
directory included on every desktop lets employees quickly look up
coworkers, see their status and call their extensions. Auto attendants
with both day and night greetings efficiently route outside calls to the
right departments.
8x8’s internal chat feature and mobile app have also enhanced worker
productivity. Employees who need a quick answer to a question can now
use chat rather than wait for an email response. The 8x8 mobile app
gives them the flexibility to make and take business calls anywhere
without revealing their personal cell phone numbers.
Bergstrom and other employees are also taking advantage of advanced 8x8
phone features, such as “find me, follow me,” which allows users to set
up their own personal call-routing rules. For example, when a user does
not answer a call at the office, the caller can be given the option to
try the user’s cell phone, home phone, or any other configured phone
number.
Meeting features are included in the company’s 8x8 service, eliminating
the added cost of a separate conferencing application. Bergstrom notes
that 8x8's Outlook plug-in makes scheduling and managing meetings much
easier for users. The intuitive, web-based system administration portal
gets very high marks from Bergstrom’s technical staff.
“Making changes to our previous system was very complicated, and there
was only one guy who really knew how to do it,” recalled Bergstrom.
“8x8’s web interface is straightforward, user-friendly, and highly
configurable. We’ve trained our entire IT team on the new system so we
all know how to make changes and can share knowledge instead of losing
it.”
As a company that deals with transportation logistics, KC Integrated
Services has unique requirements for routing calls to its dispatchers.
When Bergstrom contacted customer support for help in configuring the
phone system, 8x8 created a customized routing solution.
“8x8 has opened up new avenues of communication for us and been a true
partner in the process,” said Bergstrom. “We believe that partnership
will help us grow our business over the long term.”
"The flexibility of 8x8 cloud communications allows us to deliver
affordable solutions that meet specific business requirements and
provide disaster recovery,” said 8x8 CEO Vik Verma. "By moving their
communications to the cloud, geographically dispersed organizations like
KC Integrated Services can eliminate single points of failure in their
networks and achieve a triple win: better business continuity, richer
communication tools, and significant cost savings.”
About 8x8, Inc.
8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT) is the trusted provider of secure and reliable
cloud-based unified
communications and virtual contact center solutions to more than
36,000 small, midsize and distributed enterprise organizations operating
in over 40 countries across six continents. 8x8's out-of-the-box cloud
solutions replace traditional on-premise PBX hardware and software-based
systems with a flexible and scalable Software as a Service (SaaS)
alternative, encompassing cloud business phone service, contact center
solutions, and web conferencing. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or
www.8x8.com/UK or connect with 8x8
on Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About KC Integrated
KC Integrated Services, headquartered in Carleton, Michigan, was
established in 1986 and has grown into a full service Supply Chain
Solutions provider for North America and beyond. We have established
ourselves as one of the largest Certified Minority Owned logistics
providers in North America. KC Integrated Services offers our customers
a full range of logistics services including Transportation Management,
Part Sequencing and Sub-Assembly Services, Truckload Services, Finished
Vehicle Transportation, Equipment Leasing & Maintenance and IT
Solutions. Our network of facilities is strategically located within the
vast manufacturing areas of North America.
Copyright Business Wire 2014