Founded in 1977, Exception PCB are a European time-critical and technology driven printed circuit board manufacturer. Exception PCB needed a new, modern telephone system to replace their old, clunky system that was not user-friendly and did not support hybrid working. We spoke with Philip Danter, IT Manager at Exception PCB who deals with all things IT, including their relationship with Sharp.
The challenge
• Outdated telephone system
• Unable to support customers when off-site
• Required one provider for IT and Telephony
Exception PCB’s previous telephone system had been in place for 15 years. It was old, clunky, and not very user-friendly which is why they were on the hunt for a simple, easy-to-use telephony solution. They wanted something that was flexible and hosted in the cloud as traditional ISDN physical telephone lines were soon to be no more. Exception PCB closed their office for 2 weeks over Christmas and their outdated telephone system meant that their phone would have kept ringing in the office, without the ability to divert or let customers know that they were not there.
The solution
• Updated Telephony system
• Flexible cloud-based solution
• Sharp to manage both IT and Telephony
Exception PCB approached several telephony providers for quotes, including their previous telephone, supplier, but ultimately decided that Sharp was the right fit. The fact that Sharp already supporting their IT since 2011 meant that they would have just one number to call for their IT and telephony needs, making it simple. Sharp proposed Hosted Telephony - a telephone service that uses the Internet rather than landlines, also known as VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). Sharp’s Complete Telephony solution is a fully featured, 100% cloud-based, simple to use VoIP solution designed to enable teams to work smarter and safer.
“It’s great having a team of technical experts to rely on.”
Philip Danter, IT Manager, Exception PCB
The result
• Modern Telephony solution supports hybrid working
• One point of contact for IT and Telephony
• Improved business operations
Since 2011, Sharp have supported Exception PCB, providing leading IT support, and have worked on several IT projects to help improve the way they operate. For example, their new server and wireless project included the installation of a WatchGuard Firewall which monitors their network and helps to keep their systems secure from ever growing cyber threats. During 2020, Exception PCB also made the move to Complete Hosted Telephony, bringing their telephone system into the 21st century – as ISDN lines became obsolete in 2020. Over Christmas, Exception PCB close for 2 weeks, and during this period in 2020, it was especially useful having their new Hosted Telephony solution.
The Complete Telephony app is one of the best features for Exception PCB, as the team can use their laptops as a softphone, which has been incredibly helpful whilst their team have been working remotely .They have been able to answer the phone from anywhere, at any time as if they were in the office. With Complete Hosted Telephony they were able to forward calls to the team at home, so they didn’t lose any orders and customer relationships were maintained, a hugely valuable benefit to their organisation. Exception PCB has a close relationship with the Sharp team, in particular their Technical Consultant, as no matter what time of day he “goes out of his way” to support them. They also appreciate the regular contact and updates from their account manager. Philip said, “Working with Sharp has been very beneficial to the company."
