Case Studies

Working to Identify and Protect SA’s Heritage Resources

Posted on 11 November 202511 November 2025 by Natalie van der Merwe

Vox partnered with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) to deliver an integrated programme of connectivity, voice and network security, demonstrating how SAHRA connectivity and SD‑WAN for heritage sites can safeguard archives, improve communication and reduce costs. SAHRA requires a modern, secure and resilient IT environment to protect national heritage records and support remote working.

Planning SAHRA’s Connectivity and SD-WAN for SA’s Heritage Sites

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) is an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture – formerly known until 2000 as the National Monuments Council – which is tasked with an overall legislative mandate to identify, assess, manage, protect and promote heritage resources in South Africa, and to protect them for future generations.

National heritage sites need to be protected and safeguarded from damage or alteration, and it’s important to prevent development that could endanger their existence. As a national agency with additional provincial authorities, SAHRA works with local communities to identify heritage resources and record their oral and living histories, as well as increase public involvement in the preservation of heritage resources.

“South Africa has a very rich heritage,” says Stephen Muller, SAHRA ICT Manager, “and SAHRA works across a number of business units – including Heritage Properties, Burial Grounds and Graves, the Built Environment and Heritage Protection – to identify and protect heritage resources in South Africa.

“We have a very valuable registry in the form of our internal archives, encompassing a vast amount of heritage documents including old papers, plans, maps, information about graves…. information from the past that it’s important to protect and preserve.

“Overall, our outlook for the future is to become significantly more digitalised, including with our registry and archives, and also as an organisation overall. The work done by SAHRA is valuable and it’s important that it’s assisted in the digital realm, to protect South Africa’s Heritage Sites in the physical realm.”

South Africa has eight World Heritage Sites, as follows: Robben Island (Western Cape), iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu/Natal); the Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng), Maloti Drakensberg Park (Kwa-Zulu/Natal), Mapungubwe Heritage Site (in Limpopo province, located at the border of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana), the Cape Floral Kingdom (Western Cape), the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (in the Northern Cape, along the Orange River border with Namibia) and the Vredefort Dome (Free State).

In addition, there are also several heritage sites declared by SAHRA, which include the Castle of Good Hope, the Bushmanskloof Rock Painting Landscape, the Daljosafat Cultural Landscape, the SS Mendi Memorial, the South African Astronomical Observatory, Liliesleaf Farm and the West Coast Fossil Park, among others.

4 1080 5 1080x720 1 | Vox | Working to Identify and Protect SA's Heritage Resources — SS Mendi Memorial

The Business Challenge

“It’s our intention to have a proper electronic document records management system in place so that we can get all our information, including our records and administrative systems, more digital,” explains Muller.

“We are moving forward in this regard; for example we have a YouTube channel and we use it to broadcast on pertinent issues, including a webinar in September – which is Heritage Month in South Africa – which is geared towards allowing the public to share in the conversation. I like to say that even though we’re a heritage organisation, it doesn’t mean that our technology or infrastructure needs to be heritage as well!”

In the quest to keep SAHRA’s digital processes and communications systems modern and not ‘vintage’, the organisation has carried out a significant number of implementations or upgrades in the past 10 years or so. These include such important technology elements as:

Business Fibre connectivity;
Voice and Telephony solutions;
Backup of data;
Foundational network security; and
The implementation of an SD-WAN solution.

Some of these implementations have been carried out at SAHRA’s head office in the Western Cape, and others have been at regional offices. SAHRA operates across four sites around the country. Muller clarifies that there have been some challenges previously with getting all the sites connected with fast connectivity, including the use of a slow ADSL line at one of the regional offices.

“Our concerns were around data security and service continuity, as well as site integrations that were required to interlink all our colleagues and allow them to interact and integrate with our existing systems and offices. Vox was able to address these requirements through well detailed bids,” he explains.

The Business Solution

As a government entity, SAHRA is required to follow strict bidding / tender procedures each time a new project or upgrade over a particular Rand value is required. Muller explains: “Being a government entity, we have to follow a formal public procurement process and that’s always done by a means of competitive bidding. SAHRA’s relationship with Vox began when we had to shift our existing voice solution, and then we also added in the Internet connectivity as well. Later on, we found the need to include managed firewall services and most recently we have had a requirement for an SD-WAN solution.

“On each of these occasions, Vox has submitted separate tender documentation in response to the advertised tenders. In summary, Vox has helped SAHRA to improve on our operational efficiency, including the enhancement of our remote working capabilities. Additionally, Vox has helped us to strengthen our cybersecurity posture, while also reducing infrastructure costs over time.”

Vox was the successful winner of a number of tender processes for SAHRA in recent years, as follows:

2018/2019: Hosted Digital Communication System

Fibre connectivity
Verto Hosted PBX and Yealink handsets
Uncapped Voice
Communications Manager (TMS)
Network Cabling
Chrome Air (Voice over LTE)
Number porting

2020: Poly Studio VC Solution

2021: Veeam Backup & Replication Enterprise Plus

2022: Connectivity and Voice and Network security

Primary and failover connectivity at five sites
- Consists of fibre, wireless and LTE
Moved from Verto Supreme to 3CX Cloud for PBX, Unified Communication and mobility services
Uncapped Voice
Fortigate Firewall at five sites

2024: Connectivity and Voice and Network security / SD-WAN

Provision of two stand-alone internet links at four sites
- Consists of fibre, wireless and LTE
Moved from Verto Supreme to 3CX Cloud for PBX, Unified Communication and mobility services
Uncapped Voice
Fortigate Firewall at five sites with SD-WAN for WAN resiliency

René Minnie, Key Account Manager at Vox, clarifies that the most recent 2024 upgrades are of particular interest and significance for SAHRA, involving upgrades to the entity’s connectivity, voice and network security. She says: “When we look at the migration from Verto Supreme to 3CX Cloud, we see that Vox is providing SAHRA with a solution that is future-proof and rich in functionality, and which allows more control. With regards to the implementation of an SD-WAN solution, it is important to note that Vox has provisioned for the ability to use both links at each site.

“As for the benefits of SD-WAN, it’s a modern networking solution that simplifies the management and operation of a wide area network (WAN) by decoupling the network hardware from its control mechanism, with key benefits including improved network performance, cost efficiency, enhanced security, simplified management, and scalability and flexibility.”

More details on the benefits of SD-WAN are as follows:

Improved Performance: SD-WAN intelligently routes traffic across the most efficient paths, reducing latency and improving application performance, especially for cloud-based services.
Cost Efficiency: SD-WAN allows businesses to use lower-cost internet connections (like broadband) alongside or instead of expensive MPLS links, significantly reducing WAN costs.
Enhanced Security: Built-in encryption, firewall capabilities and centralised security policies help protect data across all network endpoints.
Simplified Management: Centralised control makes it easier to configure, monitor and manage the network, reducing the need for manual intervention and on-site IT support.
Scalability and Flexibility: SD-WAN supports rapid deployment across multiple locations and adapts easily to changing business needs, making it ideal for growing organisations.

A Strategic Partner Towards the SAHRA IT Unit

Muller says he has been very happy with both the service and the products received from Vox overall, and enjoys an extremely positive relationship with Vox. He clarifies: “The service levels have always been consistently high, and in fact have always exceeded what we at SAHRA have requested. We also very much appreciate the scalability of the available offerings.

“You could say that Vox has essentially become a strategic partner towards the SAHRA IT unit, and as a company, its employees and divisions are very good at communicating the available offerings, both for a present requirement as well as for future possibilities and planning – I find Vox to be well-structured and transparent.”

Muller also praises the quality of Vox’s tender documents, which, he says, are unfailingly of a high quality and provide all the information – and sometimes more – than actually required.

“Usually, we look to see that the potential service providers are able to meet or even exceed our minimum requirements,” he explains. “Then we look at proven reliability and uptime, scalability, security and compliance. Cost-effectiveness plays a vital role as well, and we also look at strong support and after-sales service.

“Vox scores consistently highly across all these categories, including with excellent service and competitive pricing across all its products. The type of bid received from Vox overall is always excellent. No matter big or small, there’s always enough information. If it’s a specific brand or model mentioned, there will be a specification sheet that paints a clear picture.”

Minnie adds that the interactions with Muller and the rest of his team at SAHRA have always been most pleasant: “As a company, people across a number of divisions at Vox appreciate SAHRA’s business relationship, which is based on mutual politeness and respect. Our two companies work extremely well together, and we look forward to continuing to be of assistance to SAHRA for many years into the future,” she says.

“I believe that in Vox, SAHRA has found an excellent partner and over the years, we have met regularly and enjoyed smooth operations overall. And so if I could sum it up, Vox’s offerings are a clear commitment to a partnership with long-term value overall, because of the scalability and expansions that are offered by Vox,” concludes Muller.

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FAQs

What is SD‑WAN and why is it important for heritage institutions?
SD‑WAN is a modern WAN architecture that intelligently routes traffic across multiple links. It improves performance, resilience and security, which is critical for institutions needing reliable access to cloud archives and remote collaboration.

Which Vox products were implemented at SAHRA?
Vox implemented Business Fibre, voice platforms (Verto Hosted PBX historically and migration to 3CX Cloud), Yealink handsets, Fortigate firewalls, Veeam backup and Poly Studio VC, plus wireless/LTE failover.

How does SD‑WAN improve security?
SD‑WAN supports centralised security policies, encryption of WAN links and integration with managed firewalls, reducing exposure for distributed sites and sensitive data.

Can SD‑WAN reduce costs for government agencies?
Yes. By enabling the use of lower‑cost broadband and LTE alongside fibre, SD‑WAN can lower WAN expenses while maintaining performance and resilience.

How did Vox ensure compliance with SAHRA’s procurement rules?
All implementations were awarded through formal competitive tenders, with Vox submitting detailed, compliant bid documents for each procurement phase.

Will SD‑WAN help with disaster recovery and backups?
SD‑WAN improves connectivity resilience which supports replication and backup workflows. Combined with solutions like Veeam, it strengthens overall data protection and recovery capabilities.

Is 3CX Cloud suitable for public sector organisations?
3CX Cloud provides unified communications, mobility and scalability, making it suitable for public sector needs when paired with secure network infrastructure and managed services.

How can heritage organisations begin modernising their IT?
Start with a connectivity assessment, define continuity and security requirements, and procure resilient links, firewall protection and a future‑proof voice platform. Consider a phased tendered approach similar to SAHRA’s.

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Vox and the Lions Group – A Case Study

Posted on 2 December 20243 December 2024 by Stefan Pretorius

The Lions Group consists of three entities, namely the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the Lions Rugby Company, and EPS Management. Collectively, the three companies are the custodians of rugby in their region, from grassroots development all the way up to international interprovincial teams. While their primary focus is rugby, the Group has diversified its revenue streams to include various other activities, including concerts, sporting events, commercial rentals, and private functions and conferencing.

Pieter Burger, Manager Director: EPS, explains: “We have a passion for innovation and doing things differently, and consistent improvements in and around our facilities make them not only relevant, but also industry leaders in certain areas. This flexibility in our product offering, combined with innovation, is what distinguishes us from our competitors.”

The Business Challenge

During big games or concerts, stadiums face unique challenges due to their large, dense crowds, and one of these challenges involves providing connectivity to the highest standard.

Excellent connectivity is needed for broadcasting purposes, both within the stadium as well as to external broadcasting channels; financial transactions, including the sales of food and beverages and retail items; and Wi-Fi connectivity for the fans, which is an imperative for any live entertainment experience.

“As with any large sports and entertainment stadium, technology plays an important role in customer experiences at the Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park Stadium), the home of the Golden Lions rugby team,” notes Stefan Pretorius: Enterprise Key Account Manager at Vox.

“Through Vox’s use of innovative technology, we assist in providing both stadium employees and customers alike with positive experiences during high-profile events. The use of network optimisation techniques can help maintain a high-quality Wi-Fi connection for everyone, but it all starts with sufficient and optimal broadband infrastructure.”

“As part of the entertainment industry, it is critical for the Lions Group to know that innovative technology and leading connectivity are together able to enhance high performance, as well as the consumers’ experience and preferences,” adds Burger. “Connectivity access networks, and their reliable uptime, is key in our industry.”

The Business Solution

Pretorius clarifies that Vox is responsible for supplying all connectivity to Emirates Airline Park, as follows:

Two 1Gbps dedicated Business Fibre links;
One 200Mbps dedicated Business Fibre link to the practice stadium next door;
Firewalls; and
An SD-WAN Solution for load balancing.

“Vox is a strategic partner of the Lions Group,” says Burger, “and we have benefited from our existing partnership with them for some years now. One of these advantages is that, as our technology requirements progressively increase, so we turn to Vox to implement enhancements as required.

“Before signing up with Vox, our main concerns and challenges involved Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Connectivity and cloud solutions. Today, as our infrastructure partner, Vox provides excellent bandwidth and reliable uptime, and takes care of any required upgrades following a needs assessment and consultation. We also enjoy efficient support from Vox very quickly whenever required.”

Overall Experience with Vox

“We never have any concerns or issues with the implementation processes for our chosen solutions, which are always effectively handled by Vox engineers,” comments Burger. “Just like the Lions Group, we know that Vox has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and always strives to improve and enhance its service offering and effectiveness, and we admire and appreciate this shared synergy.

“We believe that Emirates Airline Park has the best bandwidth and reliability of any stadium in South Africa, as was displayed to such good effect during the Springboks versus New Zealand test in August 2024. Our relationship and overall experience with Vox is excellent – we could not ask for a better partner!”

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A journey to excellence: Vox’s rise to 3CX Titanium partner status

Posted on 11 June 202431 July 2024 by Natalie van der Merwe

Vox, a leading internet service provider, saw their growing customer needs for a reliable and cost-efficient unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) solution with a proven track record and a solid feature set. As a result the company partnered with 3CX in 2020, and achieved Titanium Partner status in 2021. This is a proud accomplishment in such a short time frame. Vox achieved this milestone through exceptional customer service, deep technical understanding and loyalty to the 3CX solution.

“We needed a PBX solution that would meet customer needs for a UC&C solution that was affordable, agile and scalable. As we were expanding into new markets, we recognised the need for a solution that would allow us to invest in a PBX solution that would add value to our portfolio and allow us to create relevant offerings with next-generation technology,” explains Natalie Van Der Merwe, head of Telephony at Vox.

Vox ISP forms part of the Vivica Group and provides connectivity, communication and collaboration-related services to home users, businesses and large enterprise customers both in South Africa and in the UK. The company uses multiple technologies, tier-1 platforms, and advanced skills and expertise to curate solutions that meet a variety of customer needs. In 2020, Vox realised that its original combination of open-sourced, on-premises and cloud-based services provided a very basic PBX functionality which wasn’t capable of meeting changing customer expectations.

The company needed a product that would deliver UC&C with high levels of support and a solid feature set while remaining affordable and accessible for its customer base.

“When we started looking for a solution in 2020, we faced significant issues,” says Van der Merwe. “Many of the available solutions lacked on-site support, then there was the global chip shortage, the rising cost of hardware, and a lack of functionality and reliability on many platforms. We had to find a balance between technical proficiency, cost and availability.”

Changing PBX brand and platform is a complex task. It can impact the entire business and cause costly disruption to the customer base, so finding the perfect partner was essential to Vox. The company looked into a variety of different technologies before settling on 3CX. Providing the right levels of technology, support, and functionality, the 3CX solution was seamlessly integrated into the Vox business, proving its ease of deployment. It met all of Vox’s criteria – providing customers with a high-end, competitive and accessible PBX solution that didn’t weigh heavily on the bottom line. As an added bonus, technical staff were quickly certified with training provided by 3CX for free – a significant win for Vox as training can often come at a very high cost.

”Vox’s partnership with 3CX has been nothing short of exceptional”, says Mira Gemayel, 3CX Senior Channel Manager Africa, MENA & Asia. They reached our top-tier Titanium Partner status in less than a year, proving their commitment and loyalty to 3CX. Their fast progression, coupled with their unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service, further demonstrates their deep understanding of both 3CX and the evolving needs of their clients. Vox’s success shows 3CX’s ability to enable high-performing partners to reach their sales goals and successfully move up the partner ladder. We look forward to the future successes of our partnership.”

Vox achieved its record Titanium Partner status with a focused and dedicated sales force committed to providing customers with a turnkey solution within the Vox Managed Services portfolio. The company ensured it was certified across the country so customers were assured of peace of mind. Vox also spent time in its R&D labs documenting best practices to ensure teams could deploy working solutions seamlessly.

“The support we’ve been given by 3CX has been superb,” concludes Van der Merwe . “They provided us with extensive information and ensured we have what we need to deliver exceptional customer service. This is a partnership that’s set to grow from strength to strength.”

Nymbis Cloud Solutions Adopts 3CX Cloud from Vox

Posted on 15 January 202426 September 2024 by Natalie van der Merwe

Nymbis Cloud Solutions adopts 3CX Cloud from Vox to transform business communications.

A customer-centric cloud integrator, Nymbis Cloud Solutions provides internationally accessible Cloud services, solutions and platforms to businesses of various sizes. Nymbis offers insight and skills, enabling customers with technology adoption and migration to any Cloud, anywhere.

The Business Challenge

Nymbis Cloud Solutions (Nymbis), a cloud computing, data protection and data centre hosting solutions provider, required an agile and scalable communications platform capable of handling the constantly changing demands of a completely virtual company. “As a team of more than 40 people geographically dispersed across the country in a completely virtual working environment, we required a solution that would allow us to communicate seamlessly across multiple channels,” says Barry Kemp, Head of Nymbis. “We couldn’t have a PBX on site and the solution we had in place was costing us productivity. What we needed was a fire-and-forget PBX solution that simply worked, without a hefty price tag or complex licensing.”

Nymbis’ unique business model and requirements led the company to 3CX, an industry-leading business communication solutions and software provider with a clear pricing model and plug-and-play capabilities. Coupled with a turnkey offering from Vox, Nymbis also benefited from high-speed Internet connectivity and uncapped Voice calling, which resulted in a budget-friendly solution.

The Business Solution

The added benefit of having unlimited users from 3CX’s simple licensing model meant that there are no per user fees, only an annual cost based on system size and licence edition. This was a significant drawcard for Nymbis, as Kemp points out, “The dollar costs of cloud-based PBX solutions, especially with licensing and a fluctuating rand rate, can catch up with the business quickly. Vox takes care of all of that, which results in a predictable telephony bill for our contracted period with no risk of bill shock.”

Another value-add was the seamless onboarding of the PBX solution into the Nymbis environment. Implementation took place within a clear timeline and Vox provided practical onboarding training for employees to ensure they were able to access and use the system easily. “There’s no point in selling a product without ensuring everyone knows how to use it,” says Natalie van der Merwe, product manager of 3CX at Vox. “This is key to ensuring that customers get real value from their investment.”

It’s a view shared by Kemp, who adds: “Vox provided documentation and training to ensure we can use the system to its full potential, and this has made a significant difference to how we have experienced using the system.”

The Benefits

Part of the installation included the implementation of a telephone management system (TMS) that extracts data from the digital telephone system to provide detailed insights into calling behaviour and costs. Initially, this part of the solution didn’t see a lot of traction in the company as users didn’t initially see the value, but it has now become a critical value-add for the business, offering insights that allow for optimised user behaviours and cost management.

“The TMS has allowed us to gain access to granular reporting that allows us to engage with our sales teams more effectively and to assess which areas of the business are seeing productivity declines or increases,” says Kemp. “It is further enhanced by Atmos, a compliant call recording solution that allows for us to store calls indefinitely – we can then pull up calls and assess performance, manage disputes, refine sales team training and so much more.”

Two other clear benefits for Nymbis have been zero downtime since the solution was implemented and rigorous security. The 3CX solution includes 99.99% uptime, superb hardware and software, clearly defined processes and robust embedded security. Overall, the 3CX platform has filled a previous gap with an agile and capable communications platform that delivers exceptional services at the right price.

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CallCabinet and Vox deliver enhanced regulatory-compliant call recording capabilities

Posted on 22 September 20231 August 2024 by Natalie van der Merwe

With many business engagements now taking place over the phone, call recording technology has become crucial to organisations when it comes to compliance, quality assurance and dispute resolution. A long-standing challenge has been the exorbitant costs of on-premise infrastructure coupled with the additional license requirements that limited call recording to enterprises; with the arrival of cloud-based services, however, this functionality is now cost-effective and accessible to all businesses that require it.

“Depending on the industry and the regulation that governs it, call recordings have to be stored for a certain period of time. This means that any organisation with a call centre, contact centre or support centre environment dealing with contractual engagements, or working with personal information over the phone, should have invested in regulatory-compliant call recording,” says Natalie van der Merwe, Head of Product: Telephony, at Vox.

And, the process is easier than ever: rather than having to buy expensive hardware and software to enable on-premise call recording, Van der Merwe says the cloud has commoditised the service in a way that scales up as required by the business, meaning they don’t need to invest in infrastructure and only pay for what they use. Delivered as a true software-as-a-service, regulatory-compliant call recording is no longer preserved for those who can afford high-end enterprise technologies.

“Market-leading providers, such as CallCabinet, are voice platform agnostic, meaning that an organisation can have a blend of on-premises, hybrid and hosted telecoms infrastructure across multiple branches – using different PBX technologies – and still make use of a single end-to-end recording solution for ease of use. By working with South African partners such as Vox for over 15 years, they are able to blend their global expertise with local knowledge in order to better serve customer requirements,” says Matthew Balcomb, EMEA Sales and Marketing Director at CallCabinet Corporation.

So, what makes a call recording regulatory compliant? Balcomb says one of the factors in adhering to many of the above-mentioned pieces of legislation, is data sovereignty – the concept whereby data is recorded, processed and stored within the borders of a particular country. Here it is especially helpful to work with a provider that has global reach as they not only understand the different regulatory requirements across various countries but can offer call recording services wherever a business operates while maintaining data sovereignty.

He explains that it is not all about compliance though, as organisations can also use call recording data to improve the quality of their service – we are all familiar with phoning a call centre only to be greeted by a message stating that ‘this call is being recorded for quality purposes’. Here too, cloud-based services, assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) is making a difference: rather than having a dozen supervisors manually listen to calls, AI tools give them real-time automated AI-assisted insight into how agents are dealing with callers.

“In addition, all call recordings are individually encrypted using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) at the source, with a rotating encryption methodology that is unique to each call made, recorded, and then securely stored. This can be used to prove that a recording has not been tampered with. In addition, call recordings play a crucial role when it comes to dispute resolution as well,” adds Van der Merwe.

Balcomb points out that a concern for organisations that have invested heavily into on-premises call recording infrastructure is what to do with their legacy recording data. Traditionally, they would have to continue to pay a licence fee or for a managed service to maintain their legacy recordings for the length of time as required by legislation. To address this, CallCabinet has the ability to unencrypt, ingest and process legacy recordings in a compliant manner into the cloud, with all data presented in a single pane of glass.

“Not complying with these pieces of legislation can result in not only heavy financial penalties for organisations but even face jail time in extreme cases. This shifts the need for regulatory-compliant call recording from a ‘nice to have’ to being a necessity for certain types of businesses due to growing regulatory requirements. Thankfully, cost-effective, cloud-based, regulatory-compliant call recording is now accessible to more businesses than ever before,” concludes Van der Merwe.

Vox 3CX Cloud – A Jacaranda FM Case Study

Posted on 31 May 202326 September 2024 by Guin Davies

The Industry

Broadcasting to a combined audience of over three million listeners, Jacaranda FM is one of South Africa’s biggest independent radio stations. What began as a broadcast service for FM radio listeners in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province now encompasses the globe thanks to innovations in digital streaming and social media.

Moving into the realm of digital media brings added pressure, says Jacaranda FM’s Technical & IT Manager, Andrew Pike, “There are many more competitors than when it was just radio.”

The Business Challenge

Understandably, when the stakes are that high, there’s no time for downtime or miscommunication. When Jacaranda FM was faced with an issue of high costs and low flexibility with their previous Voice and Data solution, Andrew knew a change needed to be made. Preferably one that didn’t involve any logistical complications or unnecessary technical glitches during the transition. It’s a big ask – especially in a hybrid work environment with a distributed workforce, from head office to the home office, using various devices and an entirely new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software to wrap their heads around. That’s where Vox 3CX Cloud comes in.

The Business Solution

Safe, secure and straightforward, 3CX Cloud boasts over 250 000 successful installations worldwide – Jacaranda FM now included. As Andrew explains, “Vox’s Unlimited 3CX Cloud Plan with support for device and mobile is perfectly suited to our needs. Our Vox APN service is completely flexible, with competitive Data pricing.”

It doesn’t hurt that implementation was also a breeze. “We had less than an hour downtime when migrating from our previous PBX to 3CX,” says Andrew. “The transition was easy, especially as we could keep our existing desktop phones. Many of our users didn’t even know the service was down during that time.”

A complete Unified Communications solution with international recognition, 3CX Cloud takes PBX (Private Branch Exchange) to a whole new level, allowing users to access everything from video calls and interactive web conferencing to live chat and document sharing. All without having to change numbers, and, in most cases, hardware.

3CX Cloud’s intuitive installation wizard also means users don’t have to have advanced technical know-how to start making the most of their new communications solution – which includes features like call routing, caller ID and voicemail.

The Benefits

Besides 3CX Cloud’s multi-device and platform compatibility, coupled with Vox’s Unlimited call plan and the ease of integration into their business, Andrew admits there’s an added benefit of using 3CX Cloud, “The flexibility of adding and removing numbers from the portal has impressed me.”

After more than eight years together, Andrew describes Jacaranda FM’s partnership with Vox as seamless. “Vox has solutions that can scale up or down and suit the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses. The number of services available also means that we can find most of our solutions from one company. Our account manager, Shaka Vilakazi, is very knowledgeable and accessible, and, when needed, Support and fault reporting work well.”

As an Advanced Certified 3CX partner, Vox is the perfect choice to deploy, maintain and manage 3CX Cloud at every stage of implementation.

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Vox Visual Communications – SilverBridge Case Study

Posted on 29 September 202217 September 2024 by Duncan Randell

Adapting to the new world of hybrid work was made so much easier for SilverBridge thanks to customisable Visual Communications Solutions from Vox VC

The Industry

The innovative, complex world of ICT (Information and Communications Technology).

The Company

Founded in 1995, SilverBridge is an industry-leading life insurance and pension solutions software provider. One offering a digital suite of products designed to help companies modernise their core insurance systems while embracing the opportunities offered by new technologies to better position themselves in a digital world. Going beyond digital innovation, SilverBridge is a company focused on relationships.

“For us, a company is about more than just the products and services it provides. Instead, our journey centres around our people and developing a culture that encapsulates customer centricity, continuous improvement, and a genuine passion for helping everyone connected to the organisation,” as SilverBridge’s IT Manager, Gerhard Zeeman, explains.

The Challenge

As with every company making the transition from in-office to remote work environments during the pandemic, SilverBridge were faced with the issue of maintaining its strong company culture from a distance.

“Moving from an office to a work from home experience, we needed a way to have face-to-face meetings. We also needed a partner that could give us quality support, end to end. As we already had a good relationship with Vox before this implementation, we felt confident when they suggested we try a VC (Visual Communications) solution to help us collaborate and stay connected,” says Zeeman.

And any worries they might have had regarding implementation were also quickly resolved, according to Zeeman. “Our concern was that the VC experience would not be seamless, but the Vox team alleviated this by arranging for a demo first, which really helped to optimise the experience for us. And when the manufacturers were unable to supply us with our chosen equipment, the Vox VC team immediately sourced and supplied alternative equipment to provide business continuity while the stock challenges were managed.”

The Solution

To keep SilverBridge connected, not only internally as a company, but externally with a range of customers, the Vox VC team installed an MTR (Microsoft Teams Rooms) solution with integrated TeamsVoice to provide a comprehensive system, with VC collaboration and Voice PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) functionality. This has reduced the equipment footprint in the meeting room, as it allows a single system to perform multiple tasks.

Microsoft Teams Rooms systems go beyond having regular Teams meetings via desktop or laptops to create an inclusive, immersive meeting experience for all participants, no matter where they may be joining from – either in person in the boardroom, or online.

This is done by equipping a meeting space with the appropriate cameras, microphones, soundbars and collaboration screens that allow all meeting participants to not only be seen, but heard, equally, from all types of devices.