Having been an Easynet Connect customer since 2004, after switching from an ADSL line to an SDSL line, GCL decided that in order for growth to be maintained further and for customer requirements to be satisfied, the company needed a network infrastructure that would meet its growing demands. The company also acknowledged that, as call centre staff had access to private data stored within clients' CRM systems, any updates needed to be immediate and accurate, so the clients could monitor progress. Therefore, upload speed was just as important as download speed.

Having built up a detailed knowledge of GCL's requirements over seven years working with the company, Easynet Connect recommended its SureStream service. With advanced symmetrical internet access of up to 8Mb that offered increased connectivity and resiliency, coupled with full service level agreements and 24/7 customer support, GCL found Easynet's proposal far exceeded those of its competitors.

Once additional lines were laid, Easynet Connect installed the SureStream router that connected the business broadband and switched the IP addresses over, with the entire process resulting in just 30 minutes of downtime.

The SureStream network met all of GCL's requirements; being reliable, adaptable and value for money. Stuart Thompson, IT Manager, GCL Direct, summarises: "To stay ahead of competitors and answer our customer's needs, it was essential that multiple call centre staff could access client CRM systems without impacting the service for other employees. Since upgrading our service, Easynet's SureStream offering allows more than 60 users to work simultaneously within these parameters, with sufficient capacity to also complete everyday tasks and with additional bandwidth remaining."

GCL Direct has also achieved significant cost savings on call rates by using VoIP services for international calls, an advance that would not have been possible using its previous technology. Having access to VoIP has meant that not only can GCL reach more international customers for its clients, but it can also enter markets which would have previously remained out of reach.

"Our network now grants 30-40 users access to VoIP at a time. I estimate we are saving around 20% each month on phone bills alone since the upgrade. Staff productivity has also increased now that employees can download and upload information like PDFs faster, and generally decrease page loading time." said Stuart.

"We've also been able to increase the productivity of our mobile sales teams by delivering better VPN connectivity. Furthermore, the bandwidth now available future-proofs us for further expansion. This project has solidified the relationship between GCL Direct and Easynet Connect. Not only do they provide us with significant cost savings, but our expectations for service reliability, resilience and customer support is surpassed on a consistent basis." concludes Stuart.