Astec Safety Inc. provides industrial safety training, equipment and mobile services from Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada. In 2016, COO Jeff Mulligan and his partners acquired the business when it was an ailing company with a negative net worth, ready to close its doors, but with a strong customer base and an excellent suite of products. Astec hosts an e-learning portal and an online booking system, which give it substantial data requirements and make reliable internet crucial to its success.

When Jeff Mulligan and his partners took over Astec Safety in 2016, the turnaround plan hinged on modernizing systems, improving vendor relations and cutting costs, especially telecommunication costs. Hosting an e-learning portal and an online booking system meant the company had substantial data requirements, and reliable internet was crucial to delivering courses without interruption.

Astec struggled to find a provider that could manage its intensive data processing requirements in a cost-effective way. Maintaining a large internal team and extensive on-site hardware was not feasible, and its previous telecom company was not interested in a company that small or in building a real relationship. With current contracts expiring soon, Astec was in a tight spot and on a tight timeline.

Mulligan also wanted more than a safe choice. Buying from the big providers might keep an IT buyer from getting fired, in his view, but doing what everyone else does would not create a true partnership or a launchpad for growth.

Astec chose iTel Networks, a Canadian converged network company, as a partner it viewed as a disruptor rather than a safe choice. iTel delivered 100 Mbps fibre internet, a 100 Mbps VPLS service and a managed voice solution.

The internet connection is delivered over L2 ethernet, giving Astec the stability required to deliver e-learning courses reliably without interruptions to the end user. Astec now gets 10x the speed and throughput it had previously. With MPLS on the network, Astec can allocate bandwidth to priority functions so delivery is always smooth.

The managed voice solution, delivered as a VoIP phone system, improved voicemail allocation and is easy to configure. Employees can transfer voicemails, which has streamlined the company's ability to respond to inquiries and other issues in a timely and accurate manner. Easily configured hardware means Astec can reconfigure its office and add users as it grows.

iTel also handled the implementation burden that Astec had previously carried itself with other vendors. Because contracts were expiring on a very tight timeline, iTel put in place an interim solution that bonded five ADSL connections, so bandwidth requirements were met and services kept running while the permanent fibre and voice solutions were installed. Support is available 24/7, and a dedicated technician is assigned to each ticket so customers do not have to restate their problem as it moves between staff. Where a situation requires it, iTel loops in end users and other vendors.

• Estimated savings of roughly $300,000 over the course of the contract versus previous supplier pricing
• 10x the speed and throughput Astec was getting previously, delivered over L2 ethernet with MPLS
• Clear, accurate billing that matched the contract exactly, with no hidden fees
• 24/7 support with a dedicated technician per ticket for clear, consistent troubleshooting
• Smooth implementation under very tight timelines, with five bonded ADSL connections as an interim solution
• Voicemail transfer and easily configured hardware improved scheduling, customer service and scalability