The Challenge

Ecosystem Inc. specializes in creating environmental solutions for public sector organizations and private companies. Working with hospitals, governments, municipalities, schools and businesses, the company aims to reduce energy bills and increase comfort in its clients’ facilities.

It’s an appealing proposition. In fact, Ecosystem’s services are in such demand that its sales force spends more time on the road than at their desks in the company’s three offices, in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto. As a result, it was often difficult to schedule meetings for times when all participants would be available. In addition, as the company grew, it had become more and more of a challenge to keep contact information for its clients and prospects up to date. This data resided on individual employees’ PCs, where it wasn’t easily accessible to other members of staff.

Ecosystem’s principals had seen Microsoft Exchange in operation elsewhere, and felt that it would be the ideal solution to meet their challenges. However, rather than invest in the application and resources necessary to manage it, they decided on an alternative approach. “Software or anything related to computers and electronics is not our core business,” says Andre Rochette, President of Ecosystem. “So to keep expanding and to keep our focus on our core business, we wanted to trial the solution and have it hosted, rather than take care of it ourselves.

The Solution

Ecosystem was already using TELUS high speed Internet access. When Rochette discovered that TELUS also offers a hosted Microsoft Exchange solution, he was confident that his contact at TELUS would do as much as possible to ensure that the solution delivered exactly what Ecosystem needed he says. “I thought they’d make sure they offer us the best service.”

TELUS now provides Ecosystem with 35 e-mail boxes, one for each member of their staff, with more available as needed. All calendars are centralized, allowing employees to see instantly when other employees are available for meetings and to invite them to attend with just a few mouse-clicks. Customer and prospect contact information is also centralized, as are older e-mail messages that were previously stored on individual PCs. This means all information is now instantly available to the people who need it. What’s more, because Microsoft Outlook Web Access used on the road looks and feels more like Microsoft Office Outlook, users find it easy to work with.

“Our people now find it really easy to keep their calendars and agendas updated,” says Rochette. “They just find a location where they can get Internet access and they get their e-mails and everything they need to work, wherever they are.”

Managed Microsoft Exchange by TELUS also provides users with access to a host of additional fully integrated robust applications, including Microsoft Sharepoint for online document sharing and integrated Blackberry” synchronization.

Managed Microsoft Exchange by TELUS also provides users with access to a host of additional fully integrated robust applications, including Microsoft Sharepoint for online document sharing and integrated Blackberry” synchronization.