CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
Modernizing Guest Communications at Lodging Hospitality Management
Viyu helped Lodging Hospitality Management replace aging PBX infrastructure with a scalable Cisco communications environment capable of supporting 17 hotels — and more than 100,000 calls during one of St. Louis’ most popular holiday events.
Unified Communications | Cisco | Hospitality IT
THE KEY RESULT
100,000+ Calls Handled in One Week
When demand surged for LHM’s Polar Express event, the phone network tripled capacity at two sites in just 15 minutes — helping accommodate more than 100,000 calls in one week.
01 — The Challenge
Lodging Hospitality Management operates a portfolio of hotels, restaurants, and commercial properties in the St. Louis area.
Its aging PBX phone system was no longer keeping pace with the business. Even simple changes, such as adding an extension or updating a voicemail greeting, required outside vendor assistance.
Maintenance and telecommunications costs were high, the system lacked modern calling features, and outages could take two to three weeks to fully recover from.
Capacity was another critical concern. LHM needed to accommodate large spikes in calls for hotel reservations and special events — particularly its popular Polar Express experience at Union Station.
The company needed a more reliable, flexible, and manageable communications environment.
02 — The Viyu Solution
As LHM’s long-time technology partner, Viyu architected a Cisco Collaboration solution designed around the organization’s hospitality environment.
Cisco Unified Communications
Viyu implemented Cisco Business Edition 6000 and ISR routers on Cisco switching infrastructure already deployed throughout LHM’s hotels.
Seamless Hotel Migration
Viyu carefully planned each transition to prevent disruption to guests. During the initial cutover, a 400-room hotel was migrated to the new call manager in approximately 30 minutes.
Simplified Administration
The new environment allows LHM’s internal IT team to quickly deploy phone lines, route calls, and customize communications without relying on an outside vendor for routine changes.
User-Friendly Experience
Viyu developed staff training for the new platform, although the system proved intuitive enough that extensive training wasn’t necessary.
03 — The Results
Massive Call Capacity
The phone network tripled capacity at two sites in just 15 minutes to support more than 100,000 Polar Express calls in a single week.
12,000+ Calls in Six Hours
During one peak period, more than 12,000 calls came through in only six hours.
Faster Recovery
Phone outages that previously could take weeks to resolve can now be restored within hours.
Rapid Scalability
New phone lines can be deployed quickly to accommodate special events, conferences, and changing business requirements.
Easier Management
LHM gained greater control over phone lines, routing, greetings, and other communications settings.
Solutions Used
Voice & Internet Services →
Modernize business communications with scalable unified communications technology.
Professional Services →
Design and deploy complex communications environments while minimizing business disruption.
Infrastructure Modernization →
Replace aging technology with a more reliable, flexible, and manageable platform.
“Cisco proved itself with the equipment, the quality, the support and the life expectancy. The improvement is like day and night. The sky’s the limit now.”
Jim Conaway
Vice President of IT, Lodging Hospitality Management