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Bendix

Reliable and versatile voice infrastructure for a multinational Skype for Business deployment

Background and Challenges

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, energy management solutions, and air brake charging, and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America.

An industry pioneer, employing more than 3,200 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle performance, safety, and overall operating cost.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Acuña, Mexico; Bowling Green, Ky.; and Huntington, Ind.

With a growing need for simple and efficient communication between its own employees and external parties, Bendix decided the time had come to adopt a unified communications and collaboration solution. The company selected Microsoft Skype for Business which offered a comprehensive set of tools that could benefit its users by delivering increased efficiency and productivity.

However, despite the rich functionality offered by Skype for Business, Bendix needed to complement the platform with a variety of voice-enabling products to create a complete PBX replacement solution at its offices in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Among the additional requirements were:

  • Connectivity with local PSTN and SIP trunk operators
  • Coexistence with the existing Avaya PBX solution already in use at Bendix’s locations
  • IP phones that would offer a familiar user experience while integrating fully into Skype for Business


Visit the Bendix website for more information.

  • Connectivity with local PSTN and SIP trunk operators

  • Coexistence with the existing Avaya PBX solution

  • Microsoft-certified IP phones offering a familiar user experience

“Thanks to AudioCodes’ range of innovative and versatile products and the expert capabilities of its global professional services team, our migration to Microsoft UC has progressed smoothly, enabling our employees to enjoy an enhanced communications experience.”

John Walker, IT Lead at Bendix

Solution

Bendix’s mother company, Knorr-Bremse, in Germany was already a satisfied customer of AudioCodes’ voice-enabling solutions and, based on its positive experience, the team at Bendix decided to follow suit and turn to AudioCodes for its own needs. With 15 years’ experience of working together with Microsoft on voice-enabling UC solutions, AudioCodes with its One Voice for Microsoft 365 portfolio offers a fully integrated, scalable and flexible range of certified products designed to ease and accelerate companies’ migration to Microsoft UC solutions, including Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.

Bendix deployed AudioCodes Mediant session border controller (SBC) products at its sites to deliver seamless connectivity with local voice service provider networks and SIP trunk services. In addition, the SBCs allow Bendix’s legacy Avaya PBXs to be connected to Skype for Business enabling the company to undertake a controlled migration from one platform to the other at its own pace without the need for a “forklift upgrade”. The Mediant 1000 and Mediant 800 SBCs being used by Bendix are both hybrid platforms supporting IP and traditional TDM-based voice connectivity on the same device. This means that the same models can be deployed at any site regardless of the local requirements, greatly simplifying implementation and support processes.

In terms of IP phones, Bendix was able to select from AudioCodes 400HD family of Microsoft-certified devices. AudioCodes offers a range of IP phone models suitable for different user personas and locations. They range from the entry-level 405HD up to the executive 450HD model that boasts a high resolution, color touch screen. All models deliver high quality voice and support Skype for Business calling and presence features. The ease of use offered by AudioCodes’ IP phones combined with their simple configuration were key to ensuring that Bendix’s employees could enjoy a familiar calling experience while at the same time enjoying the benefits of Microsoft UC.

Bendix’s in-house IT staff were able to install and commission a large part of the AudioCodes equipment themselves. Where needed, AudioCodes’ professional services team was on-hand to provide expert remote support. Furthermore, Bendix brought in the AudioCodes team to assist in the design, planning and implementation of more complex installations.

  • SBC Mediant 800

    Le Mediant 800 d'AudioCodes est un E-SBC et une media gateway offrant une solution de connectivité complète aux petites et moyennes entreprises.

    En savoir plus

Results

By early 2019, Bendix had successfully migrated around 15 of its sites in the USA, Canada and Mexico to Skype for Business unified communications, with AudioCodes providing voice enablement.

“Reliable, high-quality communications between our staff, partners and customers are paramount to our continued success as a growing multinational business,” said John Walker, IT Lead at Bendix. “Thanks to AudioCodes’ range of innovative and versatile products and the expert capabilities of its global professional services team, our migration to Microsoft UC has progressed smoothly, enabling our employees to enjoy an enhanced communications experience.”

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