Unified Communications Solution Simplifies IT Management, Saves Money for Online and Offline Education

SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - May 30, 2012) - Is higher education recession-proof? If the number of students currently enrolled in colleges and universities is a good indicator, then the answer is yes. In the United States today, more than 20 million students attend approximately 6,600 higher-education institutions [1]. The most recent available statistics from the National Center for Education [2] indicate a 73 percent increase in enrollment for post-secondary educational institutions between 1985-2009.

Online education has played a significant role in this increase in enrollments. More than one-quarter of all higher education students -- 6.1 million students -- now take at least one class online, a 2011 Babson online education survey [3] found. That number represents 560,000 more online enrollees than in 2009, and a 283 percent increase from 2002. A prime example of the scale at which online institutions operate, the University of Phoenix, the largest online university in the United States, has more than 370,000 students enrolled in degree programs [4].

As classroom dynamics adapt to the digital age, and as the number of students increases, so does the need for a communications system that can integrate a wide range of platforms and devices, from any location, connecting students, administration and faculty. Without a proactive integration strategy, important communication tools such as IM/chat, IP calling and audioconferencing are siloed by platform or device. Instead of working as a single team, staff, faculty and students must contest with an influx of communications from multiple sources, losing time and productivity in the process.

Having the right unified communications (UC) system can streamline many aspects of the education process -- from student enrollment to interdepartmental curriculum development -- by providing all necessary collaboration tools in one central interface. With students increasingly reliant on computing devices in the classroom and outside of it, educational institutions should take a page from what successful businesses have learned -- that having a strong unified communications solution is critical to a strong infrastructure and improves the end-user experience, in this case that of the matriculated student. Whether smartphone, tablet or desktop, PC or Mac, users can access the same reliable interface for essential communications functions. Zultys' comprehensive UC solution enables faster workflow and collaboration for any department in any location, in one easy-to-use system. A prime example of this, Ross Medical Education Center, an accredited allied health education provider with more than 20 locations in four states, relies on Zultys UC for its online admissions.

"Our admissions process used to be time-consuming," said Greg Brenner, Chief Information Officer of Ross Education, an allied health institution with more than 20 campuses in four states. "I wanted our admissions representatives to work in a single computer-screen window instead of wasting time navigating back and forth between different windows and programs. With the Zultys Salesforce.com Communicator for Enrollment Rx, we could streamline the process by dialing out and putting our notes in through a complete one-window touch interface, making the process significantly faster."

Zultys offers collaboration features such as Presence, audio- and videoconferencing, IP voice services, chat/IM, Salesforce and Outlook integration, and more. Available in one box, Zultys is easy to deploy and scale, simplifying IT management for even the fastest-growing organizations. With the Zultys solution, IT departments can improve productivity, simplify their infrastructure and reduce costs, setting the foundation for a cost-effective communications system that doesn't overextend the college budget.

"Higher education institutions need a complete UC solution that is simple to manage and can scale rapidly," said Steve Francis, chief sales and marketing officer at Zultys. "Educational institutions of all sizes can ensure a seamless workflow with Zultys, especially during busy times like the beginning and end of the school year. Zultys also comes in a single box, making it easy to deploy, maintain and scale. Learning institutions can simultaneously simplify and improve their IT systems."

To learn more about how Zultys streamlines communications for Ross Education, please visit the case study here: http://www.zultys.com/documents/Zultys_Ross_Education_Case_Study.pdf.

About Zultys Zultys is the global provider of a true all-in-one unified communications solution. Innovative, reliable and scalable, Zultys IP phone systems integrate voice, video, data and mobility -- in a single appliance -- to optimize collaboration for businesses of all sizes. Zultys delivers a powerful, feature-rich communications system that is easy-to-use, deploy and maintain. Zultys is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices around the world. To learn more, visit http://www.zultys.com.

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Zultys Streamlines Campus Communications for Colleges and Universities, On- and Off-Campus