Business telecommunications and IT systems

Piers du Pré, Chairman of du Pré plc, demonstrated the Voice over IP telephony service, du Pré Connect, today by retaining complete business continuity and flexible working while taking a holiday in the Gulf of Alaska.

Cruising through the Seymour Narrows off the west coast of Canada, Piers was able to make and receive telephone calls with his usual four digit extension number using just a set of headphones and a laptop.  The calls were transmitted through the ship's onboard broadband service.

Business continuity from Newbury, Berkshire, to the Gulf of Alaska

Instead of working from his desk in the Newbury office, Piers was wrapping up some business by keeping in touch on the phone, just like he was back in Berkshire.  The service was possible as du Pré Connect operates wherever you have an internet connection; even on a cruise liner.

Users of du Pré Connect often take a physical telephone handset with them, such as the Cisco 7941 or Cisco 7961 handset. Alternatively, users can opt for a 'softphone' - software that is installed on a laptop.  Users can plug in their microphone and headphones and then log in to their normal telephone number.  This means that people dialling your direct line still get through.  Users can also telephone work colleagues using just their four digit extension number.

Keeping in touch with business-grade IP telephony

The laptop just needs to connect to the internet to carry the telephone calls and even in the waters near Alaska du Pré Connect still provides business-grade IP telephony. "Even though I'm on a wireless internet connection and the ship's broadband is going through the satellite communication system, it still sounds perfect.  And it beats paying $9.99 per minute which is the standard cost of a telephone call from here back to the UK," explained Piers.

Piers' travels will take him right up to Ketchikan in Alaska and it's expected he'll be in contact with the office the whole time.