How UnifiedCommunications Helped Florida Crystals Cut Telecom Costs by 78%

Florida Crystals’ digital transformation with Microsoft Teams Phones and Teams Rooms was recently featured in a Microsoft customer story. As a key technology partner in this journey, UnifiedCommunications played a pivotal role in helping Florida Crystals cut telecom costs by 78% while streamlining collaboration and modernizing their communication infrastructure.

An Expensive Telephony System

When Florida Crystals Corporation, a leader in sugar production and refining, recognized an opportunity to enhance its telephony and collaboration infrastructure to better support its growing global workforce. To achieve this, they partnered with us to implement a scalable, cloud-based solution that would drive efficiency and cost savings. A overview of the the situation included:

• 40 on-premises PBX servers were expensive to maintain, requiring frequent upgrades and ongoing IT support.
  
• 2,000 desk phones across multiple global locations created a logistical nightmare for maintenance and management.
  
• 15 outdated conference rooms led to inconsistent collaboration experiences, frustrating employees and reducing productivity.
  
• Rising costs of public switched telephone network (PSTN) services were increasing operational expenses without added value.
  
• Complexity and inefficiencies made IT support more challenging and reduced user adoption of telephony and conferencing tools.

They needed a future-proof communication solution that was cost-effective, scalable, and easy to use.

Leading a Digital Transformation with UnifiedCommunications

Understanding the challenges, Florida Crystals partnered with UnifiedCommunications along with Logitech, NTT Data Group, HP Poly, Yealink, and AudioCodes to implement a modern, cloud-based collaboration and voice platform. Microsoft Teams, which was already in use for document sharing and internal communication, became the foundation for this major transformation.

Key Upgrades & Enhancements:

• Migrated from PBX to Microsoft Teams Phone to reduce infrastructure costs and simplify management.
  
• Standardized meeting room technology with Teams Rooms, ensuring a consistent and high-quality video conferencing experience across all locations.
  
• Integrated Operator Connect and Direct Routing as a Service (DRaaS) to enable seamless PSTN connectivity without reliance on outdated leased lines.
  
• Deployed SIP common-area phones to provide flexible communication solutions in shared workspaces and meeting areas.
  
• Implemented AI-powered call analytics and reporting tools to optimize usage and improve efficiency across departments.

UnifiedCommunications worked closely with Florida Crystals to create a phased rollout plan that minimized disruption and ensured a smooth transition to the new system.

The Game-Changing Savings from the Upgrade

The impact of this transformation was exponential, positioning Florida Crystals as an industry leader in digital workplace modernization.

78% Reduction in Telecom Costs – By eliminating PBX servers, decommissioning leased lines, and streamlining infrastructure, Florida Crystals dramatically reduced its telecom expenditures with unified communications services.

Seamless Internal Communication – Teams Phone enables internal calls to bypass traditional PSTN networks, reducing costs while improving reliability and call quality.

Hybrid Work Optimization – The company replaced 2,000 desk phones with just 400 Teams-certified devices and headsets, giving employees the flexibility to work from anywhere while maintaining seamless connectivity.

80+ Teams-Enabled Conference Rooms, – Florida Crystals standardized its meeting room technology with Microsoft Teams Rooms, ensuring reliable and intuitive video conferencing. This enhanced hybrid work capabilities and improved meeting experiences across global locations. Employees now have access to modern, reliable, and intuitive meeting spaces, increasing productivity and collaboration.

Reduced IT Complexity – Standardized deployment and a single platform for telephony and collaboration simplified IT management, freeing up resources for innovation.

Faster User Adoption & Training – With Teams’ familiar interface, employees quickly embraced the new solution, reducing training time and the number of IT support tickets related to telephony.

74% Adoption of AI-Powered Productivity with Microsoft Copilot

Florida Crystals didn’t stop at modernizing its telephony infrastructure. With UnifiedCommunications’s guidance, they implemented Microsoft Copilot to further enhance workplace efficiency and automation.

With 74% adoption among early users, the company is leveraging Copilot for:

• Workflow automation, reducing manual, repetitive tasks across departments.
• Real-time note-taking and action item tracking in meetings.
• Predictive analytics to improve decision-making in supply chain forecasting and production planning.
• Content generation and marketing automation, reducing costs associated with third-party services.

As an early adopter of AI-driven business tools, Florida Crystals is now exploring ways to integrate Copilot into industrial process automation, inventory tracking, and customer demand forecasting to create even greater efficiencies.

Ready to Optimize Your Communication Strategy?

For global enterprises still relying on legacy telephony systems, UnifiedCommunications helps companies like Florida Crystals achieve cost-effective, scalable, and modern communication solutions. Their success proves that moving to a cloud-based voice solution can dramatically cut costs while improving flexibility, user experience, and IT efficiency, employee satisfaction, and long-term business growth with business telephony modernization.

Are You Ready to Transform Your Workplace?

UnifiedCommunications specializes in helping businesses modernize their communication strategies. Contact us today to learn how Microsoft Teams Phone and Teams Rooms can revolutionize your enterprise collaboration while delivering significant cost savings.