Success Stories

Computer Design & Integration, LLC Answers the Call for DFDS Transport:

CDI implements quick, critical upgrade to firm’s IP Telephony system to put company back in the game.

Computer Design and Integration LLC, At DFDS Transport, the name of the game is communication. The company thrives in the commercial transport of imported goods from all over the world to distribution centers here in the U.S., and acts as the liaison between corporations, their overseas manufacturers and domestic warehouses, and air/sea transportation providers. So, when the firm’s outdated IP Telephony system became corrupted, interrupting crucial telecommunications functions, DFDS Transport’s Database Administrator, Rich Baggstrom, knew he needed a fast fix. But he also knew he needed something more.

"As a service-oriented company, we rely heavily on our telephone system,” Baggstrom says. “When you’re faced with the challenge of getting thousands of basketballs, let’s say, from a manufacturing facility in China loaded onto a steamship, passed through customs, and forwarded and unloaded into a New England warehouse within a week or two, the communications demands are far more than email alone can handle.

“While our corrupted IP Telephony database prevented us from conducting maintenance and management functions on the system, it retained incoming and outgoing call capabilities – which we were not willing to disrupt during the upgrade.” Baggstrom contacted his usual IT vendor, but the company was unable to provide the services DFDS Transport needed, so he faced the daunting task of choosing a new one.

“We wanted to be sure that we chose the right new vendor for the project,” Baggstrom explains, “Because we knew this would be the start of a long-term relationship of maintenance, upgrades and maximizing the system’s performance.” He adds, “We decided to call Cisco directly, and they referred us immediately to CDI.”

“As one of the first Cisco Silver Partners to achieve IP Telephony certification in the New York metro area, Computer Design & Integration was eager to respond to the challenge of upgrading DFDS Transport’s system without user interruption,” says Troy Gallo, Account Manager at CDI. “We were able to assure the DFDS team that we could analyze the company’s needs in a broad, deep way, create a custom solution, and implement that solution in a quick timeframe without user interruption.”

“We were impressed with CDI’s mastery of the new Cisco technology, and their commitment to design a solution to fit our specific needs, rather than giving us an off-the-shelf package that didn’t take our unique requirements into account,” Baggstrom said.

CDI first inspected the firm’s existing equipment, and guided the company’s purchase of the appropriate hardware and software that would fix the problem, as well as provide a foundation for further expansion and upgrades to the system as needs arise. CDI’s implementation team, headed by Ron Brewer, performed the full installation and upgrade within two days, with no interruption to incoming and outgoing phone service.

“We’re confident that we have found a solid partner in CDI,” Baggstrom says. “The company’s approach to our problem, from beginning to end, has been innovative and professional. We look forward to using them as a resource as DFDS Transport expands and grows,” he concludes.

Computer Design and Integration, LLC is a privately-held firm that combines innovative and comprehensive business solutions and service with experienced professionals to simplify the complexity of emerging technologies. Founded in 1995, the company is one of the fastest-growing IT consulting firms in the Northeast, offering complete solutions in Architectural Design, Business Continuance, Backup & Recovery, Managed Support, Operating Systems, Enterprise Management, Networking & Security, and Application Development. CDI is the 2003 winner of two top CISCO DVAR Awards for customer satisfaction and vendor loyalty. The firm was recently ranked #287 on the annual VARBusiness 500 list, and was also included in the magazine’s “50 Fastest Growing Companies” for 2003. For more information, visit CDI’s home on the web at www.cdillc.com.

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