TMCnet News

8x8 Teams with CDW to Optimize Telecommunications for Leading Healthcare Services Provider MHM
[August 25, 2015]

8x8 Teams with CDW to Optimize Telecommunications for Leading Healthcare Services Provider MHM


8x8 (News - Alert), Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT), a leading provider of cloud-based unified communications and contact center solutions, today announced the company has partnered with CDW (News - Alert) Corporation (NASDAQ:CDW), a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare, to deliver a new cloud-based telecommunications solution for MHM Services, Inc., a company that delivers mental and medical health services to correctional facilities across the US. The MHM deployment of 8x8 will be phased over a period months, with the completed company-wide deployment expected by Q3 2015.

MHM currently employs more than 3,000 clinical, management and support staff nationwide and manages its government contracts through a network of 20 regional offices. Before implementing 8x8 cloud communications, MHM had 22 premises-based hardware phone systems. Over time, maintaining the hardware became arduous and expensive, which resulted in a significant burden on the company's IT organization. Additionally, perpetual licenses continued to incur costs, even when phone service was no longer needed, and offices with long-term contracts ended up with antiquated hardware that needed to be replaced. Overall, MHM has reduced spending on phone lines, long distance, telecom hardware and maintenance contracts by 30 percent. Christie Nader, Sr. Director, Information Technology, at MHM Services, contacted CDW for help in evaluating the leading cloud-based communications systems that could accommodate MHM's company-wide, evolving business communications requirements.

"As an aggregator of cloud solutions, CDW is deeply familiar with the market leaders in the UCaaS space and 8x8 consistently tops the list," said Adam Carreno, Solution Architect at CDW. "CDW has unique customer insight and understands what is required to complete a successful deployment-as we work with clients across multiple industries with varying demands. Through this depth of experience, and the validation of research firms like Gartner (News - Alert) -who has repeatedly named 8x8 as a Magic Quadrant leader -we advise clients on the best technology solutions for their needs, and teamed with 8x8 to deliver a robust, highly secure, cloud-based solution to MHM."

HIPAAcompliance and security are a highly critical area where 8x8 distanced itself from the competition. For years, 8x8 has led the industry in security and compliance, and has built-in security in every product to protect its customers' information. With a highly secure, fully functional cloud-based solution where messages containing sensitive patient information are not stored locally on a user's hard drive, 8x8's solution enables MHM to maintain the highest levels of patient privacy and discretion that are fundamental and mandatory in today's health care services.



As MHM evaluated cloud solutions, 8x8's extensive training resources and superior user experience were another vital differentiator. "Our team of people are seasoned healthcare professionals not technologists, so training across the entire organization was essential for success," said Nader. "8x8 has comprehensive, interactive training resources, including user guides, YouTube (News - Alert) videos and live webinars. Having access to all these resources provided MHM with an exceptional user experience."

Just two weeks after MHM signed a contract for 8x8 service, the new partnership was put to the test. MHM's technology team had to support a contract startup for a large state contract and needed to quickly take over IT management from the previous vendor. They had to install and manage the technology for seven geographically disperse prison locations. The installation was complicated by prison regulations, which prohibit cell phone use on premises. 8x8 provided a workaround by turning the technicians' computers into soft phones, enabling them to call and chat with each other in real-time using their laptops.


"Whenever we open a new office, I know implementing 8x8 will be quick and seamless because there's no hardware to worry about," says Nader. "We also have the flexibility to quickly and seamlessly move offices or users with no downtime or issues. Our phone system is no longer complicated now that it's in the cloud."

"Replacing PBX (News - Alert) hardware with 8x8's cloud communications offering gives healthcare providers like MHM the flexibility and scalability to open offices quickly while maintaining the most stringent HIPAA-compliance standards," said Enzo Signore, Chief Marketing Officer at 8x8. "We are pleased to be on CDW's list of valued partners who can deliver this exceptionally high level of telecommunications support, security and innovation for the healthcare industry."

About CDW

CDW is a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare. A FORTUNE 500 company, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs more than 7,200 coworkers. For the twelve months ended March 31, 2015, the company generated net sales of more than $12.0 billion. For more information about CDW, please visit www.CDW.com.

About 8x8, Inc.

8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT) is the trusted provider of secure and reliable enterprise cloud communications solutions to more than 40,000 businesses operating in over 100 countries across six continents. 8x8's out-of-the-box cloud solutions replace traditional on-premises PBX hardware and software-based systems with a flexible and scalable Software as a Service (SaaS) alternative, encompassing cloud business phone service, contact center solutions, and conferencing. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, www.8x8.com/UK or connect with 8x8 on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.


[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]