Navy Pier

At the recommendation of long-time provider Morgan Birge & Associates, Navy Pier chose OpenText™ CX-E Voice to provide next generation Unified Communications integrated with its Avaya IP telephony platform. The goal in selecting the world class platform was to make it easier for inbound callers to access critical information about the Navy Pier and make the Navy Pier’s employees more accessible, efficient and secure in and away from the office.

Speech-enabled access improves experience

With more than 9 million visitors annually, Navy Pier receives a tremendous number of inbound calls. Because so many visitors call Navy Pier while driving, a speech-enabled communications solution that allowed visitors to obtain Navy Pier information “hands-free/eyes-free” was the ideal answer. The CX-E Speech Automated Attendant allows visitors to quickly and easily access Navy Pier information while driving, including hours, directions, security, and other options.

Information Accessible by Speech:

• Hours, Parking and Directions
• Connect to a Business
• 35 Restaurants and Food Vendors
• IMAX Theater
• Museum
• Centennial Wheel
• Navy Pier Park
• Private and Group Events
• Lost and Found
• Security

Greetings are customizable based on the day of the week and the time of day. Tailored messages can be created for business hours, after hours, and special events. “With hands-free driving laws, speech-enablement was a top priority,” said Chuck Sansone, Director of IT for Navy Pier. “CX-E was the perfect fit, blending sophisticated call processing, speech-enabled Automated Attendant and directories.”

Personal Assistant and mobile access enhance service

Navy Pier next took advantage of the CX-E Personal Assistant with the Mobile Client to improve efficiency and accessibility for its employees. Personal Assistant intelligently routes incoming calls to improve call completion. Mobile Client provides secure messaging and assists employees in managing inbound and outbound calls, contacts, voice messages, and personal preferences while away from their primary place of business. Management and employees can rest assured all business data is secure since all corporate information gathered and generated by CX-E is stored behind the firewall rather than on an employee’s mobile device.

Premise to the cloud

Continuing its digital transformation, Navy Pier considered migration from its Microsoft Exchange on-premise email environment to Microsoft Office 365 in the Cloud. CX-E industry-leading UC interoperability, including support for both Microsoft Exchange and Office 365, ensures wherever Navy Pier is on its digital journey, it is future-proofed for Unified Communications investments. “CX-E offers our users a seamless Unified Messaging experience as we explore our move from Exchange to Office 365,” noted Sansone.

The ability for an organization like Navy Pier to deploy advanced CX-E applications while leveraging existing infrastructure investments and maintaining maximum flexibility for future IT decisions is one of the most powerful value propositions of the CX-E platform. By selecting CX-E for its next generation Unified Communications, Navy Pier—Chicago’s lakefront treasure—is on the right course for its digitally transformed future.