The bank will not only be able to take advantage of improved efficiency and higher quality communications, it will also benefit from standardised telephony equipment across the company.

Handelsbanken has 461 offices and a 5,000 strong workforce across Sweden. Until now, each branch had managed its own telephony, which had created a complex environment, both technically and in terms of the access to services and service agreements.

Working with partner TDC, the bank is implementing a solution based on Aastra MX-ONE to provide IP telephony and servers for additional telephony services. While the bank's larger offices will have their own MX-ONE, the smaller branch offices will be equipped with new IP telephones connected directly to a central exchange through the Handelsbanken WAN.

Lars Wibeck, head of communication and network, Handelsbanken, said, "We carried out a preliminary survey to assess suppliers, and came to the conclusion that Aastra was the solution that best suited our needs, as well as the easiest to integrate with the rest of our infrastructure. Not only will we benefit from improved functionality and accessibility, but it also offers simpler and more efficient management."

Handelsbanken will begin to switch their offices over to the new solution in Autumn 2009. All users will have access to unified messaging, advanced contact and call management, presence functionality, as well as the option to combine them with an advanced contact centre functionality (respectively via MX-ONE Messaging, CMG and Solidus eCare).

The new platform further offers the bank the option to develop new services and IP-based functionality in the future.