Case Studies: E-Z Data

E-Z Data Replaces Multiple Web Conferencing Solutions to Standardize on iLinc Enterprise Unlimited Web Conferencing

Since its inception in 1986, E-Z Data, a leading provider of front-office systems for insurance companies, banks, broker-dealers, general agents, agents, and investment advisors has flourished into a geographically diverse business with multiple domestic locations as well as offices in Japan and India. The company has always advocated Web conferencing because it supports complex communications among staff and customers, but drastically reduces expensive, time-consuming travel.

"By the time we found iLinc, we understood the issues of Web conferencing. We had used Web conferencing technologies for years and knew exactly what we wanted. iLinc satisfied our immediate needs as well as our future requirements for a solution that would grow with us." Morgan Underwood Vice President Marketing E-Z Data

By 2001, E-Z Data had deployed a combination of Web conferencing products in different areas of the business. Additionally, following an acquisition, E-Z Data had adopted the acquired company's WebEx™ licenses and added them to the mix of Web conferencing products in use.

E-Z Data relied on the benefits of Web conferencing, but was spending unnecessary dollars to maintain multiple systems. Also, the company wasn't reaping the communication improvements that stem from connecting through a single solution. Instead, portions of E-Z Data's staff had become disconnected, limited by disparate Web conferencing tools.

Aware that maintaining multiple products was cost prohibitive, E-Z Data began to search for a system on which to standardize. In addition to reducing costs, the company wanted to provide employees with a common platform to support greater communication and collaboration.

Finding Reasonable Pricing & Optimal Functionality

E-Z Data began a thorough analysis of leading Web conferencing products, including iLinc and those already in use at the company. The company required that the new solution deliver extreme ease of use, fast session setup and launch, simple handoff of leader control, and workability through most firewalls.

"Our clients are very large financial institutions, so we often encounter firewall issues and other security concerns," said Morgan Underwood, Vice President Marketing, E-Z Data. "If we are at a client site doing a Web conferencing demo, it is critical for us to be able to quickly launch the session and smoothly change leader control back and forth. As we searched for a company-wide solution, these capabilities were absolutely required."

Ultimately, E-Z Data chose iLinc Web conferencing software because it was the only product that met all of the company's pricing, usability, and technology requirements.

"By the time we found iLinc, we understood the issues of Web conferencing," explained Underwood. "We had used Web conferencing technologies for years and knew exactly what we wanted. iLinc satisfied our immediate needs as well as our future requirements for a solution that would grow with us."

Because E-Z Data's staff formerly used a mix of Web conferencing solutions, the company's management had to launch a carefully planned iLinc rollout to ensure proper training and adoption.

"We got very aggressive about pushing iLinc from the top down," commented Underwood. "We really got behind it to sell it internally."

Upgrading to iLinc Enterprise Unlimited Software

At the time of purchase, the majority of E-Z Data's iLinc users were in sales, with the exception of some support representatives. Right away, sales teams located across the country adopted iLinc to meet internally several days a week, as well as to do product demos. They particularly appreciated the real-time speed at which they could present E-Z Data applications.

"Our salespeople have had a lot of success showing our products with iLinc," stated Underwood. "They can switch between a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and a live E-Z Data application without slowing the application performance at all."

Support representatives also expanded their Web conferencing usage after being introduced to iLinc. They began to take advantage of desktop sharing to offer hands-on technical support to clients.

Usage spread quickly through the rest of the organization. Product development started using iLinc for team meetings and to help solve escalated customer support issues. Other departments adopted iLinc in order to launch spontaneous meetings, both internally and externally, as well as to deliver product training.

Approximately six months after implementing iLinc, E-Z Data began to reach its license limit on the iLinc package it had purchased.

According to Underwood, "We started slowly on purpose. Once we realized tangible communication benefits and started to hit our license limit, we knew we were ready for the next level. We upgraded to the iLinc Enterprise Unlimited package and love it. Now everyone can use all of the iLinc modules as much as they want without adding costs. It's a complete package - great pricing and usability - all within one program."

E-Z Data has even expanded its iLinc usage to include using ConferenceLinc and iLinc operator-assisted audio conferencing. For the first time, company executives hosted a Webinar to give their mid-year update to approximately 20 high-value clients. Not only did this approach save the E-Z Data team time and effort by broadcasting rather than making individual client calls, but it also provided a forum for the clients to share their ideas with the group — and even to cast a live vote on a particular development decision.

Underwood summarized E-Z Data's iLinc experience, "We couldn't have afforded to use other products as much as we're using iLinc. We experienced enough value in the initial license package to allow us to confidently invest in the Enterprise Unlimited program. Company-wide we've experienced cost reduction, better communication, and improvements in sales, development, and support processes."