University of Cumbria
Case study
The University of Cumbria explained
As a multi-site university with 5 campuses around the UK including a dedicated site in London, the University of Cumbria has a long and prestigious history of delivering first-class higher education in and around Cumbria. Formed in 2007 from an amalgamation of three institutions, it is now ranked in the top 40% of institutions worldwide according to The Times Higher Education Impact Ranking.
The rural Ambleside campus sits in sprawling hills in the heart of the Lake District, the only UK university campus to be located in a UNESCO World Heritage site. The diverse requirements of this multi-site environment means their communications need to be robust and well established.
The business challenge
As digital adoption accelerates, the University of Cumbria recognises that delivering successful technology transformation requires more than internal capability alone. By combining the expertise of its highly skilled IT team with the support of a trusted technology partner, the University can accelerate delivery, reduce complexity and achieve strategic business outcomes more effectively.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the University evaluated a range of vendors to identify a cloud-based telephony solution capable of supporting a truly hybrid approach to working and learning. Following a competitive public procurement process, Charterhouse was selected as the partner of choice to help deliver this vision.
Working closely with the University's IT team, Charterhouse implemented a cloud communications platform designed to support staff and students wherever they work, teach or study. The solution has helped create a more flexible, connected and resilient environment, enabling collaboration across campus and beyond.
The solution
The solution brought together a cloud contact centre integrated with Microsoft Teams, a direct routing service for inbound and outbound calling, and seamless integration with the University's existing Mitel environment. This enabled a phased, low-risk migration from legacy technology while maintaining service continuity and minimising disruption for staff and students.
As a public sector organisation, the University needed to demonstrate clear value, measurable benefits and a strong return on investment to support its procurement and business case requirements. Charterhouse worked closely with stakeholders to build a compelling case for change, balancing cost, functionality and long-term strategic value. By aligning the solution to the University's operational and financial objectives, Charterhouse helped secure confidence in the programme and establish a technology foundation capable of supporting future growth, flexibility and innovation.
The transformation
The University of Cumbria set out to create a more flexible, scalable and resilient communications environment that could support the evolving needs of staff and students. By moving to a cloud-based platform, users can securely access communications tools and applications from any location and on any device, enabling more agile ways of working and learning.
The solution provides seamless calling from both personal and corporate devices, giving staff greater flexibility without compromising the user experience. The platform can also scale to meet changing demand, supporting peak periods such as student clearing while delivering cost efficiencies during quieter times.
With a fully managed service, the University no longer needs to maintain, patch or upgrade on-premises telephony infrastructure, allowing IT teams to focus on higher-value strategic initiatives. The new approach has also helped improve work-life balance, giving employees greater flexibility over where and how they work while remaining connected to colleagues, students and critical services.
The outcome
"Our partnership with Charterhouse and the solution we've implemented is making a real difference to the lives of students that come to study at the University of Cumbria. It is a key enabler to the delivery of our academic programmes, the digital delivery of study wherever the students are located. At the flick of a button, the University of Cumbria can now provide our staff and students with agile, flexible ways of working that benefit us all. Charterhouse has been instrumental in this transformation - the impact cannot be understated."
Stephen Young
Head of Technology Services