Delivering Zero-Downtime Cisco Unified Communications for 24/7 Casino Operations
Everyday Communications delivered a highly resilient Cisco UC architecture, establishing an enterprise-grade telephony platform for 24/7 hospitality.
Client
Metropolitan Gaming (NetSec)
Scope
Cisco Telephony Transformation
Environment
24/7 Regulated Casino & Hospitality
Engagement Overview
NetSec, an IT managed service provider, engaged Everyday Communications in 2023 to lead a specialist Cisco telephony transformation for their enterprise client Metropolitan Gaming a major operator within the UK casino and hospitality sector. The objective was to modernise and fortify the unified communications environment, ensuring operational continuity across multiple 24/7 locations.
Business Challenge
Metropolitan Gaming required an upgrade to its on-premises Cisco platform to introduce SIP trunking redundancy. Key challenges included: Single points of failure threatening continuity; limited maintenance windows due to 24/7 operations; fragmented change processes; lack of tested resiliency between SBCs; and no unified documentation, increasing operational risk during cutover.
Our Approach
Discovery & Design Validation
- Conducted a full review of the existing Cisco Call Manager and Unity Connection topology. Identified operational gaps in SIP trunk design and voice resiliency. Defined a dual-SBC architecture enabling seamless SIP failover and mapped all routing dependencies.
Implementation Strategy & Change Control
- Developed detailed runbooks, rollback plans, and test scripts aligned to ITIL standards. Scheduled migration activities within a strict 2-hour window. Coordinated technical teams (NetSec, Metropolitan Gaming IT, and Everyday Communications) for execution.
Migration Execution & Validation
- Performed the Cisco Call Manager and Unity Connection upgrade. Deployed dual SBCs for SIP resiliency. Enhanced Auto-Attendant workflows and conducted full User Acceptance Testing across branches to validate voice continuity and call quality.
Post-Implementation Support & Knowledge Transfer
- Provided hypercare support following migration. Delivered configuration documentation, topology diagrams, and change validation reports. Transitioned support to a retained BAU model under NetSec’s managed service agreement.
Strategic Value Added
- Operational Resilience: Fault-tolerant SIP trunking with automatic failover. Governance Excellence: Disciplined change control aligned with ITIL frameworks. Service Continuity: Zero-downtime execution within strict constraints. Partnership Synergy: Acted as a technical extension of NetSec. Knowledge Retention: Delivered comprehensive artefacts for long-term maintainability.
Key Results & Outcomes
- Successfully upgraded Cisco UC across all casino sites with high-availability SIP trunking. Delivered migration with zero unplanned downtime within a limited window. Established a retained operational support framework for ongoing MAC and configuration requests.
Strategic Impact
By embedding rigorous change management and resilient design principles, Everyday Communications ensured Metropolitan Gaming’s communications infrastructure now operates at enterprise-grade reliability, capable of sustaining 24/7 casino operations with zero interruption. The involvement provided architectural governance, operational assurance, and partnership stability.