Unified Communications – James Cropper
By Amillan Limited, Your Trusted Managed Services Provider
James Cropper is a globally recognised manufacturer of advanced materials and specialist paper products, based in the UK with operations spanning over 50 countries. With a strong reputation for innovation, sustainability, and quality, the business supports sectors ranging from luxury packaging to aerospace composites. Amillan has extensive experience working in the manufacturing vertical, with a deep understanding of the sector’s specific communication challenges and operational requirements.

The Challenge

As James Cropper continued its innovation-led growth strategy, the company required a robust and flexible communications platform that could support collaboration across multiple global locations. Their legacy systems
lacked scalability and did not offer the level of integration or visibility needed to support modern workflows—particularly in support of their R&D and international client engagement teams.

The Solution

Amillan delivered a comprehensive, fully managed Unified Communications and infrastructure solution designed to meet James Cropperʼs multi-site, high-security, and safety-critical requirements. The deployment combined state-of-the-art IP telephony, collaboration tools, mobility services, and resilient data networking into a single, integrated environment. A cornerstone of the project was the consultative design and deployment of James Cropperʼs LAN and WLAN infrastructure. During the pre-consultative exercise, Amillan carried out a full wireless profile of the busy manufacturing site, identifying potential sources of interference and developing a bespoke design tailored to the operational environment. 

This approach ensured that the deployed solution could:

• Prioritise critical traffic for production and R&D applications.
• Minimise latency for voice and collaboration tools.
• Safeguard core production activities from disruption.

Amillan successfully implemented a new enterprise data networking solution at the main UK campus, delivered on time and within budget. Building on this success, Amillan supported the expansion of the LAN and WLAN infrastructure to remote sites worldwide, creating a consistent, secure, and scalable global network environment.

Key Elements of the Solution

Data Network Infrastructure

This approach ensured that the deployed solution could:

• Prioritise critical traffic for production and R&D applications.
• Minimise latency for voice and collaboration tools.
• Safeguard core production activities from disruption.

Amillan successfully implemented a new enterprise data networking solution at the main UK campus, delivered on time and within budget. Building on this success, Amillan supported the expansion of the LAN and WLAN infrastructure to remote sites worldwide, creating a consistent, secure, and scalable global network environment.

Cabling Infrastructure

A high-availability telephony core was deployed using a virtualised architecture, providing redundancy, scalability, and future-proofing for James Cropperʼs expanding global operations.

Resilient Virtualised Unified Communications Platform

A high-availability telephony core was deployed using a virtualised architecture, providing redundancy, scalability, and future-proofing for James Cropperʼs expanding global operations.

Full IP Telephony Across All Locations

Modern IP handsets and soft clients replaced the legacy systems, delivering consistent call quality, centralised management, and the flexibility to adapt to different working environments.

UCaaS and CPaaS With Microsoft Teams Integration

A UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform was deployed as a softphone and a CPaaS ( Collaboration Platform as a Service), offering presence, instant messaging, audio, and video capabilities. Partial integration with Microsoft Teams ensured a seamless user experience for employees already working within the Microsoft 365 environment.

Full-Site DECT Coverage

Wireless DECT infrastructure provided robust site-wide mobility, enabling employees to stay connected across manufacturing floors, warehouses, and office spaces with guaranteed voice quality.

Man-Down Services For Lone Workers and Hazardous Areas

Specialist DECT handsets with man-down functionality were introduced to safeguard lone workers and staff operating in potentially dangerous areas, automatically triggering alerts in the event of falls or inactivity.

Deployment and Support

Amillan carried out a full network readiness assessment before implementation, ensuring the infrastructure could support the increased demands of voice, video, and mobility services. Post-deployment, Amillan provided comprehensive user training and continues to deliver 24/7 proactive monitoring and support, giving James Cropper centralised visibility, operational resilience, and peace of mind.

Benefits Delivered

• Seamless collaboration between departments and remote teams.
• Reduced reliance on disparate systems and improved productivity.
• Centralised visibility and simplified management through Amillanʼs 24/7 support services.
• Reliable and scalable infrastructure supporting future expansion.
• Enhanced support for hybrid working and external communications.
• Enhanced safety for lone workers through man-down services.

Customer Testimonials

“The support from Amillan has transformed the way we collaborate across global teams. Their understanding of our sector and proactive support model has been key to the smooth rollout and ongoing success of our communications strategy”

— Quote from Alistair Belshaw, IT infrastructure & Security Manager, James Cropper

“Working with an innovation-led manufacturer like James Cropper is a perfect fit for our approach. Our goal was to deliver a secure, scalable platform that supports their collaborative workflows and future growth.”

— Quote from Darren Greally, Account, Sales Director, Amillan