Saatchi Gallery:
How Saatchi Gallery Modernised Its Phone System Ahead of the UK Digital Switchover
How a London contemporary art gallery and independent charity replaced an outdated ISDN system with a modern Yeastar VoIP platform, achieving zero downtime and staying within budget.
Art Gallery
30 staff and users
Duke of York's HQ, London
Cloud PBX / Yeastar
About Saatchi Gallery
The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity, opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985.
As a registered charity, the gallery needed a communications upgrade that balanced modern functionality with cost-effectiveness, ahead of a looming regulatory deadline.
The Challenge: An Outdated System Facing a Regulatory Deadline
The business was operating on an outdated ISDN (analogue) telephone system that required upgrading and modernisation to a new digital VoIP phone system.
The key drivers included:
The UK digital switchover
All telecommunications services are transitioning from analogue to digital by January 2027, making the existing ISDN system unsustainable long-term.
Compliance with upcoming changes
Implementing a VoIP solution ensured the business remained compliant with the digital switchover while benefiting from improved functionality, reliability, and scalability.
The need for modern functionality
The existing analogue system could not support the flexibility and features the gallery needed as it looked to modernise its operations.
Why Saatchi Gallery Chose The VoIP Shop
Following the initial consultations and a live demonstration, the client was impressed by the extensive capabilities of the Yeastar phone system and how closely it aligned with their business requirements. The solution provided all of the functionality they were looking for, including call recording, mobile and desktop softphone applications, support for physical desk phones, and an open API that would enable future CRM integration as their business evolves.
The client also valued
The VoIP Shop's proactive approach throughout the evaluation process. The VoIP Shop arranged a fully functional demonstration environment and supplied two pre-configured desk phones for on-site testing, allowing the client to experience the system on their own network before making a decision. This hands-on approach gave them confidence in both the solution and The VoIP Shop's commitment to delivering a smooth and successful deployment.
The Solution
The VoIP Shop implemented a Yeastar VoIP phone system for 30 users, providing a complete unified communications solution tailored to the client's requirements.
30-User Yeastar VoIP System
A complete unified communications solution deployed for 30 users, including 30 physical desk phones alongside mobile and desktop softphone applications.
Call Recording
Integrated call recording was included to support day-to-day business operations.
Bespoke Audio Branding
Professionally recorded greetings and call handling messages were created to enhance the customer experience and reinforce the gallery's brand.
Admin Portal Access
The client's IT Manager was provided with administrator portal access, enabling day-to-day configuration changes, user management, and system setting updates whenever required, while still benefiting from ongoing support from The VoIP Shop.
Hardware Deployment
20 x Yealink T54W HD desk phones and 10 x Yealink T57W HD desk phones.
Number Porting
Business-grade full fibre broadband (FTTP) was provided across every location, with 5G backup added at each site to increase resilience and minimise disruption if the primary connection fails.
The Results
Modernised, Compliant Infrastructure
The new Yeastar VoIP system gives the gallery a modern, feature-rich communications platform that is ready for the UK's digital switchover.
Value for Money
The project successfully modernised the client's telecommunications infrastructure while remaining within their allocated budget, an important consideration for the gallery as a registered charity balancing affordability with enhanced functionality.
Greater Flexibility and Scalability
The solution provides greater flexibility, improved reliability, and scalability to support future growth.
Zero Downtime Migration
The VoIP Shop worked closely with the IT team to ensure a seamless transition, achieving zero downtime throughout the migration.
Could The VoIP Shop do this for your business?
Still running on an outdated ISDN system ahead of the UK's digital switchover, or do you need a communications partner that understands the demands of a charity budget?
We will scope a fully managed solution and support you from installation through to go-live and beyond.
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Explore the Solutions Behind This Project
Saatchi Gallery runs on the same cloud PBX platform and hardware we deploy for offices across the UK.
Here is what powered this project.