Softcat AWS support ensures straight A's for Cirrus on exam results day
Project at a Glance
Softcat supported Cirrus during the UK higher education Clearing period by providing flexible, on demand AWS expertise to ensure its Amazon Connect contact centre platform remained reliable at peak demand. By delivering near instant access to specialist engineers without the cost of traditional support models, Softcat helped Cirrus confidently support universities and students during one of the most critical moments in the academic calendar.
call volume spikes supported through reliable AWS infrastructure
calls per day handled by universities during peak Clearing period
Challenge
Each year, A level results day creates a surge in demand across the higher education sector, with Clearing driving huge increases in inbound calls to universities and colleges. Cirrus supports these organisations through its AWS based contact centre platform, but ensuring reliability during this short, high-pressure window required immediate access to expert AWS support. Traditional support options were either too slow or too costly, making them unsuitable for such a time critical environment.
Critical Success Factors:
1
Always‑on AWS expertise
24/7/365 AWS engineering support availability.
2
Instant support at peak demand
Flexibility for Cirrus to gain critical, near-zero response time support during exam periods.
3
Flexible, pay‑as‑needed support
Commercial flexible to pay for only what was needed.
Solution
Softcat worked closely with Cirrus to understand its business model and the importance of rapid response during Clearing. Rather than relying on standard AWS support, Softcat aligned dedicated AWS engineers to Cirrus, delivering flexible, near real-time support with commercial terms that matched the short-term nature of the requirement. This approach ensured Cirrus had the right expertise available exactly when it was needed, without unnecessary cost.
- Specialist Contact Centre partner supporting Higher Education UCAS Clearing
- Seeking agile, dedicated, cost-effective AWS expertise
- Alignment to a CCaaS business model
Results
With Softcat’s support in place, Cirrus was able to operate with confidence during exam results day, knowing specialist AWS engineers were immediately available to resolve any issues. The tailored engagement reduced operational risk, provided reassurance during peak demand, and ensured consistent service delivery for universities and students during one of the most important periods of the year.
- 24x7x365 dedicated AWS engineers
- Near real-time support for any AWS issues
- Perfect balance of price and expertise
Our Softcat Account Manager worked efficiently to engage their AWS specialist team, followed by working within very short timeframes to ensure we received cost effective AWS support during our critical phase. We had immediate dialogue with the engineers to ensure the right technical expertise would be at our disposal which alleviated our concerns around working with AWS support directly.
A spokesperson at Cirrus.