On-Prem Excellence Since 2016: How the University of Canberra Scaled Student Support with Comm100

Total chats handled in 2024: 759
Average chat satisfaction score: 4.8/5
Average wait time: 34 seconds

The University of Canberra (UC) is one of Australia’s leading public universities, known for its commitment to innovation, research, and a dynamic student experience. With a diverse student body and a wide range of programs, UC strives to provide high-quality education and services to its students and staff alike.

As the university added more program offerings serving more than 17000 students, the demand for more efficient communication between students and its IT support team rose sharply.

Traditionally relying on email and phone calls, the IT department found these methods increasingly insufficient to keep up with the growing number of inquiries, particularly during high-traffic periods. Staff and students began requesting a faster, more convenient way to get the support they needed.

As the University of Canberra continued to grow and expand its student support services, the limitations of their existing support channels became more apparent.

Relying on traditional methods like phone and email created bottlenecks, particularly during peak times such as enrollment periods and exam seasons. These delays frustrated both students and staff, who needed quick solutions to their IT issues.

The university’s IT department faced increasing pressure to deliver timely support while managing a growing number of inquiries. Feedback from internal surveys revealed that users wanted a more immediate, real-time communication channel to resolve their issues quickly, without the need for long email threads or waiting on hold during busy periods.

In addition, the IT team needed a solution that could integrate seamlessly with their existing systems, provide secure handling of sensitive information, and offer scalability to meet fluctuating demand throughout the academic year. Without a more efficient solution in place, the university risked decreased satisfaction and productivity among its staff and students.

The decision to adopt Comm100 was made easier by the fact that another department within the university was already using the platform and was very satisfied with it. The University of Canberra opted for a seamless on-premises deployment of Comm100’s live chat solution, ensuring full control over their IT infrastructure and data.

This allowed the university to integrate the platform into their existing systems without disrupting operations or compromising security.

Comm100’s live chat offered key features that aligned perfectly with the university’s requirements. The screen sharing functionality allowed IT staff to guide students through complex processes within the university’s portal, making it easier to troubleshoot issues remotely.

One of the most significant changes that they noted was that the support staff really appreciated having a tool that offers immediate assistance, without having to wait hours.

Additionally, the platform’s PCI DSS forms ensured secure handling of sensitive information, maintaining compliance with the university’s data protection standards.

The university initially set up a standalone instance of Comm100, ensuring it could operate independently from other departments. Onboarding went smoothly, and any minor issues, such as backend access limitations, were resolved quickly.

With positive feedback already driving interest in additional features, the IT team is exploring options such as extended chat support hours, more seamless handoff processes, and advanced AI functionalities to streamline interactions.

Additionally, the university is transitioning from an on-premises setup to a hosted Comm100 solution, reducing operational overhead and enabling greater flexibility for future updates.