CRI Profile
Communications Resources Inc., partners with you to help solve the challenges you face in today’s competitive market. Our mission is to provide BUSINESS solutions for customer needs through the effective implementation of TECHNOLOGY based communications systems, in order to SATISFY you, our customer... As a result, you get more than the solution; you receive the service and support that build lasting customer relationships.

Communications Resources Inc., (CRI) is a Communications Systems Integrator, serving Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, with its home office in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our core business includes a Life-Cycle approach to Planning, Design, Installation, and long term Support of integrated voice, data and video communications networks. CRI is a Premier Distributor for Nortel Networks. We specialize in the support of Nortel Meridian products including Norstar, BCM, Meridian 1 - Option 11 through Option 81 systems, Multi-Media Messaging, Contact Center Applications, Interactive Voice Response, Voice over IP applications, VPN Solutions and Voice and Data Switching solutions. We have a competent staff of trained professionals with significant experience in servicing customers throughout the Southeast. As part of our products and services portfolio, we offer engineering services, voice/data inside and outside plant cable construction, paging systems, and peripheral products for the complete communications solution.

The principal owners of the company are actively involved in the business providing services to design, deploy, and manage customers’ networks. We have over 40 employees in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Atlanta, and Huntsville. Over 80% of our employees are directly engaged in servicing our customers and we have over 26 years experience as an Independent Nortel distributor.


History
CRI was formed on April 1, 1980, when Phil Burkett, then Northern Telecom branch manager for Chattanooga, and two other business partners purchased the East Tennessee operation from NT. In subsequent years Phil bought out his partners and has continued to grow and expand the business, with customers currently located in the major markets in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

For its first 20 years, CRI has been a voice communications company, selling, installing and supporting telecommunications systems to business customers, with major emphasis in PABX and complex systems and applications. Phil has always positioned CRI as the highest quality provider for equipment and support, and our sales strategy is to promote "the best equipment and service in town". This approach, combined with a very meticulous focus on customer care has been a sound strategy which affords CRI a higher than usual customer loyalty factor for repeat business, and it positively impacts new system sales. CRI has many major customers who have depended on them for communications solutions for over 20 years, and continue to look to CRI to lead them through the maze of changing and emerging technology.

The convergence of voice and data technologies into IP platforms has presented many new challenges for CRI, as with all other channel partners. But it has also revealed many new opportunities for doing business, and CRI is capitalizing on new approaches by developing strategic partnerships and alliances to reach out to new customers, new technologies, and new markets. These efforts have proven to be highly successful over the past 12 to 18 months, and consequently CRI is having their best performance ever, in what would otherwise have been very difficult times.

Sales Territory
Our sales territory is primarily the metropolitan areas of Chattanooga, TN, Knoxville, TN, Memphis, TN, Huntsville, Al, and Atlanta, Ga. Since CRI was formed in 1980, our customer base has grown to over 31,000 installed lines, and now includes over 400 customers from small (2 or 3 phones) to large (over 2000 phones).

Trade and Civic Memberships
CRI maintains in various trade and civic associations, including Chattanooga and Knoxville Chambers of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and others.