Five Reasons Why Flexible Customer Service Always Beats Rigid Rules
2014, July 10th – The telecoms industry is dynamic. Constant mergers, acquisitions, start-ups and innovations all lead to a shifting landscape. The slower-moving big players conservatively rely on the power of their big brands and delivery of solid solutions and whilst this is very important, sometimes flexibility and innovation can be even more valuable.
In the niche that Italtel occupies, we have become known for our quality and innovation. Our products are embedded in some of the most progressive next generation networks in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Whilst we may not register on the same super scale that some of the largest network developers do, we punch way above our weight in terms of customer loyalty and the scale and importance of networks we are involved with.
This is largely due to our 500 plus permanent research and development team which is creating our innovative world-leading and often pioneering solutions. We are big enough to be a force to be reckoned with, but not so large as to lose our core values. For example, we have just launched a Session Border Controller built in a cloud environment which is ready for the next wave of network upgrades pushing towards SDN and NFV.
We are ahead of the curve and whilst this is all very important, it is our nimbleness and ability to provide a flexible and adaptable service and solution to meet our customers’ needs that will see us play a centre stage role in the upcoming SBC boom. Flexibility always beats rigidity when it comes to customer service – here is why it will need to in the medium term.
The SBC Boom is Coming
Major growth in some parts of the network is on the cards, particularly in the need for next generation SBCs. They may not leap to the forefront of your mind when considering the most exciting, visible or even understood part of 21st century network architecture, but I can assure you, they are essential and are becoming ever more so. The rise of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology began around a decade ago, with SBCs playing a critical role in the transition from circuit-switched to packet-switched networks. Yet according to experts, VoIP is only just moving from the early adoption stage to gain a more mainstream status. Infonetics Research estimated that by the end of 2013 there were 288 million VoIP users – a number that shrinks when compared with the 6.5 billion fixed and mobile phone lines in use.
The evolution foresees not only the transport of voice but also of video and messaging over IP. IP became pervasive in the operator networks and today it plays a significant role also in interconnection among fixed operators and in the near future of mobile too. There are no networks today that do not require an SBC in connecting; for example, an enterprise domain to the network of a service provider. Flexibility also 2 means designing the most suitable SBC according to market needs and network evolution and the cloud approach is a perfect example. Italtel is supporting the carriers by providing an intelligent edge to maintain and evolve their position in the value chain in the future and also ensuring quality and increased profitability.
Core Values
As the industry hots up, it is not only our innovation that will differentiate us from the rest but also our core values and drive to develop happy and flexible long-term relationships with our customers. We already have world beating solutions – our customer-centric business model goes hand in hand with this to make us the perfect partner as you plan and build your next generation network.
Here are my five reasons why flexibility beats rigidity.
Commit to knowing the customer. Every network is different so we should work around you, not the other way around.
Agreeing on a Joint Plan. It is not just our own capabilities and roadmap that is important to a successful partnership. More importantly, when and what do you need as the customer to meet your goals and how can we deliver for you?
Transparency. We will always be up front and remove any barriers to information exchange. Rigidity can add rather than remove barriers.
Review, Update, Change. To improve is to change. To perfect is to change often. This isn’t possible in a rigid system.
Minimise bureaucracy. Processes are important but they can also slow us down. We only implement essential paperwork and processes.
