Communications for retailers - Gamma
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“Today’s retailers must understand, enable and enhance customer lifestyles. Customers expect flexible and consistent shopping between and across a retailer’s channels.” Creating the right communications Gartner, 2018 CIO Agenda: network has never been more critical Retail Industry Insights, October 2017 Retailers are at the forefront of customer innovation. However, they are operating with a competing agenda to maintain dynamic, resilient and cost effective networks, whilst at the same time driving any- channel, unified customer experiences. Being able to rapidly adapt and reinvent can be critical to survival. With a disruptive evolution of customer This brochure introduces you to some of behaviour, billowing availability of big data the products and services that we deliver analytics, an increase of sophisticated to our retail customers and how they are technologies and the upgrade requirements using these to render their modern retail of critical business systems urgently businesses. Common across all these was needing to scale, creating the right a detailed and lengthy engagement with communications network has never been Gamma that we would urge any prospective more critical. This is the value that Gamma customer to follow. provides to its retail customers. Contents 4 Unified Retailing How Gamma is pioneering a new concept in communications on the high street 8 Improved connectivity and comms for Nandos Nando’s turns up the heat on customer experience 12 Contact Centres and GDPR Compliance without tears by Semafone CEO Tim Critchley 14 Voice services Hosted telephony, Inbound call management and reporting 16 Data services Highly reliable, secure and fast data connectivity 17 Customer wifi comes of age Helping retailers to engage with customers 18 SIP Trunking If you do just one thing... 19 Digital Transformation Infrastructure for innovation © Gamma 2018. www.gamma.co.uk 2 3
Gamma is pioneering a new concept in communications, and a and which help build long-term relationships. But it can also deliver more immediate benefits as Phil Barker, head of IT at American Golf, a UK owned growing band of retailers is leveraging it to be more agile, more 150-outlet strong chain of golf equipment stores, attests. profitable, and better able to withstand the cyclical lows that affect American Golf’s relationship with Gamma began with the deployment of Gamma Inbound, the advanced cloud-based call handling and call the sector perhaps more than any other field of commerce. management service. At the time American Golf was relying on voice lines from a mix of providers, and wanted to improve the way customer phone Gamma has taken its established data and voice services as the calls to stores were handled, particularly at times of special marketing promotions during which call volumes always peaked. foundation, and created a platform for retail customers that enables them to share resources to the benefit of all. “Gamma showed us how we could use IVR functionality in the cloud via a web front end. I have a very small team so having someone spend days Unified retailing You’re never very far away from a retailer that relies on Gamma Explains Gamma’s David Macfarlane: “It sounds improbable doesn’t It’s a compelling idea that is attracting new retailers into the designing a complex IVR and then even more time managing it was not “We always want to make cost savings, it? On the surface what do, say, a nationwide shoe retailer and a Gamma cloud. But is it all too late? Haven’t we been told that something I wanted to do. With the Gamma service we were up and running like any other business, but we had golf equipment chain have in common? Well the fact is that while bricks and mortar retailing is dying, that instead the British public within a couple of hours and it is proving simple and quick to manage via a greater issues than this to address when their sectors are a world apart, their underlying IT needs are actually increasingly wants to shop online from the comfort of an armchair browser.” Now, customers who ring a shop can choose to listen to IVR messages on opening hours and what’s available in-store without waiting for someone to considering our telecoms. Gamma were very similar. They both need access to card payment acquirers, or the kitchen table? Retailers that adapt to change and combine the answer. The system also enables functions such as the number of unanswered a clear choice as they are a trusted security systems, environmental support systems to name but three best of both online and physical selling spaces to deliver a seamless rings before a call is re-routed to a fallback site to be set so that callers don’t supplier who were able to offer us commonalities – and there are many more. experience for shoppers irrespective of the channel they choose to have to wait long before talking with a helpful assistant. options we hadn’t even considered yet. use are among those that are posting the strongest sales returns. “We’re bringing these vendors together in the Gamma cloud to For Barker and his colleagues, the deployment of Inbound was so positive that For example, many in the sector struggle to believe that giving “By converging our voice and data create a complete retailing support ecosystem. This is enabling Gamma was soon invited back to talk about a wholescale simplification and us to present our retailing customers with an easy choice: ‘Do you customers fast and reliable WiFi in store won’t make it more likely services, Gamma were able to offer modernisation of American Golf’s communications. want to continue to strike one-to-one agreements with your various that they’ll be ‘showrooming’ – using price comparison web sites great cost savings and a huge amount of services suppliers and have to devote time and internal resources to to identify who sells what for the lowest price. Yet 80 per cent of The voice and data lines provided by multiple vendors were taken out and flexibility - not to mention the account managing their presence at the network edge, or would you prefer shoppers in a recent survey said that the availability of free WiFi replaced with links to Gamma’s multiprotocol label switching MPLS WAN, a management service we were lacking influenced where they shop. That’s a statistic not lost on retail giant converged infrastructure that carries both voice and data. Gamma’s Horizon from our previous provider.” to have them all available in the Gamma cloud and let us take care John Lewis which actively encourages store visitors to test its price hosted telephony solution, like Inbound also controlled via a Web browser, of the management? guarantee using free in-store WiFi. now gives Barker and his team unprecedented ability to manage the voice Phil Barker calls environment, while the same communication pipes also provide low- Oh, and by the way, if you are happy to use the same services Of course, giving customers such connectivity also enables retailers latency transport for critical business applications including point of sale and supplier such as card acquirer or logistics company as other Gamma to learn more about store visitors’ interests and habits, building management information. customers, then it will cost you and them less too.” profiles that can underpin new forms of proactive marketing 4 5
“The move to Gamma for voice and data has resulted in savings of around 30%” “We’re no different to most other retail businesses in many ways “Gamma brokered the agreement. They use the same Macfarlane cites Ethernet First Mile as and so share the same two primary concerns about security and infrastructure into the logistics company, but secure each an example, “EFM has effectively been costs. Gamma’s fully-managed voice and data environment is organisation’s data. It’s saved both of us a significant amount of superseded by FTTC, but organisations that fundamentally secure and the web front end allows us to use money and it’s a model that works in other areas where we need have purchased this technology from an simple plain English commands to maintain secure working third party services. asset-heavy provider are stuck with this for without the need to have very costly IT security specialists on the term of their contract. In contrast, Gamma board. On the costs front, the move to Gamma for voice and data “I look at our relationship with Gamma in this way. We have a lot customers are on fibre now, but who’s to say what’s has resulted in savings of around 30%.” of trust in the people, and their technology is not only great, but they understand how it can be applied to the benefit of a retail going to be current in three or five years’ time? Whatever it is, then that’s what Gamma’s customers will be using.” “I have a raft of Security and costs aside, what Barker also really appreciates is business like ours. revenue-generating Gamma’s evident understanding of the issues facing retailers Macfarlane says this fundamental Gamma agility enables today. “They’ve shown us available here-and-now technical They see how communications can be an Gamma retail customers to be agile too because they will always ideas we’re going to responses to some of the challenges and it’s clear that when we as a business get to the point of facing them that Gamma can help.” active revenue generator for us rather than have the fastest and most advanced converged services to enable them to better meet the challenges they face. be discussing with a cost centre, and I feel that pretty much Gamma over time Barker had for some years been eyeing in-store WiFi as a way anything is possible. How would Macfarlane summarise the benefits of Gamma for Britain’s of offering store visitors access to an extended catalogue of retailers? He says that while having the most advanced technology is and I am confident products, but he was constantly deterred by security challenges from their PCI compliance requirements. At one of those My team and I have a raft of revenue-generating ideas that we’re going to be discussing with Gamma over time and I am confident important, so too is the breadth of Gamma’s offer. they can deliver” show-and-tell meetings Gamma assured him that WiFi could that Gamma can deliver.” “We directly link communications to desired business outcomes. be implemented securely. He subsequently presented to the They are buying burden removal – in one easy step buying American Golf board and won assent for the project. Roll-out took Barker at American Golf is far from the first retail customer to data, voice, and third party retail services that are place accordingly with Gamma providing a turnkey package of in- express such sentiments. How has Gamma established this customised for the retail environment and which, if store equipment and integration with the data network. position as trusted partner to the sector? David Macfarlane has a they choose, allow them to concentrate on being theory. “It’s partly down to the technology we deploy and partly a great retailer and not have to double up as “Some of our stores are quite small, little more than the size of a down to being willing to walk in the shoes of our customers. As self-managing IT experts as well. That’s why living room, so it’s just not physically possible to stock our entire a communications provider we don’t see comms as an end in if you walk up a high street in Britain range in them. Our business challenge was – how do you give itself but rather as an enabler; only one element of a range of you’re never going to be very far away store visitors the endless aisle experience when you’ve got so little possible solutions to particular business challenges. Understand from a retailer that relies on Gamma.” space in which to work? With the security questions over WiFi the challenges and the other elements that combine with resolved we were able to stride ahead and do it. Now customers communications to provide a solution and you become a lot more can use in-store provided tablet devices to browse online from our useful to your customers.” extended catalogue, while our store assistants are right there on hand to offer detailed advice. The deployment is on track to add Macfarlane believes agility plays a significant role too. He says that £3m in revenues in the first year alone.” Gamma as an asset-light provider has some distinct advantages over asset-heavy alternatives. “We own our core network, but And what of Gamma’s Unified Retail environment? American we integrate with multiple local access providers, enabling our Golf has put a toe in the water of the ecosystem by moving to a customers to connect to our core. That means we are not tied third party logistics services provider that also supports another to any one particular access technology and can move on to the Gamma customer. benefit of our customers if things change.” 6 7
Nando’s turns up the heat Sharp observes: “That’s classic short- “Our restaurants were not that What Sharp and his colleagues didn’t termism. It undermines trust between the dependent on network connectivity. If reveal at the time was that they knew all two parties and in the longer run serves a connection failed it was no big deal. along that the three-month deadline was neither of them well. It is not the basis for a The site could continue to operate. But impossible. It had been a deliberate ploy, on customer experience long-term relationship.” with the deployment of the first round presented to all nine contenders, to flush of applications, suddenly there was big out glib promises. Those bidders that Having developed his theory in previous risk to the operation of the business if simply said what they wrongly thought roles at other companies including Pizza the network failed, and risk to customer Nando’s wanted to hear effectively de- Express, Sharp has recently put it into satisfaction as well,” said Sharp. selected themselves from the contest. practice once more, this time in support of Nando’s goal of achieving a closer and He and his team invited tenders for Sharp and his colleagues travelled to mutually more satisfying relationship with a wholesale re-build of the network, Gamma’s Manchester operations centre for its own customers – and there are a lot of including two data connections, (from a a final pre-contract visit. “Gamma invited them. At a time when the dwindling footfall mixture of Ethernet with DSL backup, dual- us just to walk around and talk to staff. Nando’s has chosen Gamma being suffered by some restaurant chains EFM, dual FTTC, FTTC with DSL and dual We were not chaperoned. I remember as a key partner in a bold continues to make national news, Nando’s DSL), plus a backup 4G mobile connection, sitting down to talk to one of the guys has the opposite problem: its restaurants into each restaurant. It was to be a on the service desk. The first thing he technology move that will are so busy that it is not unusual to see profound upgrade in connectivity, driven did was clear his screen to protect the improve connectivity and queues of people waiting outside for tables by the desire to introduce customer WiFi, confidentiality of his customers. to become available. to better support existing management communications UK-wide applications while proving plenty of spare “We were talking, and a call came in. All across a rapidly growing In order to better understand its popularity bandwidth for future expansion, and to the other service desk staff were already with the dining public, and to ensure enhance the ability of the network to helping users. The guy politely asked me estate of 400 restaurants, that such remarkably high demand can continue to operate even in the event of if I could wait while he took the call. If I and power a new analytics be maintained and built upon, Nando’s multiple failures. Nine suppliers submitted had been in his position I’d have felt under initiative to get closer to has embarked on a programme to get to tenders, but it was Gamma that was pressure to concentrate on his visitor, but know its customers better. Multi-mode awarded the contract. he didn’t do that; he took the call and put its customers that is communications technology is the enabler the existing customer before me. That was already paying dividends – and that’s why Sharp’s theory has once Observed Sharp: “What really makes one of the stand-out things for me. It spoke again come into play. Gamma different is its openness, honesty volumes about the culture and the working on the high street. and transparency. This became apparent environment at Gamma that the staff were during our initial talks when Gamma open and comfortable talking with us, but The rise of network dependency declined to commit to meeting the three when a customer needed help, then that month roll-out that we proposed, and had to come first.” The network originally linking Nando’s were straight about the reasons for this. head office on the outskirts of London They pointed out that with our desired Decision made, the deployment began. relied on single ADSL2 lines into each of baseline speed of 10 Mbps on each wired Sharp says that despite the scale of change, Trust, transparency, and tomorrow Tony Sharp, Nando’s Technical Services His analysis is that in the heat of a bidding the company’s 402 restaurants across the connection, the challenge of applying for the process was straightforward. “I’ve gone Manager for the UK and Ireland, is contest, contending suppliers can find it UK and Ireland. Adequate when it only wayleaves and other forms of consent through four similar upheavals in previous When it comes to selecting a provider something of a veteran of such situations, very tempting to make promises that they had to carry management data traffic, it from landowners such as shopping centre roles. When you break it down it’s a simple of voice and data connectivity, most and he says that there is a third, perhaps cannot possibly keep. Their logic is: first was unable to support the introduction by operators, it would be virtually impossible and repetitive task. Gamma have done this corporate buyers base their evaluation on still more critical criteria to be considered win the business, then brush off the crying Nando’s of a number of advances including to achieve in the timeframe.” countless times too and they know what the technical competence and network that is overlooked by many buyers – that over the phone when the customer realises on-line ordering, gift and loyalty cards and they are doing.” quality of the contenders. Then they make of honesty; openness; transparency, call it that delivery dates are slipping. By then centralised chip and PIN processing. a final choice based on price. what you will. they will be far too committed to reverse their decision. 8 9
“Since moving to Gamma we haven’t had a single shop go offline and be unable to trade” A WAN with belt and braces rules will need to be changed. With Gamma to full effect. But Sharp is unrepentant: Being in such demand, the restaurants Powering customer centricity “We are still working through what this we can speed up the process by doing it “We are all about robustness and the are bustling places, often with challenging might look like,” says Sharp. “We don’t give Every Nando’s restaurant has been dual ourselves, yet at the same time have the customer experience. When you have 1200 background noise levels. Add that to a noisy This theme of localism and personalisation out vouchers or two-for-one offers, but the connected into Gamma’s core MPLS assurance of knowing that continuity is connections, one is going to go down every or faint PSTN phone line and the potential runs through Nando’s thinking about ability to recognise who our loyal customers network using a mix of ADSL, Fibre To subject of some notably aggressive Service once in a while. It’s a fact of life. However, for misunderstanding, mis-hearing, and how it can further leverage the Gamma are means we can now think creatively The Cabinet (FTTC) or Ethernet, according Level Agreements.” since moving to Gamma we haven’t had customer and staff frustration is high. A trial network. One example is that the wireless about ways in which we might acknowledge to local availability and relative speeds. a single shop go offline and be unable to of Gamma’s VoIP Calls and Lines solution access points in restaurants are capable and reward them.” Contracts have also been put in place for While he is more than content with the trade,” reveals Sharp. at 12 restaurants showed that call quality of recognising customers by their mobile 4G Gamma Mobile services at each site. Gamma solution, Sharp points out that it is far exceeded that achieved by the legacy numbers. Another possibility is geofencing Sharp says the Gamma solution has given “Gamma has a strong relationship with but a means to an end, and that ‘the end’ The art of the possible system. Staff reported that they could hear restaurants. This would enable the chain to Nando’s a robust platform that offers Openreach, and provides us with what is is not the one that might be supposed. callers much more clearly and that they build a picture not only of what restaurants multiple possibilities for learning about effectively a one-stop shop, managing the Although some applications using the One notable new application now no longer dreaded answering a ringing customers frequent and what they like to customers and for creative engagement whole process and taking responsibility for infrastructure will save Nando’s money, the being deployed is that of remote oven phone. “As we anticipated, customers eat, but also of passing footfall. It would with them. “Our partnership with Gamma end-to-end provision. Gamma’s openness restaurant chain has its eyes on a different configuration. Nando’s regularly changes enjoyed a higher quality interaction with then be a relatively short step to begin has catalysed new thinking. For us it’s a on the timescales and their programmatic kind of primary ROI, and one that is by its menus, with new items periodically our staff. We will be rolling the IP voice personalising peoples’ experiences of journey, and we are just at the start.” approach to what can and cannot be definition long term: that of knowing more coming on and some coming off. Each solution out on the customer circuit links Nando’s in ways that are compelling both achieved has made the process transparent about its customers, and ensuring that menu item has its own oven timings and to our entire estate this year. Sharp and his to loyal customers, and those people that and predictable. Of course there have been they are given the best possible experience temperature requirements, and until now colleagues are looking closely at adding in currently walk on by. problems, but we are realistic. These are every time they engage with the Nando’s these have been changed by technicians IVR functionality and tapping into Gamma’s opportunities for people to give you their brand. “Where we are with this currently visiting restaurants to re-programme ovens ability to provide a deep level of call best and to resolve them. Gamma’s people is not where we will be very shortly. Our by using a USB device. Across 400 sites, each statistical data. “If we can recognise why have continued to impress us.” partnership with Gamma has given us the of which has up to three ovens, that process customers are phoning and direct them to platform on which we will be doing much has imposed a significant management the right place then we achieve further Gamma’s trademark openness has given more,” he says. travel and cost burden. Now, with the robust gains in the quality of our relationships,” Sharp further reason for satisfaction over Gamma network in place, ovens are being he observes. his choice of partner. Under the agreement Customer WiFi is common in many WAN-enabled so that re-programming can between the two companies, Gamma has restaurant chains, but most of them make be done remotely from Nando’s head office, Given the size of the Nando’s restaurant overall responsibility for managing the customer social media, browsing and email saving time and overheads. estate, is a change from a distributed to network-based next generation firewall that share bandwidth with management traffic an inbound call centre model on the cards defends the Nando’s MPLS network and over a single link. At Nando’s there will be It is, though, the potential for a deeper at some point? “We haven’t necessarily routes traffic. This has removed the need no sharing. With the rollout, all but complete relationship between the Nando’s brand discounted it, but what is paramount is that for separate firewalls at each restaurant across the entire Nando’s estate, customers and its customers that Sharp also focuses our customers feel that they are getting a site. However, Gamma has enabled Nando’s will get the full bandwidth of one connection on, and voice communication is a high genuine local experience. At the moment technicians to make selected configuration while management traffic will use the other. priority. “One of the technical reasons we they can phone a restaurant to book a table, amendments themselves to the core selected Gamma as our partner was the then when they arrive to eat they will meet network firewall. Only in the event of one connection going class-leading capability on voice,” he says. the same staff member who helped them down there will there be sharing, and if Customers phone restaurants to book with the booking.” “No other supplier would do this,” notes both trunks should go down then the 4G tables and place food orders, but over Sharp. “They all wanted to retain complete connection will kick in to allow continuity the previous legacy PSTN connections the authority and have us submit change of business only. Some might regard this results were not always what Nando’s or its control requests for them to action. It is as overkill; to be giving too much away to customers wanted. inevitable that as Nando’s grows the firewall customers and failing to sweat costly assets 10 11
Contact Centre compliance You can’t afford to ignore the EU GDPR without tears If your business takes payments over the phone you’ll be The new European General Data Protection Another option, Interactive Voice Response only too familiar with all the work and expense involved in Regulation (GDPR) means data breaches (IVR), can be effective in solving the PCI DSS keeping your contact centre compliant with Payment Card are likely to hold dire consequences: your problem but provides poor customer service. Industry (PCI) regulations. business could face fines of up to 4% of Dealing with a machine is frustrating, and your global turnover or €20m, whichever people lose patience when a problem arises – is the largest, and you may be required to IVR has a high drop-out rate. Again, Semafone And that’s only half of the problem. You’ll also know that the pay customers damages in the event of solves the problem by removing all of the financial and reputational cost of failing to protect customer data can be eye-watering. data loss or theft. card data from the equation and letting your agents stay on the phone to offer great service Pret a Manger Tim Critchley, CEO of Semafone explains... You will also need to be careful who to your customers. has a managed you associate with – the new laws reach beyond just one organisation, so make SIP with Semafone takes the data communications headache away sure your partners are all certified to service agreement Let Semafone Semafone solves both compliance and security issues in one stroke by removing the highest degree. Semafone holds all all the sensitive card data from your organisation. Our patented payment four of the leading security and payment For your peace of mind, talk to Gamma about SIP with Semafone. Hosted by Gamma, it with Gamma for handle the data accreditations: ISO 27001:2013, PA DSS method uses Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) masking technology to conceal the sound of the keypad tones so your customers can enter their payment card certification for our payment solution, PCI will ensure the continued flexibility of your all its UK and telecoms system, a reduction in the cost of PCI numbers through the telephone handset. DSS Level 1 Service Provider and Visa Level compliance, high levels of customer service, European stores 1 merchant agent status. and access to a one-stop shop for telephony You needn’t worry about the compliance status of your contact centre agents Don’t let call recordings put your and PCI compliance. because they can’t hear or see the sensitive data, leaving them free to help the business on hold customer while they pay. And you don’t have to secure the sensitive card data inside your telephony infrastructure because it’s not there – we send all the When you accept card payments over the details straight to the bank. telephone, you face an awkward dilemma if you record calls in your contact centre. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) prohibits the recording of any sensitive card numbers, so how can you take card payments over the phone and still record the call without putting yourself in breach of the PCI DSS? A common, but flawed, ‘quick fix’ solution has been the “pause and resume” method. The call recorder is paused just before the customer reads out the numbers and resumed when they finish. But this approach is unreliable, it makes the recording incomplete and it leaves everything else ‘in scope’. Customer service agents, their computers, their desktops and the entire infrastructure of the contact centre must all be scrutinised regularly to ensure compliance with PCI DSS. 12 13
Gamma Voice Services Cloud-based telephony with easy control and reporting Horizon Hosted Telephony Horizon is a complete business communications Horizon is cloud based and accessed via a web- service that provides an extensive range of fixed and mobile telephony capabilities via an easy- based portal and there are no PBX maintenance costs to worry about. Horizon Call Centre to-use web portal. Horizon takes the burden away from your With Horizon Call Centre you can easily • Simple, clever management of It’s suitable for any sized business and is IT team. Local administrators manage and manage, monitor and control inbound calls inbound calls particularly effective if you have multiple sites configure the system according to your into your organisation. • Easy to use via web-based admin interface working together. It’s also capable of serving organisation’s needs. Employees can then • Boosts agents productivity by making calls hundreds of employees. manage their calls easily and effectively, so Suitable for the smallest to the largest easier to handle and distribute maximising individual productivity. call centre, it’s a cloud-based service with • Improves overall efficiency of your call centre With only a minimal capital outlay it’s a reliable an extensive range of inbound call centre by simplifying how inbound calls are managed and proven service and a jargon-free approach Horizon combines handsets from several capabilities that can be managed from • Makes it easier for your call centre manager to to telephony and communications. By switching manufacturers, an easy-to-use web interface, a web portal. An add-on to our Horizon track agent performance to Horizon you can immediately benefit from Gamma’s trademark network resilience and hosted telephony platform, it enables you • Improved customer experience a cheaper and more flexible phone service, services, and the power of the world’s leading to easily manage call centre environments, and Horizon can also help you improve your communications platform. It is available as a boost productivity of agents and improve organisation’s productivity and image. fully managed service. the overall efficiency as well as helping to deliver a first rate service. • Multi-site deployment • Save money and work smarter with fixed Management Reporting with Akixi and mobile integration • Wall-board integration to display call Do you know how many calls you are • Get new features immediately getting? Do you know how they are being statistics in real time • One supplier, end-to-end, makes life easier handled or who is handling them? • Instantly see what needs to be changed • Only one system to buy to improve customer service Horizon offers a number of key • Monitor time to answer and manage • Ideal for home and flexible working measurements through its reporting calls more efficiently • Highly reliable and scalable section. However, there is a growing • See how many calls are being • Full support wrap requirement for more in-depth call abandoned with the ability to management reporting and wall board return them integration to help organisations gain a real-time understanding of calls. • Optimise resources by ensuring the right number of operators are Through our partnership with Akixi, the in place at all times leading hosted call-management service provider, you can now get a data feed for your Horizon service, which will let you export the statistics you need to help manage your business. 14 15
Gamma Data Services Engage Fast, secure access to Inform underpin your business Build loyalty communications Revenues As more services move into the cloud, so the need for fast, secure and reliable internet connectivity has become essential. Gamma’s Ethernet products provide highly reliable, secure and fast data connectivity. Ethernet services can help reduce the cost of private networking while improving the quality of service and support. We offer scalability and flexibility unavailable from legacy services. We also deliver dedicated, secure, uncontended business-class connections for all your voice and data traffic. Gamma Fibre Ethernet is ideal for organisations that wish to converge voice and data onto a single connection. Using Gamma you’ll benefit from significant cost savings while enjoying the ease of dealing with a single, accountable supplier. Customer WiFi comes of age Connect to our extensive next generation network and receive dedicated, low latency and high availability services, with full resilience, supported by robust, end-to-end SLAs that include 24/7 UK-based support. In today’s retail environment, Insights for business growth Repeatable Results • High capacity and flexible connectivity customer WiFi is no longer simply a • Dedicated, uncontended bandwith passive nice-to-have. With Meraki Meraki’s location-based data helps reveal With Meraki WiFi, retailers have an • Voice and data convergence from Gamma, WiFi has evolved into and decode patterns of shopper behaviour, enhanced ability to understand why some • 24x7 monitoring and helpdesk a fully-fledged business tool that showing, for example, how visitor numbers sites perform better than others, and to • Managed Cisco router helps retailers to engage directly rise and fall depending upon the time of make newly-informed decisions about how • Service Level Agreement with customers, better understand day, the number of first-time visitors their returns can be replicated across the • Resilient failover their preferences, and sell to them compared to repeat and how long people retail estate. It becomes easier to attract more effectively. spend within range of the WiFi access new customers, drive up store traffic, and • Maximise productivity point. If you want to understand how increase average basket sizes. special promotions, or changes to Multi-site management, analysis advertising or window displays affect Standards based WLAN, LAN and WAN and reporting visitor numbers, Meraki can do that too. Meraki is based on PCI DSS Level 1 certified architecture and is able to support either Meraki WiFi access points are configured A social media welcome dedicated customer WiFi alone, or POS and remotely via a web interface over the guest WiFi on the same platform. cloud, simplifying management and Not only does Meraki WiFi automatically High street retailer Hidden Hearing keeping costs in check. Able to detect the detect visitors, but it enables retailers to saves £250,000 annually on line presence of smartphones, laptops and move straight onto automatic engagement rental and call costs with Gamma’s tablets, Meraki access points export this with them via their mobile devices data to the Gamma cloud, enabling the through advances such as mobile push MPLS virtual private network, and total creation of real-time analytics that through notifications, targeted coupons and control over inbound call routing has customisable graphics reveal key insights advertising, and branded Facebook logins into customer activity for retailers. for WiFi access. improved customer service. 16 17
Customer centricity Gamma Voice Services in the digital age Fast track your digital Gamma is already working with many large retailers on their digital transformation strategies, transformation strategy supporting their virtualisation, cloud computing and telephony initiatives and giving them a communications infrastructure on which to explore and develop further innovation and even greater levels of flexibility. Gamma SIP Trunks Gamma’s recent, independently commissioned research points to increased efficiency of business processes, improved customer satisfaction, better revenue growth and Gamma SIP Trunking is our standards-based Any business with a PBX can switch to our SIP significantly lower IT costs. But increasingly it is customer expectation that is replacement for traditional ISDN. It connects trunking service and immediately benefit from a leading companies into digital transformation. your PBX via broadband, Ethernet or private more flexible, less expensive and more resilient circuit into our national network. phone service. The Gamma study reveals that the changing Compared to ISDN our SIP trunking service is In addition, SIP Trunk Call Manager service demands of customers has led 60% of less costly per channel and more flexible in how and where geographic telephone numbers can encompasses all of the benefits of Gamma SIP Trunks combined with a unique web-based organisations to up their digital game. be used. It’s also quicker to install and provision portal and App service that enables you to and, as standard, it delivers extremely robust take full control of all your inbound numbers, business continuity. wherever you are, whenever you want. Our SIP Trunks work seamlessly with each of the leading IP PBX brands in the UK market. The service can support connections ranging • Save money on call costs and line rental from two channels for small PBX-equipped • Free internal calls and great features businesses to an unlimited number of channels for large enterprises and contact centres. • Scale up and down when you need it • Built-in business continuity Putting communications first • Compatible with Skype® for Business Truly seamless interaction with customers, partners and suppliers is paramount in digital transformation, with all channels of communication playing a part. While email, messaging and social media all have a part to play, Gamma’s research shows that for most organisations – and certainly for their customers – voice still remains pre-eminent. Yet nearly three quarters of those contributing to the research felt their Did you know? companies were not making best use of voice and, worse still, the larger business community was gradually losing the art of conversation. Gamma is the UK’s leading SIP Trunk Equally surprising, in a world of digital, cloud and converged communications many firms still rely on traditional hardware PBX-centric voice infrastructures. A switch to an alternative technology - say cloud voice - would be a relatively painless, yet valuable first step towards larger overall digital transformation. With the help of enabling infrastructure providers like Gamma, a new breed of digital business, powered provider by successful and sustained digital transformation, is challenging what is possible, seizing market share and disrupting the status quo. The question is no longer if to digitally transform, but when. Read the full article in our Digital Transformation edition of Unify - download from our Enterprise page at gamma.co.uk. 18 19
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