Today’s business landscape is evolving rapidly. Digital transformation in an ever more mobile world is a reality. In 2017, Orange Belgium responded with solutions that facilitate this evolution.
The rise of new technologies such as Social, Cloud, Big Data and IoT − along with the blurring line between private and professional life − has put digital transformation high on business customers’ agendas. On top of that, mobile is becoming the dominant platform for accessing the internet for both private and professional use.
Meeting the new challenges of a changing work environment
Customers are challenging telecom providers to help them with their mobility-first digital transformation. And as the 2nd largest mobile operator in Belgium, Orange Belgium is well positioned to address these needs.
In 2017, Orange launched solutions for business customers whose employees are not only active professionally, but stay connected in their spare time as well. Orange translated their needs into simple communication bundles with a clear focus on mobile data − so business customers can manage their corporate devices fleet easily and keep a close eye on the budgets spent.
Orange offers a wide range of devices and a unique Business Insurance service to guarantee business continuity. In 2017, Orange also reinforced convergent solutions for SME customers, combining fixed and mobile communication and adding indoor coverage and business continuity solutions.
‘Roam like at home’
In June 2017, businesses benefitted from the EU roaming regulation that allows travelling EU citizens to call, text and surf without surcharges in the European Union. Business customers now roam carefree outside Belgium, using their national bundle of call minutes, SMS and mobile data. As mobile internet becomes more and more important, Orange business customers’ mobile data usage is increasing by an average of 7% per month. So, the company took the opportunity of the EU roaming regulation to enhance its Shape offer − the new bundles enable Orange business customers to communicate even more smoothly and cost-effectively, in Belgium as well as abroad.
+7%
mobile data usageper month
1-stop-shops
As companies request mobile, fixed and other ICT services to all be present in the cloud, the market is encouraging service providers to become 1-stop-shops. With IRISnet, for example, Orange launched a packaged fixed-mobile ICT solution for public customers in the Brussels-Capital Region. IRISnet is powered by Orange and responsible for the management and development of telecommunications services on the region’s broadband network.
The Growth Programme
Orange Belgium’s ambition to grow is also supported by improving the efficiency and quantity of various interactions with business customers. As Orange’s phone account management has been proven successful with small customers, Orange will be expanding this service towards other customers. Moreover, the company aims to have at least +10% more account managers’ feet on the street to widen the range of business in 2018.
In 2017, Orange Belgium became 100% shareholder of A3Com and A&S Partners, who have been Orange distribution partners for almost 20 years. A3Com is specialised in telecommunications product sales and services for residential customers through a network of 12 Orange shops located in the Brussels region. A&S Partners provides telecommunications services to business customers within the Brussels region via a dedicated sales team of 35 professionals called AS Mobility. By acquiring both partners, Orange has strengthened its footprint in the Brussels region.
Growing collaboration in 2018
Business customers − both large corporates and SMEs − appreciate Orange Belgium’s approach to everything from customer account management to co-creation of solutions. So the main focus in 2018 will be on growing this segment of Orange’s business. As Orange collaborates with a business, the customer itself, and all of its employees, advance into the new, exciting working landscape.
Orange Belgium and Orange Business Services
Orange Belgium’s invigorated convergent offering has strengthened Orange’s position in the business segment. Now, the company wants to further strengthen its relationship with small-, medium- and large-size businesses in Belgium by offering them a complete one-stop-shop service, including mobile and fixed connectivity and a whole range of digital services.
To do this, Orange Belgium has entered into a sales engagement agreement with Orange Business Services to reinforce the commercial collaboration between the two companies, with the joint objective of serving more business customers with a wider product offering and even better service. Orange Belgium’s business customers will be able to leverage Orange Business Services’ expertise; and Orange Business Services’ multinational customers will be able to rely even more on Orange Belgium’s network resources and business capabilities, including the recently launched Mobile IoT network.
Orange Business Services offers a full range of services, primarily in the fixed-line communications and IT services markets. Both companies will be able to provide digital solutions to allow work tools to become more mobile, more connected and more collaborative, and business customers will be able to access private and hybrid cloud solutions as well as security solutions to protect all areas of their vital activities.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
Orange Belgium is leading the way in IoT. In 2017, it again achieved double-digit growth. 2017 saw the breakthrough of ‘super sims’: sims with a minimum of 250 Giga/month used for wifi@board in trains as well as for video streaming applications. Also in 2017, Orange rolled out a new mobile IoT network nationally (NB-IoT & LTE-M). Such new IoT networks allow millions of everyday objects to be connected to the Internet of Things. In 2018, Orange will extend its connectivity offering to more IoT devices, with the ability to store the data collected by these devices.
Big data solutions
Because tourism and events have a major economic impact on a city, marketing is becoming increasingly important for cities and municipalities, along with ‘big data’ analytical tools that make it possible to detect and map out mobile devices. Crowd monitoring − measuring the presence and movement of groups of people − offers numerous new possibilities for the further development of the services cities provide. For example, the impact of weather conditions on how a crowd moves, and the pressure on arterial roads leading to and from events, can all be monitored and responded to. Orange helped the cities of Antwerp, Mechelen and Ghent with these developments; and the project with Service public de Wallonie and Pairi Daiza received the Agoria Smart City Award in 2017.
