Leading UK electrical retailer Comet has chosen Azzurri Communications for a major enterprise mobility contract. Azzurri will refresh Comet’s entire mobility estate, supplying a range of different devices to suit the individual’s role. These range from iPads and smartphones through to standard voice devices, all integrated with Comet’s fixed infrastructure. The managed service, covering 1,500 devices, includes connectivity from O2 and detailed billing and reporting through Azzurri’s sophisticated telecoms expense management tool, ITEM (Intelligent Telecoms Expense Management).
Neil Verma, CIO, Comet, said: “Our objective is to ensure our staff have the right technology to do their jobs to the best of their ability. We also understand some staff may want to use their own device for corporate as well as personal use. We’ve aspirations of taking advantage of what mobile technologies can bring to our industry, using Azzurri’s expertise to help us select what’s right for Comet. In the meantime there are a number of steps we can take to improve our telecoms estate. That’s why we’re taking a mixed approach to mobility, which we believe will enhance our ability to offer market-leading customer service.”
An example of where this approach will help is with Comet delivery drivers out in the field. Faulty or damaged goods can be photographed with new smartphone devices and the order sent immediately from the mobile device for processing. Customers can then receive a replacement or refund very quickly.
Verma continues: “As well as seeking to enhance our customer service through technology, we also see the contract with Azzurri as helping us to improve our operational efficiency. A key area for us is telecoms expense management: we have a lot of devices, so being able to set centralised policies, manage them through an easy-to-use dashboard, and then report against them is vital.”
Comet first engaged with Azzurri a year ago. Azzurri demonstrated through their Insight service how Comet could potentially rationalise their telecoms estate, to make savings and create efficiencies. Comet then acted upon a number of the recommendations, which delivered the projected results, giving them the confidence to switch enterprise mobility from their incumbent supplier, Vodafone.
Through the new contract, Comet will also gain from Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC), enabled by Azzurri’s Mobile Extensions. This allows users to gain from the advanced functionality usually only found on fixed phones, on mobile devices. A benefit of this approach is that customer calls can be quickly directed to the right person, with the correct skill-set, regardless of whether of they are at their desk or out in the field.
Vim Vithaldas, CEO, Azzurri Communications, said: “Azzurri has a very strong enterprise mobility offering as we provide an initial audit, device provision, and then on-going management and billing. Our independence allows us to help our customers make the right choices, particularly around what to do (or not to do) about BYOD. We can also structure contracts as flexibly as our customers want them to be. We’re very excited to be working with Comet, a forward looking and innovative business, to help them achieve their objectives.”
