Deployment of the first fully integrated self-help solution for mobile broadband set to offer an unparalleled customer experience

Broadband software solutions company Emotum Pty Ltd has today announced that the launch of its innovative second generation connection manager software Stay Connected 2.0 – offering the most advanced integrated self-help for mobile broadband customers – will take place during the Broadband World Forum in Paris later this month.

The new single solution software is designed to make mobile and wireless connection management easy, providing support to non-technical users to get them online and stay online, regardless of location. It is also the first of such software to include Emotum’s self-help diagnostics and repair tool “Fix It Now” which allows service providers to publish and push self-help fixes silently to users.

Telenor Sweden, Bredbandsbolaget and Glocalnet are among the initial service providers to take advantage of the software which supports multiple devices, multiple network connections and services.

“Our new connection manager software has the only completely integrated self-help system for mobile broadband available to service providers, offering benefits such as reduced support costs, lower churn rates and  increased customer satisfaction along with the generation of new revenues by providing the right services to customers,” said Emotum Executive Director Rob Butler.

“It is through our partnerships with Nova Media - the market leader in mobile data solutions for Mac computers - and major mobile broadband hardware vendors that we have been able to create what we believe is the world’s best connection manager software. Our focus on design and integrated self-help means non-technical customers can enjoy their internet experience.”

Emotum has successfully developed and deployed activation and customer self-help solutions for dial-up since 1997, fixed-line broadband since 2002, and applied this knowledge to mobile broadband with its initial connection manager offering in 2005 with BigPond and later Telstra in Australia. Originally only designed for Windows, the partnership with Nova Media has allowed for use with Mac operating systems, and the product now includes inbuilt self-diagnostic and repair functionality.

The new Stay Connected 2.0 software provides the same high level of customer experience no matter what device or connection type. It is both device agnostic, working with all major brands of external devices, including laptops and netbooks, as well as network agnostic. All operator networks from 2G, 3G and evolution to 4G technologies are compatible and it supports all forms of Wi-Fi and PWLAN connectivity.  It can seamlessly integrate with service provider fixed-line, mobile, Wi-Fi partner or roaming strategies.

Additionally, the solution can be fully localised and customised to suit individual service providers and their customers’ needs, including the development of a branded single user-friendly interface tailored for business or consumer users, and operation via post-paid and pre-paid accounts.

The software can also incorporate other value added services such as online storage, antivirus and messaging platforms and can be extended with additional functionality from the Emotum suite of software products, enabling a customer care and marketing platform for service providers. It can also be used to collect important system, network and customer data to help service providers understand, segment and market to their customers more effectively.

Mr Butler added: “We have worked very closely with Telenor Sweden, Bredbandsbolaget and Glocalnet, who also used our initial Stay Connected 1.0, to develop a world-class mobile broadband experience and we plan to continually develop this through an effective customer feedback loop.

“Our mission is to provide service providers with a device, operating system and network agnostic connection manager, but in the bigger picture we are taking the first steps towards a context-aware customer care platform and an unparalleled user experience.”

“Currently we are working with product owners, engineers and support agents to redefine the user experience for their mobile customers in the key areas of ease of installation, user interface design, personalisation, ability to detect problems, self-help troubleshooting, assisted support, diagnostics and data logging.”

The launch of Stay Connected 2.0 comes shortly after the Broadband Forum, the global consortium of approximately 200 leading telecommunications service providers, network equipment manufacturers and software companies driving broadband solutions around the world, announced that the number of broadband subscriber lines has passed the 500 million mark.

“The milestone for broadband is a real achievement and we’re sure that mobile broadband will play a huge part in the next half a billion lines, with our software helping customers to enjoy the user experience,” added Mr Butler.