Orange Business Services blogs - ICT - business value & ICT - Telecommunications emerging markets middle east & africa - Orange Business Services

published on Orange Business Live

A new report from analysts Ovum has identified major global telecommunications companies, including Orange Business Services, as a major force in cloud computing.

published on Orange Business Live

I'm often amazed by the apparent lack of professionalism some people demonstrate in running calls, especially with sponsors, customers, prospects, senior management... I wonder if some of the basics we learned early in our careers have not been forgotten. In my case, I learned these when cell phones, instant messaging, tweets... did not yet exist, and also at a time when telecoms costs were much more significant than Today. This may explain why some of these basics may seem a bit outdated. However, I personally still find them very very relevant in my day to day communications.

published on Orange Business Live

with new smart devices, every employee and every physical object can either be a sensor reader, sensor receiver, or a sensor transmitter, all continuously connected to the internet

published on Orange Business Live

A humanoid robot capable of carrying out tasks under its own steam would have been inconceivable just ten years ago, but technology is developing so quickly that robotics is on the cusp of being incorporated into everyday life. iRobot, for example, started out developing robots designed to be used on the battlefield, but has since expanded into robots for the home. The Roomba family of robots will happily scurry around cleaning your floors. Evolution Robotics is launching Mint, a rival robot that does the same thing, while Precise Path makes robots that mow golf courses. These may seem like relatively mundane tasks today, but the likes of Robonaut 2 show where things are headed tomorrow.

published on Orange Business Live

Google has just demonstrated this with the release of its latest feature for the Android mobile operating system. Called Google Voice Actions, it lets users interact with their Android phones almost entirely by voice alone. Users of the feature (available in Android version 2.2 and above), are able to speak instructions to their phones, and also to dictate text. "Send text to Andy Jenkins. Meet me upstairs at Johnny's Bar" will send the text directly to him - no extra interaction needed. But what if you need to reserve a table, and don't have a number? Saying "Call Johnny's Bar in Madison, Wisconsin" will cause the system to interact with Google Maps, look up the number, and automatically place the call.

If you haven't been able to attend the Ragan Social Media summit which took place in San Jose or even online, you can still have a feel of what my presentation was. The pitch was about our work at Orange Business Services with regard to Social Media. Here is the slidecast, inclusive of all comments and please note that this is a downloadable presentation, and that there is no copyright, this is a creative commons presentation (details are included on slide 2).

On Nov 10th, 2009 I was in Atlanta presenting at Blogwell on behalf of Orange Business Services, presenting our social media strategy and explaining how, why and what we did online to increase our brand advocacy. Yesterday, the video recording of that presentation was posted by SMBC and - assuming your firewall isn't going to block Vimeo - you are kindly invited to click the following image in order to view the recorded session. And if your firewall does block Vimeo, or that you find the quality a bit flaky, you are now left with the possibility of contacting me via the comments section of this post and then I can tell you how video can be made available to all easily and qualitatively, which is what I explain in that recording.

The Orange Business Services Strategy to Manage by Customer Loyalty Index

In the current economic climate Customer Care is more important than ever before.

Customers face various uncertainties and they need to be assured of the quality of their suppliers: trust is key.

The most important corporate priority is to deliver outstanding Customer Care.
Ensuring Customers expectations are met and an exemplary end-to-end experience provided all of the time generates and maintains their loyalty.
This matching of expectations with experience should be regularly checked and enhanced throughout the development of Customer relationships.
Quality of service and Customer Care are increasingly significant factors in the quality-price balance and with decreasing tolerance of service and process issues only suppliers with proven Customer Care credentials and business relationship spirit will give their customers the required sense of increased trust and sustainability.

This generates a more in-depth partnership and mutual success for both customer and supplier: regaining control for the customer and guaranteeing income for the supplier.

find out more and download this IDC report (PDF)

The whole chain from the initial order of a product to the final delivery with picking/shipping at supplier's premises, transport/delivery and end consumer and partners traceability requests.