Internet Solutions (IS), a leading converged communications services supplier, has implemented Siebel 7.8 in a greenfield project encompassing the majority of the company`s business processes.
IS has run Siebel 6 software for many years, but decided to start from scratch as opposed to upgrading the old version.
"We wanted a solid, comprehensive base which would allow us to provide a superior service offering into the future," said Chris Turner, CRM project manager at IS.
"The challenge with enterprise CRM software is to achieve differentiation and a close business fit, while still maintaining the stability and flexibility of the software platform. With this project I believe we have reached the optimum balance."
The new system supports the sales, order entry and service functions within IS. Bespoke functionality was created in Siebel to cater for the provisioning process as opposed to utilising a back-office workflow system. Siebel`s eConfigurator and ePricer modules have allowed IS to reduce their product catalogue by thousands of items through the use of a hierarchical attribute-based product structure. Various standalone systems were also replaced by leveraging the rich functionality set Siebel provides.
The new platform required a substantial investment by IS, and this is not about to stop. "CRM is a key strategic initiative for IS," explains Andrew Procter, CIO of IS. "In the fast-paced and increasingly crowded telco industry it is no longer enough to have the latest products - customers are becoming increasingly sensitive to service levels.
"CRM maturity in South Africa is still relatively low, with many companies following a fragmented approach of implementing single functions in isolated divisions. We are proud to have implemented a company-wide, multifunctional platform on which to build our future needs to better serve our customers."
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Internet Solutions (IS) is a leading provider of end-to-end connectivity solutions and related services across the African continent. The people at IS are passionate about constantly innovating and delivering solutions and services that are relevant and critical to their customers. These services are built on a world-class, secure, resilient infrastructure, delivered according to global best practices and effected in partnership with the world`s leading technology vendors. It is through these services and solutions that IS creates a competitive edge for their customers` communication needs, and promote sustainable business growth.
The business was founded in 1992 on the principle of developing a robust infrastructure in order for corporates and other organisations to communicate. Since then, IS has established itself as a leader in this space, attracting over 80% of South Africa`s top businesses as clients. From listed companies to non-governmental organisations, local and national government and smaller companies, IS is enabling and evolving communications to meet the business needs of thousands of customers.
Today the company enjoys a leadership position as it delivers services, including: hosting, access, security solutions, virtual private network (VPN), mobile solutions, VOIS, African solutions, broadband, and application services (ASP). Recent growth in the African economy has resulted in IS spreading its services across all parts of the continent as clients demand reliable and robust networking connectivity in the African market.
Internet Solutions has been certified as a Level 4 contributor to BEE (100% compliant), and has earned an impressive collection of accolades and awards. Partnerships with major global players such as Cisco and Microsoft are also fundamental to IS, and as such Internet Solutions was recently awarded Microsoft Gold Certification in the Hosting specialisation for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration (Hosted Exchange and SharePoint) and Managed Hosting Solutions - the first South African company to achieve this accreditation. Similarly, in 2002, IS was certified as a Cisco Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), the first company outside of the US to be awarded this accolade.
For more visit us on www.is.co.za.
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