Comms Dealer caught up with Rob Kittler, Head of Connectivity Practice at Gamma, during the London leg of the network provider’s UC and Mobile update roadshow.
Kittler gave his frank views on how Gamma has transformed into a mainstream B2B mobile service provider for the channel.
CD: Gamma has had some hiccups along the way in terms of getting its mobile product to market for the channel. How's that changed now?
RK: Essentially, we understood the ‘hiccups’ – it was clear we had coverage problems. With our legacy solution, we didn't have access to VoLTE (Voice over LTE); we didn't have native access to VoWiFi (Voice over Wi-Fi); and we didn't have access to the 800 MHz frequency band. We had to take a long hard look at what wasn’t working in order to make the changes necessary to improve the service.
When we sat down with Three UK, it was clear they had a strong proposition with recent investments in their existing network and their 5G network. The only thing it lacked was access to the B2B market – which is where Gamma came in. We just flicked the switch to benefit both companies. We relaunched in May last year with an improved service which gave us immediate access to VoLTE, VoWiFi, 800 MHz frequency band and access to Three UK’s 5G network.
In terms of coverage, it’s a completely different – and hugely enhanced – proposition. We’re currently migrating existing customers on our legacy service to the new solution, but any connection after the launch already has access to the new capabilities.
We listened to our partners and customers’ frustrations, and we delivered a service that provides enhanced voice and data capabilities. Our conversations with partners have shifted from being just about problems, to being about real differentiation and margins – it shows how much the service has changed and what a great opportunity it can be for partners.
CD: What does that that relationship with Three mean to reseller partners in the Gamma community?
RK: The Three partnership has completely changed and increased the opportunities for our partners. As mentioned before, Three UK doesn’t necessarily have access to the B2B market – buyers in that corporate and SMB space can’t simply walk into a Three UK store and order 100 phones and SIMs. This means that Gamma, and subsequentially our partners, are the sole B2B providers of Three UK’s services. It's a perfect fit that benefits all involved.
CD: One of the features you mentioned in your presentation was Tariff Optimiser. Why is it such a USP for resellers?
RK: Tariff Optimiser continually adjusts a client’s tariff, so they are always on the best rate for their usage. We thought long and hard about why we should do this. Unfortunately, the current marketplace has become slightly commoditised, and on top of that, we fully understand that we’ve got some ground to make up compared to our competitors. In this light, it’s never been more important for us to bring value for both our partners and their customers. While some may think we’re giving up margin, it’s a feature that will help us, and our partners, differentiate and increase volume in the long run. We want to empower partners by giving them a feature that could really make a difference to their customers.
CD: How has the channel reacted to tariff optimiser?
RK: The channel has been marvellous, and we’ve seen a real mix in how they are using this USP. Some partners are passing the saving directly to the end user, helping them win additional new business. Others are using it as a margin maximiser.
CD: Why would a partner want to go through Gamma when they might already have a relationship with Three?
RK: There are very few partners – maybe four or five – that have a direct relationship with Three UK. Without throwing stones, having a direct relationship with a network comes with its barriers and challenges. A direct relationship involves jumping over some hurdles, going through some fiery hoops, and hitting some volumes and ARPUs.
On the other hand, working with us comes with flexibility for the partner. Besides having some differentiators such as Tariff Optimiser, we also have an experienced marketing team and a professional team of BDMs geared up to help partners reach their goals. Unlike larger MNOs that might not be able to provide such support, we firmly believe it’s a two-way street relationship and we support our partners through their journey.
CD: What would you say to any resellers that are reluctant to take mobile on board?
RK: I would say that the mobile opportunity is substantial, and our differentiation piece is not just anecdotal – it’s completely live and we’d be happy to personally show our partners how they can bring more value to their business by adopting it.
We’ve now done five events – Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and London – with the aim of doing just that - showing the partners the value of Gamma Mobile and how to make the most of it. Our marketing team has worked hard on getting our product out there and we have plenty of collateral to help partners get in front of the right customers.
The events have helped us raise Gamma Mobile’s awareness – we now hope our partners will talk to us if they have any more doubts.
CD: IoT is a big opportunity in today’s landscape. Why was there was no real mention of it in your presentation?
RK: To some degree, it was done deliberately. We are still building our and Three’s 5G story, coupled with Tariff Optimiser, and most importantly, partners buying into Gamma Mobile for the first time. We haven’t forgotten about IoT - it will come, but it’s important to first lay the foundations. All I would say is, ‘stay tuned and watch this space’.
CD: What is Gamma doing mobile-wise to help the citizens of Ukraine?
RK: Gamma Mobile usage for any customers roaming within Ukraine – which includes voice, SMS and data – is now free until further notice. This is an effort to support any end customers currently in Ukraine and, as standard, we also provide EU roaming in our customers’ UK bundle allowances. We’ve also halted billing for calls to Ukraine. We’ve communicated this to our partners, and we’ve received an overwhelming response of support. We’re proud of our channel partner community for supporting us in this decision and standing together for what we believe is right.