Developing a B2B mobile proposition has long been high on Gamma’s agenda. Here, Rob Kittler, Head of the Connectivity Practice, offers insights into how the channel service provider finalised its strategy.
The story of Gamma’s B2B mobile journey is as much about learning and overcoming roadblocks as it is about portfolio diversification and realising market potential for partners. “We understood the hiccups,” stated Kittler. “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.”
Gamma was attracted to Three UK, drawn by a strong proposition and investments in its existing and 5G network. “All it lacked was access to the B2B market,” added Kittler. “This is where Gamma came in. We relaunched in May last year with an improved service which gave us immediate access to VoLTE, VoWiFi, the 800 MHz frequency band as well as Three UK’s 5G network. In terms of coverage, it’s a completely different and 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.”
According to Kittler, Gamma’s conversations with partners have a greater emphasis on differentiation and margins. “That shows how much the service has changed,” he added. “The Three partnership has increased the opportunities for our partners. Gamma, and our partners, are the sole B2B providers of Three UK’s services. The mobile opportunity is substantial.”
The advantages of working with a channel service provider versus directly with an operator are many, noted Kittler, citing that a direct relationship involves jumping over hurdles, going through fiery hoops and hitting certain volumes and ARPUs. On the other hand, he says, working with a company like Gamma provides partners with greater flexibility. “Besides having differentiators such as Tariff Optimiser, we also have a marketing team and BDMs geared up to help partners,” he added. Unlike larger MNOs that might not be able to provide such support, we believe it’s a two-way street relationship and support partners on their journey.”
We relaunched in May last year with an improved service which gave us access to VoLTE, VoWiFi, the 800 MHz frequency band as well as Three UK’s 5G network
As part of Gamma’s fundamental re-think of its mobile strategy it introduced Tariff Optimiser, which manages the complex task of ensuring that customers have the best rate for their usage. “We thought long and hard about why we should do this,” explained Kittler. “Unfortunately, the current marketplace has become slightly commoditised, and on top of that, we fully understand that we’ve got ground to make up compared to our competitors.
“In this context, it’s never been more important for us to bring value for 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 make a difference to their customers. We’ve seen a mix in how partners are using this USP. Some are passing the saving directly to the end user, helping them win additional new business. Others are using it as a margin maximiser.”
B2B mobile solutions are in high demand, and in the ever evolving world of mobility it is crucial for Gamma to continue to develop its strategy, including 5G plans. “We are still building our and Three’s 5G story,” added Kittler. “We haven’t forgotten about IoT. It will come, but it’s important to first lay the foundations. Stay tuned and watch this space.”