Netaxis Inspiration Day – Discussing Freedom and Flexibility for Service Providers and their Business Customers

Bertrand started the session with some quick background about Enreach for Service Providers, the part of the group he leads, including how white labelling, multi-tenant, multi-tier and mobile-first contact solutions are essential drivers for innovation. He also reminded listeners about the context in which service providers are working, including the evolution of services (for instance, greater use of chatbots for communication instead of dependency on voice) and increasing competition from OTT players and hyper scalers.  

Said Bertrand, “Having control of their customers is key, but service providers also need to leverage their knowledge of the needs of end users to create differentiation. I think blending multiple services into an ecosystem is very important because there is no one-size-fits-all standardised solution that can embrace everything: not everyone wants to communicate the same way or use a solution the same way. There needs to be flexibility and freedom of choice.” 

“So, service providers, resellers, and end users must be able to customise, personalise, and self-configure solutions depending on where they want to create value. Based on their experience, service providers can make informed selections of complementary services to deliver outcomes to their business customers.” 

Bertrand also explained that an ecosystem of vendors could include different platforms, for instance, carrier-hosted or SaaS, but it is essential to have a smart integration layer — such as Netaxis — that simplifies integrations and helps manage the entire lifecycle, including updates or bringing in new services. “A smart integration layer brings agility to use APIs to really help service providers compete in this market.” 

This ecosystem approach requires competitors to co-exist in the same environment, which has Bertrand’s support: “In our own technology, we integrate with Teams, Zooms, and the Element group chat used in European governments, yet we also have our own collaboration and chat technology. It’s important to have an open mindset and ecosystem that lets service providers make their own decisions.” 

The conversation briefly turned to the consolidation and changes happening in the marketplace. “This is a scale business, but we are also seeing some moves towards focusing value towards specialisation and verticalisation. There will be SPs working with giants but also working with smaller players to bring differentiation and more flexibility. Consolidation is happening, but I believe in the power of the ecosystem and also that many companies are looking for choice: they don’t want to be forced to use one solution.” 

Also, “Usually, smaller businesses are rarely well served when there is consolidation. So it is in our interest to have open ecosystems with independent integrators, innovators and trusted advisors, who will provide that freedom of choice and flexibility.” 

Bertrand also discussed being prepared for the unknown in a changing, unpredictable market. “Be as agile as possible, study where you add value and put your customers and end users at the centre of your strategy. Evaluate what resources and tooling you need and who to partner with to help you grow your ecosystem.” This is where Enreach and Netaxis come into the picture.  

“Think of us as your behind-the-scenes partner, dealing with all the technical complexity so that you can focus on your customers. We also help you in your transformation from a connectivity provider to one with a future-proof multi-service portfolio. And, importantly, we support your control of your relationships with your customers, prioritising what they need.” 

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