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You are here: Home Page > News & events > News > 2008

Groundbreaking Customer Portal Gives Service Providers Control Over Next Generation Communications

Online customer portal places service providers firmly in the driving seat of their communications
Quarter of ntl:Telewest Business Service Provider customers pre-registered to use the portal within a week of the service going live
The automated pricing tool offers accuracy rates of 95%, the only company to offer this assurance to clients

ntl:Telewest Business, the supplier of communications services and network connectivity to service providers, carriers and system integrators, today launched an online customer portal to give customers complete control over their next generation communication needs. Designed to place service providers firmly in the driving seat, customers can order new services, receive instant quotes, carry out network feasibility assessments and access key documentation within a few clicks.

Launched over two phases, service providers will now be able to purchase Leased Lines, Ethernet Extensions and National Ethernet services using the customer portal. The second phase, which will be released in the New Year, will incorporate services such as billing, fault management, site management, service reports and online communications with account managers. Although many of these features are available to customers already, the portal development will consolidate best practice through a single interface and across the product portfolio. A quarter of existing customers have already registered to use the portal, demonstrating the demand for more flexible control over communication services.

Currently the industry is taking up to 48 hours to process a pricing quote, but the new portal, using an automated desk top application, will give service providers instant quotes, backed up by an automated feasibility study which ensures the portal provides a 95% accuracy rate which is unprecedented in the industry. This enables them to make mission critical decisions faster.

Joel Stradling, Senior Analyst, Business Telecom Services Europe, Current Analysis commented, "This is a positive embellishment to the ntl:Telewest Business wholesale Ethernet portfolio, as it empowers carrier and ISP clients to accurately cost and order new Ethernet services via a convenient online tool. Extending browser-based tools to the customer side is one of the buying criteria that can differentiate an Ethernet range in the UK market, and ntl:Telewest Business' continued focus on this area ultimately gives its end-users greater value.”

A customer portal interface has been available for National Ethernet services since 2007 and during this time ntl:Telewest Business has seen a 400 percent increase in order inquiries. Deploying the portal across more services will significantly enhance ntl:Telewest Business’ capacity to handle in-bound enquiries and give greater insight into where it wins and loses business. This will enable the company to be more competitive and flexible to fine tune services for its clients accordingly.

Stephen Beynon Managing Director of ntl:Telewest Business said, “In today’s fast moving communications world, organisations need to be able to make informed decisions quickly. So when we first set out to develop the customer portal, it not only had to offer choice, flexibility and usability but also act as a price comparison tool for clients to evaluate the quotes being offered.

“The customer portal lets organisations plan their communication needs on their own terms. The feedback we received from our clients who trialled the portal has been testament to the success of ntl:Telewest Business’ customer focused ethos. The days of off the peg one size fits all telecoms are numbered”

As the customer portal can process standard requests automatically, account management and pricing teams can respond even faster to special requests and multi-site opportunities, thereby providing clients with the best expertise and service. The customer portal supports ntl:Telewest Business’ unique Telecoms 2.0 initiative which combines its Next Generation Network (NGN) capabilities with expertise to help customers unlock the full potential of next generation communications.

About ntl:Telewest Business

ntl:Telewest Business has the most technically advanced of the UK’s two national networks. Its vast nation-wide Next Generation Network provides businesses, public sector organisations and service providers across the UK with a complete portfolio of advanced data, internet and voice services. The £13billion network is flexible, scaleable and is already built out to more than 38,000 street cabinets across the UK.

As part of a commitment to deliver superior customer service, ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are located in close proximity to its customers in over 40 centres across the UK.

ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide critical communications to high profile customers including: Birmingham City Council, Yorkshire Water and EasyJet.

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