South East Water taps into greater cost efficiencies
and enhanced customer service with ntl:Telewest
Business
- Consolidates all voice and data traffic onto a single advanced
digital network following merger with Mid Kent Water
- Deploys new IPVPN and in-house IP contact centre platform to
enhance customer service
- Advanced next generation network improves resilience and speed
of information sharing across 63 sites and/or mobile workers
South East Water, the UK’s second largest
water only company, is working with ntl:Telewest Business, part of
the Virgin Media group, to improve efficiencies and enhance
customer service through a new digital network. By consolidating
all voice and data traffic onto the Next Generation network and by
deploying a new IP-based contact centre platform the company is
saving money and empowering staff with greater access to
information both within its contact centre and out in the
field.
The Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network
(IPVPN), which covers eight principal sites and 55 water stations,
and the IP contact centre platform provide South East Water’s
operations with greater resilience and flexibility. Contact centre
agents can seamlessly be added in order to meet spikes in call
demand, and new office locations can easily be added to the
network.
The IPVPN provides a secure, flexible,
scalable and fully managed infrastructure for carrying voice, video
and data traffic, providing a higher bandwidth for information
sharing between South East Water employees whether out in the field
or in one of its offices. For the first time, roaming employees are
now able to securely access and share files across the company
network from all the IPVPN-enabled sites, including pumping
stations. Additionally, as the next generation network is IP based
it allows the water company to run Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP), IP handsets and IP wireless over the network with a view to
adopting IP CCTV in the future.
As part of the rollout, South East Water is
also bringing its contact centre back in-house. The IP contact
centre platform enables agents to deliver a consistent level of
customer service by making access to centrally held information
easier. For example, if a mains water pipe bursts the contact
centre manager can now instantly send a message to all agents
providing them with up to the minute information on where the leak
is, when it is expected to be fixed and who it will impact. By
providing all agents with the same information at the same time it
ensures that all customers are provided with up to date detailed
information.
“A key factor to the regulatory approval of
the merger was that we could achieve significant efficiencies which
could be passed on to our customers. By rolling out the advanced
digital network and moving to an IP infrastructure for our call
centre, we’re using telecoms to power this efficiency drive,” said
Jamie King, IT Services Project Manager, South East Water.
“Following a formal tender process we selected ntl:Telewest
Business for the project. After tendering with major telcos and
system integrators, we eventually chose ntl:Telewest Business ahead
of BT because the team listened carefully to what we wanted and was
prepared to adapt technologies to make the solution work
exactly how we need it to. It’s also a national company with a
local presence and that’s exactly what we require.
“There are further specific benefits for
South East Water.. Consolidation of the non-geographic numbers
provides us with a one-stop shop solution for customer contact. The
Internet Script Editor (ISE) technology is also a fantastically
powerful tool - it enables us to control how callers are processed
before they reach us, which saves time and increases productivity,”
said Mr King.
Covering an area of 5,657 square kilometres,
South East Water supplies drinking water to 2.1 million customers
in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Each day the
company supplies on average 565 million litres of drinking water
along 14,500 kilometres of water mains to its customers’ taps.
“The merger proved South East Water is an
ambitious company that keeps customers at the forefront of its
mind. Working closely with the customer we’ve been able to develop
and implement technology led solutions that deliver business change
for South East Water and real benefits to its customers,” said Rob
Worrall, Business Sales Manager for ntl:Telewest Business in the
South East.
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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Louise
O’Brien
ntl:Telewest
Business
T: 01256
752769
E:mailto:louise.obrien@virginmedia.co.uk
Sam Grace, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6593
E: sgrace@rainierpr.co.uk