The clues were there even before the glitzy reveal. "Exciting news", breathed the press invitation…
London, UK. 11 February 2010. Report by Jeremy Cowan — The clues were there even before the glitzy reveal. "Exciting news", breathed the press invitation, at a preview event "part hosted by one of Britain's most prolific business figures". Well, if the invitation comes from ntl:Telewest Business, owned by Virgin Group it doesn't take Einstein to suss that Richard Branson will put in an appearance. But since he's been noticeably distant from ntl:Telewest Business in the past something's changing at the Hampshire-based network operator.
The name, as it turns out.
Journos from various industry sectors gathered to hear Branson, Neil Berkett, Virgin Media's CEO, and Mark Heraghty, the Managing Director announce the new name of their business, Virgin Media Business. "Was that it?" one hack grumbled loudly afterwards. Well, not if you look a bit deeper.
The new-look telco is outlining plans to shake up the UK business telecoms market. The company has set out a strategy to capitalise on double digit growth over the last three years. By growing business data and bringing the Virgin philosophy of innovation and good customer service to the business telecoms market, the company is positioning itself to become a compelling alternative to BT. Those who have spent years (as friends and colleagues of mine have) dealing with ntl will now be spluttering into their coffee.
But Richard Branson's willingness to now associate himself openly with the new-look business signals not just that things must improve but that business customer care has improved. The results of long-term customer relations analysis already show that ntl … sorry, Virgin Media Business has achieved such a significant improvement in its customer standing that it is being quoted in a Case Study by the analysts themselves.
An exclusive report on the changes and, more importantly, how they have been achieved is now being prepared for VanillaPlus and will be published as soon as we have it.
With 40 offices located across the UK, Virgin Media Business will deliver a personalised service to mid-sized, nationally-oriented enterprises and the public sector. Each customer will be provided with access to a dedicated account team to manage their needs. "Combining customer service with continued financial commitment to enhance its network" (I have removed some of the superlatives. Ed) will enable Virgin Media Business to effectively target revenue opportunities, such as the demand for Ethernet in the corporate world as well as the PSN initiative in the public sector.
Mark Heraghty, Managing Director of Virgin Media Business, said: “We have big ambitions for Virgin Media Business. Our main goal is to grow the company, but we can only do that if the market likes what it sees. We’ve got to be better than anyone else and that means delivering the basics brilliantly, as well as matching customer needs with our technology and great service. Over the last three years we’ve invested heavily to put the building blocks in place, which means we’re more than fit to wear the Virgin badge.”
“In the last 12 months in particular, we’ve started to reap the rewards of that focused investment. Projects such as working with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership (HIOW) to deliver a cutting-edge £90 million network that will transform public services in the region are testament to our ability to drive and underpin radical growth. And the good news for our customers is that there is more to come,” he said.
Virgin Media Business intends to focus on a number of core technology areas to achieve its goals. This includes expanding its extensive Ethernet portfolio, which already offers simple point-to-point Ethernet circuits for the Metropolitan area, and national point-to-point and point-to-multipoint Ethernet services as well as any-to-any Ethernet VPNs.
In addition, Virgin Media Business will expand the capability of its customer portal by integrating all services into a single application, putting enterprises in control of their operations. The improvements will allow for fault and order management, online billing and performance management and, ultimately, support customer self-provisioning.
Neil Berkett, CEO of Virgin Media, said: “There is a significant opportunity to leverage the full power of our fibre optic network in the business telecoms market. Virgin Media Business will take our strong customer-centric approach to a growing and under-served market in which there is a need for a compelling and distinctive alternative to BT.”
Oh, and what's to become of the ntl:Telewest brand? Is it defunct?
"Ab-so-lutely!" said Richard Branson. Not much doubt there. And, to judge by Mark Heraghty's closing comments,if anyone wants the old ntl:Telewest Business signage I think Virgin will pay them to take it away.
