The Quarter Word from Jonathan Sharp - CEO of Britannic
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the latest edition of our quarterly newsletter. As the newly appointed CEO of Britannic, I am excited to share with you the latest news, trends, and developments in the technology world and how they deliver tangible business value.
Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to Richard Dendle, Britannic’s founder. Richard founded the business in 1984 and has been an industry stalwart leading Britannic over 5 decades, with great vision and passion for the industry and the service we deliver to our customers. Richard will remain actively involved in the business as Executive Chairman and I will continue to count upon his tremendous knowledge and experience as we move forward into the future.
I joined Britannic in August 1997, initially as marketing manager and joined the board in May 2003. Back then our industry, and the available technology was very different to what we see today.
Throughout our history and my own 25-year journey, Britannic have always been committed to staying at the forefront of the industry. We strive to provide our customers with innovative and cutting-edge products and services to power their business communications and achieve the competitive edge, compleimented with a culture of total commitment to customer care and seeking to add value to the partnerships that you, our customers entrust us with.
Through this newsletter, we aim to keep you informed about some of the latest advancements in technology, as well as our own progress and achievements.
Without doubt the technology landscape is moving at great pace not least with the heightened awareness and hype about AI and platforms such as ChatGPT.
We certainly recognise the benefits that AI and automation will bring to the market and have undertaken some very interesting customer projects over the last twelve plus months, leveraging the latest technologies to improve customer service and business efficiency.
We are also working on our own innovative analytics layer to augment our netX (SIP routing) service which we look forward to launching through our Innovations Hub in the summer of this year, providing valuable customer and business insights.
In March we launched the first phase of our new CRM system within Britannic and a new look CZONE (customer portal). This will provide the building blocks for us to further enhance the service we provide and extend new valued added digital services for our customers.
In this edition, you will find a range of articles covering a variety of topics, from the PSTN switch off, updates on some key strategic partners (Five9, 8x8 and Mitel) and information about the imminent introduction of the Customer Duty Act.
As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for future topics that you would like us to cover. We value your opinions and insights across all areas of our business and partnership together and are committed to providing you with the information you need to stay ahead of the game in this ever-evolving industry.
Thank you for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy reading this edition of our newsletter".
Our customer experience Influencer!
Britannic are proud to announce that Jonathan Sharp, has once again made it into CX Magazine's top 20 CX Professionals as one of the UK’s leading influencers in customer experience. This is the third year Jonathan has received this accolade, demonstrating his real knowledge, skill and passion towards transforming customer and user experience in the tech industry. CXMStars™ 2023 - Top CX Professional.
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) has been the backbone of telecommunications for over a century, but its days are numbered.
As telecommunications technology advances, the UK government has announced plans to phase out the PSTN by 2025 in favour of newer, more efficient technologies. This change is known as the PSTN switch off, and it will have a significant impact on businesses and individuals who rely on traditional landlines for communication. At Britannic, we understand that this can be a challenging change for many organisations, therefore we have created a blog article that can help you prepare for the future.
Read PSTN and ISDN support BlogClearing made simple
The Clearing period is the most critical and financially significant time for any university, and its success heavily depends on the availability of reliable communication platforms. The University of Kent experienced a seamless and successful virtual Clearing event, thanks to Britannic's Clearance Readiness Service and excellent teamwork, planning, and trust. The 2022 Clearing event witnessed over 10,000 calls being taken during a two-week period, marking an increase of 4,000 from the previous year. This achievement showcases the value of reliable and efficient communication platforms, alongside proper planning and effective teamwork, in the success of complex events like Clearing.
UCISA Leadership Conference
Building on the hugely successful UCISA22 Leadership Conference last year, Britannic were delighted to announce that they were exhibiting at the UCISA23 Leadership Conference in Liverpool, 21-23rd March 2023. The UCISA leadership conference is a premier event for IT professionals in higher education, and it brings together leaders from across the UK to share ideas and insights on the latest trends and technologies in the industry. The Britannic team were able to connect with IT professionals and learn about their challenges and pain points when it comes to managing and optimising technology in higher education. Britannic were able to share their own insights and experiences, and really show their expertise within the higher education industry and make a real impact on attendees.
Find out how Britannic are helping to modernise technology in the education sector
Looking after foreign students
The United Kingdom is home to some of the world's most prestigious universities, attracting a significant number of international students each year. For these students, studying in a foreign country can be a daunting experience, especially when it comes to settling in and adjusting to a new environment. Fortunately, UK universities are taking steps to help international students make the transition as smooth as possible. Developing on Britannic’s strong knowledge in the education sector, they have explored some of the ways that they can help support international students at UK universities, from providing language support to offering practical advice on living in the UK.
Read about how to make International Students feel less isolated
How much can you save by automating emails?
Email automation can enhance productivity and enable your team to focus on higher-value tasks. Bizvu INBOX has proven to be effective in reducing the workload of a council's contact centre by deflecting 60% of their emails in just two weeks. The council has witnessed remarkable returns on investment from using INBOX. If you're interested in discovering how much ROI you could achieve, try our NEW user-friendly ROI calculator today. Let Britannic assist your business in improving customer experience and optimising expense.
Britannic on going Carbon Neutral
Britannic is dedicated to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, recognising the benefits that come with reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the company, customers, suppliers and the community at large. Since 2018, Britannic has been monitoring and gradually decreasing their operational carbon emissions. Through two primary initiatives, namely Internal Network and Data Center Overhaul and Britannic House Sustainability Improvements, Britannic has managed to reduce their total carbon footprint. Additionally, the remote working arrangements necessitated by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 facilitated further emission reductions below the 2018 baseline. The Carbon Reduction Plan details Britannic's strategies for continual carbon emissions management and reduction in the business. Learn more about Britannic’s carbon neutral plan.
Read the Britannic Carbon Neutral Plan
Britannic Studio
If you're finding it a challenge to keep up with recorded messages for changes in your service over the Easter period and at other key times of the year, why not look at Britannic Studio to save you the headache when your next changes are due?
Britannic Studio includes all the tools you need to keep callers informed of changes to opening hours, create empathetic closed messages, and professional marketing messages for bank holiday promotions.
The studio is fully integrated with your phone system, and helps you manage calls, reduce caller abandonment, and improve caller experiences through informative and engaging audio. The Britannic Studio service is a freemium product allowing you to introduce additional services and achieve:
- Reduced caller frustration – it’s easier for callers to reach the right person, and they are engaged with your audio whilst holding or waiting for their call to be answered
- Increased engagement, plus new opportunities to market to an already captive audience
- Improved customer experiences
- Easier call management
Five9 Updates
Leading conversational AI
Five9 have been named a Leader in the Aragon Research Globe for Conversational AI in the Intelligent Contact Centre, 2023. Aragon Research analysts evaluated 14 providers that are including conversational AI technology within their intelligent contact centre offerings, or providing solutions focused exclusively for the ICC. Providers were ranked based on Strategy, Performance and Reach, and Five9 earned top positioning on the Strategy scale for strengths including its focus on Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs), its no-code IVA development platform, full support for digital and voice channels and agent assist, and the ability to provide real-time information to help live agents handle calls.
If you are interested in learning more about the Five9 Intelligent Contact Centre why not join our Five9 webinar? Join the LinkedIn events group to get advance notice of the date and learn why this contact centre solution is going from strength to strength.
Five9 CX Summit 2023
Are you a CX professional or a contact centre leader looking to elevate your customer experience game? Then don't miss the chance to attend the Five9 CX Summit in Las Vegas, 15-17 August. This premier cloud contact centre and CX conference is designed to bring together the Power of People and Technology and empower customers to deliver exceptional experiences that last a lifetime. By attending the summit, you will get to connect with like-minded professionals, industry experts, and Five9 team members, and witness first-hand how the Five9 Intelligent CX Platform can help you create and curate exceptional customer experiences. Don't wait, sign up now for updates and be the first to know when registration opens!
Five9 Adapter for MS Dynamics 365
Five9 have announced a new version of the Five9 Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics 365, which includes support for the Dynamics 365 Channel Integration Framework (CIF) 2.0. The new integration enables agents to handle and seamlessly switch between voice and digital interactions within the Dynamics 365 interface, to help create more fluid and personalised customer experiences.
8x8 Updates
Tremendous Britannic and Partner win
Britannic Technologies announced that they won a tender to supply Plus Dane Housing, a housing association, with the 8×8 cloud unified communications and contact centre solution. Plus Dane needed to replace their existing telephony solution to meet their objectives and agile working. They went out to tender and selected Britannic to design and deploy 8×8 XCaaS™ (eXperience Communications as a Service™), a single-vendor cloud communications and contact centre solution to ensure efficient communication and collaboration between colleagues and with external partners. Additionally, 8×8’s modern contact centre solution provides efficient, multi-channel (email, WhatsApp, phone call, etc.) communication for their customers.
We are excited to announce that Britannic and 8x8 are hosting an exclusive in-person event, Transforming CX: Unleashing the Power of Communication, on the 13th of June at 8x8’s London HQ offices.
Get ready for an exhilarating workshop where you can dive deep into the minds of industry leaders, gaining invaluable insights and practical knowledge. Discover first-hand how Britannic and 8x8 is revolutionising the landscape of communication and customer experience, empowering organisations to take their customer interactions to unprecedented heights.
But that's not all! Brace yourself for a networking experience, connecting with like-minded professionals who share your unwavering passion for digital excellence. Engage in vibrant idea exchanges, thought-provoking discussions about challenges, and forge relationships that have the potential to truly transform your future success.
8x8 going from strength to strength
8x8 has been declared the winner of the Best Automation Project at Computing's DevOps Excellence Awards 2023. The award recognises the innovative application of MicroFrontEnds (MFE) Registry techniques by 8x8's DevOps team, which had the most significant impact on business and performance. This award is one of the most prestigious in the UK, highlighting the exceptional achievements of organisations, individuals, and solutions that have successfully implemented DevOps methodologies.
This month, 8x8 reported their financial results for the third quarter of Fiscal 2023 ended December 31, 2022.
- Total revenue increased 18% year-over-year to $184.4 million, including Fuze revenue of $26.5 million.
- Service revenue increased 18% year-over-year to $175.8 million, including Fuze revenue of $26.5 million.
- GAAP operating loss was $18.1 million, compared to operating loss of $37.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.
- Non-GAAP operating profit was $18.3 million, an increase of 485% compared to non-GAAP operating profit of $3.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.
"We continued to invest in innovation while reducing our service delivery costs and increasing operational efficiency across the organisation," said Samuel Wilson, 8x8 Interim CEO. "As a result, customer retention was at its highest level in several years, GAAP and non-GAAP operating margins were at multi-year highs, and we generated strong operating cash flow.”
“I believe our industry is at an inflection point. With our increased focus and investment in research and development, we have the opportunity to leverage our XCaaS first-mover advantage, accelerate CCaaS innovation, and become a true leader across customer experience communications,” added Wilson.
8x8's Intelligent Customer Assistant
The world of customer service is rapidly evolving, and businesses must keep pace with the changing expectations of their customers. In today's digital age, customers want personalised and efficient service around the clock, and this is where Intelligent Customer Assistants (ICAs) come in. The 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant is a state-of-the-art AI-powered solution that helps businesses provide exceptional customer experiences. In 8x8’s most recent blog post, they take a closer look at the 8x8 ICA and how it can help businesses improve customer satisfaction, increase efficiency, and stay ahead in today's competitive business landscape.
Introducing the 8x8 Intelligent Customer AssistantMitel Updates
Britannic and Mitel Update Seminar
On the 23rd of February Mitel and Britannic hosted an update seminar on the importance of an open agile platform to improve customer experience and operational performance. It was wonderful to see attendees participate actively in the various presentations we had planned. Their presence and contribution helped make the event a success. We appreciate the time attendees took out of their busy schedule to join us. If you missed out on this event and would like to find out more about any of the valuable content that was presented, please get in contact with your account manager or fill out our contact form.
Unify aquisition
Mitel announced that they have entered exclusive negotiations with Atos to acquire Unify, the Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) and Communication and Collaboration Services businesses (CCS) of the Atos group. The proposed transaction is subject to the consultation of the relevant employee representative bodies and other customary regulatory approvals, with closing expected in H2 2023. Together, Mitel and Unify would be a prominent UC leader in the Americas and Europe, with a collective customer base of more than 75M users in over 100 countries and a channel community of more than 5,500 global partners. The proposed transaction would also notably expand Mitel’s reach and organisational scale, and lead to increased global revenues and profitability.
Top technology trends in hospitality
In the past, hotels served a straightforward purpose as a place for guests to spend the night when they were away from home. Increasingly, these establishments are evolving into centres of activity, with technology playing a critical role in enabling both guest experiences and hotel operations. As a result, IT & telecommunications has become more vital than ever before to the smooth functioning of hotels and play a very broad role within these businesses. Read Mitel’s most recent guest blog which shares ten of the top communication technology trends in hospitality for 2023.
Read Top 10 Hospitality Communication Technology Trends 2023
Uniphore Updates
Uniphore a leader in Conversational Intelligence
Uniphore have been named a leader in the Opus Conversational Intelligence Intelliview report. Uniphore is recognised for its suite of solutions that address critical needs in both CX and Sales functions, helping companies analyse every customer interaction – including captured audio and metadata – to improve customer and employee experience.
The overall result is accelerated sales, enhanced employee productivity and job satisfaction, better agent training, and improved chatbots and intelligent assistants to provide a defined competitive advantage.
The report also highlights Uniphore’s key differentiators including:
- A low-code/no-code visual designer to support multimodal interactions.
- Emotion AI capabilities that incorporate emotional intelligence, tonal analysis and behavioural science.
- Knowledge AI that enables companies to leverage existing data through comprehensive FAQs.
In February, Uniphore, a leader in conversational AI and automation announced it had acquired Red Box, a leading open enterprise platform for capturing voice, screen and metadata from conversations.
Red Box’s proven track record in capturing and securing every voice and screen conversation, in real-time and post call, is a powerful addition to Uniphore’s portfolio and will bolster the capabilities of the Uniphore X platform, which global enterprises have come to rely on to derive value from every conversation.
Conversations are any organisation’s most important asset. The value obtained from these interactions impacts every aspect of business – especially customer loyalty. Real-time voice and screen capture capabilities that work seamlessly with AI and automation technology can change the game for organisations looking to get the most out of their customer conversations.
With the acquisition of Red Box, Uniphore will now deliver seamless access to AI-ready voice and screen recording data from 100% of conversations to drive automation and analytics at scale in the contact centre through its industry leading conversational AI and automation. This will help drive faster time to value and a better customer experience at a lower cost.
Consumer trends and findings
According to a 2022 study by CCW Digital, 60 percent of consumers would consider switching to a competitor after two or fewer bad experiences. The same study found that 17 percent considered leaving after a single bad interaction. So, is customer churn just a numbers game or can companies identify customers at risk of churning before they leave? With conversational intelligence, service providers can leverage behavioural insights and analytics to pinpoint risk factors. Perhaps a customer is out of contract or has had service issues or customer support issues or simply isn’t using their service as they have in the past. Identifying these (and other) risk factors can go a long way in preventing churn before it occurs, but only if companies take proactive action.
Just under three-quarters of financial advisers are not ready to implement the Consumer Duty by the 31st July deadline according to a survey by Monday Marketing. Consumer Duty has been hailed as a game-changing regulation for firms as the FCA moves to data-first supervision and expectations of risk assurance and quality fundamentally shift. However, organisations across the board are having real challenges creating implementation plans, validating definitions of the ‘good outcomes’ the duty requires, and proving evidence of appropriate action, support, and compliance. Not yet compliant?