Lattelekom throughout the Baltics: no other evidence but real customers

Aigars Ceruss, Lattelekom Corporate Customer Services, Trade and Marketing Department Director

Year 2003 has been of a special importance in Lattelekom’s operations. With the end of monopoly, at the beginning of the year we could only try and guess how successful the company would be in retaining its position in the fixed telecommunications service market in Latvia and how severe the competition would be.

Photo: Lattelekom Experience in servicing of large business customers is one of the best reasons why company Lattelekom is in a better position compared to competitors.

The potential threat from competitors was mainly forecast in the corporate customer segment and specifically in international services. However, after evaluation of operational results 2003, the company is satisfied with the performance results and customer loyalty, and successful development of the new services.

Market development trends are favorable to Lattelekom’s geographical expansion

The business development trends in the Baltic States are in favor of Lattelekom. The fact that currently approximately 25% of the company’s largest customers have operations in at least two of the three states is an argument strong enough for seeking new opportunities in the range of the Lattelekom’s offers. With the expansion of business environment and territory, organizational needs for solutions to improve the efficiency of the core business and to ensure efficient business communication are also increasing. A reliable, stable and experienced service provider is needed capable of providing a wide range of quality, modern and commercially viable IT&T solutions and their maintenance services, ranging from organizing of Internet and electronic mail systems and their maintenance to powerful IT system support, voice and video transmission, delivery and maintenance of computer hardware, and ensuring of data security.

The selection of suppliers in major companies is most often regulated

Photo: Lattelekom Representatives of Lattelekom together with a/s “Dati” and Latvian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association at the international IT exhibition Comdex Scandinavia 2004 in Sweden, Goteborg, January 2004.

by strict corporate standards: a set of rules and criteria that the supplier must meet in terms of both, successful core business indicators and service quality. The versatile experience of Lattelekom, its wide infrastructure and competence and initiative of employees is a positive response to these requirements.

A single service provider throughout the Baltic States – it is a real possibility to reduce the IT&T costs of international companies.

The first year in the Baltic market – successful 

We can say with certainty that as of to date Lattelekom has managed to develop the geographically widest data transmission platform in the Baltic States. Likewise, the company offers to its customers the most versatile range of data transmission services. There is no more convincing evidence of Lattelekom’s success than the fact that in one year’s time it has managed to sign contracts on Pan-Baltic level data transmission and Internet services with more than 25 companies known both in Latvia and internationally. Lattelekom confirmed assurance about the development of international IT&T solutions market by participating together with other Latvian companies at the ITU Telecom World 2003 exhibition held in October 2003 in Geneva.

Experience in servicing of large business customers is one of the best reasons why company Lattelekom is in a better position compared to competitors. A team of more than 65 people is currently able to meet the requirements of major business customers – tailor-made products and solutions, individual approach to customers’ servicing and the delivery of solutions. The certificate received in January 2003 certifies the compliance of the Lattelekom’s quality system with the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 standard for corporate customer servicing in the area of IT&T solutions.

However, the favorable situation and the convincing facts about the achieved results are just a kick-off point in development of the range of international services offered by Lattelekom and strengthening of the market position.

Photo: Lattelekom Lattelekom at the stands of Latvian IT&T products at the exhibition in Geneva. October 2003.

In future – a new, diversified approach to customer service

To be able to meet the needs and requirements of the companies in high quality, Lattelekom specialists will put in more energy to get a better customer insight – identification of core business processes and their analysis by evaluating their prime cost from the financial, time and resources used point of view. This innovation will find expression in the audit of the customers’ business processes performed by Lattelekom specialists in cooperation with business consulting companies well known in the market. Based on the results of business process analysis, Lattelekom specialists will develop the most efficient IT&T solutions for the customer, by this ensuring harmony between the opportunities offered by technologies and the customers` needs and possibilities.  

In-depth understanding of the customers’ needs already now serves as the reason for expanding the range of offers provided by Lattelekom. The company’s specialists develop and implement new Pan-Baltic level services, e.g., a unified Data Center for all the three states, User Support and Contact Center solutions that are available for customers already today.

Cooperation – key to success

It is no secret that in order to have successful operations in the Baltic States, the company needs support from the neighboring countries. Many companies in Lithuania and Estonia are willingly becoming Lattelekom partners, and with their help Lattelekom ensures successful data communication solutions and quality customer support beyond our borders. Lattelekom is planning to use this strategy also in the future, providing telecommunication solutions to its customers not only in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but also in other countries.

The principle – from customer to a partner – is followed while building partnership with companies of other industries, resulting in development of joint services for customers of both companies. This means that the various competencies of two companies are combined, and your customer may become your partner. An example of this is the cooperation established in late 2003 with Reval Hotels Group in the Baltic States for provision of video conferencing services for hotel customers. Each company, within its limits, gave a contribution to implementation of the project: Lattelekom delivered technical solution and video conferencing equipment, while Reval Hotels participated in the project by accommodation of premises and catering services during the conferences. In this way, companies in the Baltic States have a possibility to organize meetings with business partners and clients in various parts of the world without leaving the country and using Reval Hotels conferencing facilities instead.

By expanding operations to international markets, Lattelekom continues to develop the traditions of servicing large customers: individual approach to customer needs’ insight and development of solutions, appropriate service level and support to customers in their business development.

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