Lift a brand the Smart way with Nokia Siemens Networks

By leveraging on the global experience and insights of Nokia Siemens Networks, Philippines communications service provider (CSP) Smart Communications is able to further enrich subscribers’ experience with innovative mobile Internet services. This not only enhances the brand value of the company, it reduces churn and expands its subscriber base.

Philippines communications service provider, Smart, enriches subscribers' experience with innovative mobile Internet services. This not only enhances their brand value; but also reduces churn and expands subscriber base.

“There is huge strategic value in partnering with Nokia Siemens Networks. Their contribution is in helping us to better understand the consumers. And we can leverage their global experience and combine that with our local knowledge to deliver more innovative services to Filipinos.”

Smart Communications is the Philippines’ leading mobile CSP, with more than 35 million subscribers. The CSP is known as an innovative telco as it pioneered many 3G services, such as e-wallet and mobile e-commerce. Staying at the top of the game, however, is no easy feat in the ever-changing consumer market. To retain its leadership position, the CSP aims to make mobile Internet available to every Filipino.

“Introducing mobile broadband is an important step in ensuring that the entire population has access to the Internet,” says Danilo Mojica, Head of Wireless Consumer Division, Smart. “We want to make the Internet available on-the-go and deliver it at an affordable price.”
 

Danilo Mojica
Head of Wireless
Consumer Division
Smart Communications

 

Reduce churn, enhance brand value

Challenges

  • Retain existing low ARPU customers while garnering new revenue streams from higher value subscribers in a mature market
  • Be first to market with innovative 3G services
  • Meet customer demands in a fast changing communications landscape
  • Maintaining the end user service quality given the growth in traffic and subscribers
  • To continue to successfully execute the strategy of making the Internet available to every Filipino

To fulfill its vision, Smart contracted Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its infrastructure to a High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network in 2008 so that it can deliver even more compelling mobile Internet services to its subscribers, which will also bring the customer experience of the Smart brand to the next level.

This is vital as Smart’s strategy for business success is to retain and grow its subscribers base by being the first in the market with new and innovative services. For instance, the operator is already highly popular among the lower average revenue per user (ARPU) subscribers. But with the HSDPA network in place, Smart will then be able to penetrate new accounts. “We want to retain this group of users (low ARPU users), but at the same time increase our presence among our high usage band of subscribers,” explains Danilo.

With the upgrade to a HSDPA network and the capability to offer a larger range of mobile Internet services, Smart will not only enhance ‘stickiness’ to its brand, but it will also ultimately reduce churn.

Global experience and insights into customer needs

Solution

  • Global insight & experience of Nokia Siemens Networks give Smart a better understanding of customer needs, allowing them to deliver more compelling services
  • Capability to provide a wider range of services by upgrading Smart’s HSDPA network
  • Network and service quality improvement in a multi-vendor environment
  • Reporting and monitoring services

Having upgraded its HSDPA network, Smart launched new mobile broadband services in the first half of 2009. Smart says it has Nokia Siemens Networks to thank for the competitive edge it has gained just with this upgrade, especially since the company offered Smart with a deeper understanding and insight into users’ mindsets and the technology needed to support their requirements during the duration of the project.

“As we enter the mobile Internet space, it is very important to learn from those who have done it already,” says Danilo. Nokia Siemens Networks fulfills that requirement as it has in-depth expertise in the mobile broadband space, and it has also worked with more than 250 charging CSPs globally in the fixed and mobile arena.

“There is huge strategic value in partnering with Nokia Siemens

Benefits

  • Gained competitive advantage in the Philippines market, as it can now roll out more innovative services
  • Reduce customer churn, and enhance brand image and value
  • Minimized time-to-market of new mobile Internet services, e.g. blogging and watching online videos
  • Ensured back-end systems could fulfill business objectives

 

Networks because we can leverage their global experience and combine that with our local knowledge to deliver more innovative services - such as our new mobile broadband service - to Filipinos,” he elaborates. In fact, Nokia Siemens Networks took it upon themselves to work very closely with the key stakeholders within Smart. This ensures that whatever services Smart delivers on the front-end, could be supported by its systems and network infrastructure, adds Danilo.

“Nokia Siemens Networks brings their global experience, we take our local knowledge, both taking an attitude of learning and partnership. And I believe the results of culling insight and solutions together bode well for the long-term relationship between the two partners!” says Danilo.