<< Johan Huys, manager at Thiry BGL, cuts consumption with track & trace
m-commerce: It’s up to the customer now
business magazine for top ICT professionals Q2 / June 2014 • www.ictnews.be/one
Mobile commerce Will we all pay by mobile phone in the near future?
Eandis evaluates smart meters • Pierre Masai of Toyota Europe talks about the connected car • Integrate your mobile device with your telephone at work
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editorial
<< Johan Huys, manager at Thiry BGL, cuts consumptions with track & trace
m-commerce: It’s up to the customer now
business magazine for top ICT professionals Q2 / June 2014 • www.ictnews.be/one
Mobile commerce
Shall we all pay mobile in the near future? Eandis evaluates smart meters • Pierre Masai, Toyota Europe, on the connected car • Integrate your mobile device with your telephone at work
A publication of Belgacom Year 8 / number 21 / Q2 2014 Publisher: Bart Van Den Meersche Koning Albert II-laan 27, 1030 Brussels Concept and production: Propaganda nv Imperiastraat 16, 1930 Zaventem www.propaganda.be
Coordination: Charline Briot, Markus Eggermont, Robbin Sacré, Jean-Marie Stas, Dirk Van Dijck Contributors: Andrew Beavis, Nicolas Chartier, Klaar De Groote, Michael Dehaspe, Kristof De Spiegeleer, Robert Doran, Véronique Gilon, Davy Goris, Frederic Petitjean, Anneke Stoffels, Dries Van Damme, Frank Van den Branden, Jean-Luc Van Kerckhoven, Filip Van Loock For more information, contact: Robbin Sacré robbin.sacre@belgacom.be
Mobile is the new standard A day without your smartphone? Inconceivable! If I happen to leave the house in the morning without my wallet, I can pretty easily make it through the day. But if I’ve forgotten my smartphone, I’m going to drive right back home to pick it up. In just a short time, the smartphone has become an indispensable partner, a life companion. In order to better support this mobility, Belgacom is investing heavily in 4G. At the moment, the fastest mobile network is already available for two-thirds of our customers. By the end of the year, virtually all of them should have access to 4G. And because we always have our smartphones with us, a significant part of our online purchases is entering the mobile realm as well. More and more retailers are responding to this shift, with handy sites specifically geared towards mobile surfers. And for the ultimate convenience, why not pay for your mobile purchase on a mobile device as well? With Sixdots, Belgacom now has a subsidiary that offers just such a mobile wallet. Your smartphone is instantly transformed into a fully functional electronic wallet, including payment cards and electronic tickets. Read all about it in this issue of One.
Envoyez un mail à robbin.sacre@belgacom.be afin d’obtenir un exemplaire de ce magazine en français. Mail naar robbin.sacre@belgacom.be om een exemplaar van dit magazine in het Nederlands te ontvangen. The technical specifications are indicative only. Belgacom reserves the right to make changes without prior notification.
Bart Van Den Meersche, Executive Vice-President Enterprise Business Unit Belgacom
Read One magazine on your tablet. Go to the App Store or Google Play and download the free app or surf to www.ictnews.be/one
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column
Boosted by mobility
E-commerce evolution According to research from Ecommerce Europe, a trade association representing around 5,000 e-tailers across the region, online sales reached 312 billion euros in 2012. Although e-commerce currently accounts for approximately 5% of total retail spending, analysts such as Forrester Research predict a massive increase, with many southern European nations such as Spain and Italy experiencing 18% year-on-year growth.
For example, the electronic debit and credit card is still the most popular e-tail payment method in Europe and America, while Asia shuns plastic in favor of overthe-counter cash payments and voucher systems. In Africa, the rise of banking based on smartphone transactions has taken off at a tremendous velocity with M-PESA, a Kenyan mobile payment service, welcoming its 18 millionth active customer.
The demand for e-commerce is a global phenomenon fueled by several factors. The first is the maturity of the e-tailing community demonstrated by simpler, yet more intelligent websites that accelerate the click-tobuy process. Behind the scenes, the logistics industry has also successfully realigned itself to meet the surge in demand. Innovative IT systems now underpin ‘track and trace’ and flexible delivery times for the annual flow of 3.5 billion parcels that Ecommerce Europe estimates are the result of e-commerce transactions.
Exotic payment methods also sit neatly alongside the rise of e-wallets. Although services like PayPal have a reported 100 million users, this is still a small number compared to the global dominance of Visa and MasterCard. There are also ongoing security concerns around new technologies like Bitcoin that make a truly global e-wallet standard unlikely in the near future.
The industry has also been boosted by the mobile revolution. Last year, IDC reported that 1 billion smartphones were sold globally, offering the perfect tool for the purchase and consumption of digital goods and services. Even though Earth has fallen in love with the Internet-connected phone, how consumers actually purchase items is still vastly different depending on which device they use and where they live.
In my role working with Incubaid, we often get an early look at a number of groundbreaking technologies. When you look behind all these current and future trends, you see retailers keen to create lean yet highly scalable businesses. It is no accident that Amazon, the world’s largest e-tailer, is also a pioneer of cloud computing. Looking into the future, it is easy to predict that every retailer faced with the challenge of scaling an online business will need to consider cloud as an option. Kristof De Spiegeleer, CEO of Incubaid
Identikit Kristof De Spiegeleer is a serial entrepreneur in the ICT sector, specializing in the optimization of datacenter technologies. Through Incubaid, De Spiegeleer’s incubation center, the ability to combine new technologies and management know-how has formed the basis for technology start-ups such as Amplidata, Awingu, CloudFounders, Dacentec, Mobicage, Mothership1 and Racktivity. De Spiegeleer is a pioneer in the shift towards cloud computing in Europe.
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contents
business magazine for top ICT professionals people & vision
30
Pierre Masai, Toyota Europe: “In the connected car, driver distraction is key.”
round table
24
m-commerce: It’s up to the customer
news & views
community
04
03
07 37 42
column Kristof De Spiegeleer E-commerce evolution cockpit Facts & Figures book review ‘Red Bang’ Family man vs. tech giant guest column Jo Caudron The typhoon called the Internet
08
34 40
solutions 06 12 14 16
36
solutions Fixed Mobile Unification Office telephony goes mobile solutions m2m The road to innovation solutions Belgacom Employee Solutions Mobility solutions boost motivation products Mobile desktops & Featured apps Discover the latest devices and apps for the mobile professional solutions ANPR ANPR within reach for any local authority
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editorial Bart Van Den Meersche Mobile is the new standard one on one AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV and Dell Belux 10 questions for 2 CIOs my team The Council of the European Union Dirk Schilders presents his team corporate info Belgacom becomes Proximus – Glass fiber campaign starts in Limburg – Investing in the fix and mobile network – Belgacom elected Check Point Security Partner of the Year events Proximus MobileXperience
cases 10 15 18 28 33 38
GO! Focus on project-based collaboration VDAB Ready for the NWOW PrimaMundo Fresher than fresh Eandis The electrical grid of the future ASTRID More mobile, closer to citizens Spytank A smart fuel cap: now that’s super plus!
dossier
20
m-commerce The smartphone as a digital wallet
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solutions
Integrating fixed and mobile telephony at the network level
Office telephony goes mobile Integrate your employees’ mobile phones into your business network, centrally manage both mobile and landline devices and simplify reachability.
With Belgacom Fixed Mobile Unification (FMU), you can make your employees’ mobile phones part of your platform for Unified Communications, thus allowing you to manage all communication flows centrally. Your PABX switchboard treats the mobile devices as if they were softphones in your business network. Your network can thus be virtually extended to the mobile cloud, giving you convergence at network level.
The same device for work and private use No more concerns about privacy and boundaries between work and private life. By using a separate login, it’s perfectly possible to use the same mobile device for private purposes. Moreover, any mobile phone can be used. No specific operating system or extra software is required. It’s not even necessary to use a smartphone – a very basic mobile phone works just as well. The solution is available on Cisco UC and Microsoft Lync.
Caller ID Thanks to the technology used by the FMU solution, your fixed and mobile private networks from Belgacom operate in a uniform way. Your mobile identity is completely integrated into the PABX switchboard and the functions of your mobile phone are retained with full transparency. That means more efficient communication, in which your personal experience is key. To start with, there’s presence management: since FMU is constantly dialoguing with the PABX switchboard, your presence status is also up to date when you’re calling on your mobile phone. Rules set up in the PABX network determining what should happen if your line is occupied also apply to calls on your mobile. What’s more, the function One Number Reach gives you the option of having all calls forwarded to the same (landline) number. Things can’t get much more transparent than that. Whether you receive calls on your landline or your mobile, the caller’s number is always correctly displayed (except in the case of unlisted numbers). Since you receive the correct caller ID on your mobile (Calling Line Identifier, CLI), it’s easier for you to call them back, save the number or filter calls. And with FMU, your landline number (which is the company’s property) is always displayed to the recipient.
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Business benefits • More efficient communication from any location • Higher productivity • Correct caller identification under all circumstances • Simplification: one number, one voicemail, one call flow • Private and professional use can be separated
More info? For more information about Belgacom FMU, please contact your Account Manager.
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cockpit
Turnover from e-commerce for 2014 is expected to reach
2
billion euros
as compared to 1.91 billion in 2013.
e- & m-commerce in Belgium In 2013, turnover from e-commerce was
25.66
%
higher than in 2012.
9 – 1�
e-shops will be hiring new staff in 2014. The most soughtafter profiles? Specialists in e-marketing, IT specialists and customer service staff.
The primary goal of m-commerce is to offer better customer service. Generating more sales is secondary.
Top � 1 2 3 4
5 6
best-selling product categories online:
Fashion and accessories (50.55%) Multimedia and electronics (45.55%) Toys (27.22%) Beauty products/ hard- and software (22.22%) Books, CDs and DVDs (18.88%) Home decoration (17%)
Belgium offers a better distribution of collection and pick-up points than neighboring countries.
x2
The number of webshops deriving 10% of their turnover from m-commerce doubled in 2013.
50%
1
In Belgium,
new webshop opens each day.
5�� of webshops – four times as many as in 2011 (15%) – will, from now on, be offering their products and services via mobile devices as well.
6 – 10
webshops expect that, within the next two years, the Internet will become the leading channel for orders.
of Belgians are dissatisfied with cyber security and convenience of payments via smartphone. Source: BeCommerce
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10 questions for 2 CIOs 1
What is your biggest professional achievement? Developing the ICT-team at the AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV. I started out as the first IT specialist at the Algemeen Ziekenhuis Sint-Jan Brugge. Now I work with an incredibly strong team of 30 dedicated employees.
2
Who would you like to sit next to on an airplane? What would you ask him or her? Next to my husband. But what I would want to ask him, I’m not telling you. Or next to an empty seat. Then you don’t have to talk to anyone and you can enjoy the extra time to think about all the problems you want to solve, but also about other things. It’s a way to take a break.
3
“ No job in IT? Then I’d be a doctor.” Helga De Neve ICT-director AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV
Personal: Helga De Neve likes to compare her job as director with that of an orchestra conductor. Her greatest satisfaction is when her IT team is in perfect harmony. Helga has a passion for music. She plays cello in a symphony orchestra in Bruges. Career: Helga has a master’s in IT and a master’s in healthcare management and policy. She started out working in the development department of Siemens. In 1987 she was hired as the first IT specialist to work at the Algemeen Ziekenhuis Sint Jan in Bruges. She is currently ICT director and a member of the management team and the board of directors of the AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV Hospital group. Company: AZ SintJan Brugge-Oostende AV is a hospital that’s open and welcoming, where anyone can receive basic or specialized care. The hospital invests in a number of areas in order to be able to set the standard in top-quality care. Moreover, initiatives are constantly being taken to develop the network with other hospitals and care providers in order to optimize patient care in the region. Workforce: Helga leads an IT team of 30 internal employees, of which 25 are based in Bruges and 5 in Ostend. They also work with external contractors for IT.
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What don’t your employees know about you? Most of them don’t know that I once worked as a CAD/CAM developer. I also taught evening classes in programming. That means that I know how a program developer thinks, which helps me in my job.
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You can’t go a day without …? In order of importance: my family, my piano and my iPhone.
5
What person or event has had a significant impact on your career? The merger of the Henri Serruys Ziekenhuis AV and the AZ Sint-Jan AV. In 2011 and 2012, we worked on the preparation of the new IT system: a single network with a single mail environment, intranet and website, a single patient file, a single ERP environment. Fortunately, we were able to bring in two extra employees for this. On January 1, 2013, the entire new system was launched with a big bang.
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What would you have done if you hadn’t ended up doing this job? When I had to choose what to study at university, I wavered for a long time between medicine and information technology. If I wasn’t doing this job, perhaps I’d be a doctor.
7
What (IT) book do you think everyone should read? ’If Disney ran your hospital: 91/2 things you would do differently’ by Fred Lee. Fred was senior vice-president of the Florida Hospital, but prior to that he worked for Disney University. His plea for patient-oriented care continues to make a lot of hospital managers stop and think.
8
What invention would make your life easier? An intelligent app that not only filters my e-mails in order of importance, but that also summarizes them and strips out all the deadweight. Most e-mails contain way too much (unnecessary) text.
9
What do you expect will be the next trend in the world of technology and IT? 3D printing in the medical sector. The technology is ready for it. In order to make the technique affordable, we would have to be able to use it on a large scale.
10 How
do you see your role as CIO evolving in the next 20 years? What leadership skills do you consider important for a CIO? Acting as a bridge between IT and business is important. Essentially, it’s about finding those specialized employees who can perfectly complement your own talents. In the medical sector, the networks between hospitals are also growing more important.
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one on one
Each issue of One will feature a look at the person behind the position. Discover the often surprising and inspiring answers. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be next. 1
What is your biggest professional achievement? I was given the opportunity four years ago at Dell to convert the Belux organization from an IT supplier to an end-to-end computing solutions provider. My team and I successfully completed the transformation – in a period of market downturn – within three years.
2
Who would you like to sit next to on an airplane? What would you ask him or her? Next to Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group that has businesses in a wide array of sectors. Branson is a manager with passion, a bold entrepreneur who never stops trying out ideas. And to do this, he makes very intelligent use of social media. I would ask him what he’s got up his sleeve next.
3
What don’t your employees know about you? That I’m going to climb the Mont Blanc (elevation 4,810 m – 15,781 ft) in August, together with the ‘Climbing Ladies’. We’re fully underway with training. We just need to prepare ourselves as a team. If you’re going to climb a mountain with a group of eight, the team spirit is extremely important.
4
You can’t go a day without …? I like to start each day by taking time to time to eat a healthy, hearty breakfast.
5
What person or event has had a significant impact on your career? My parents and grandparents always impressed upon me that I should follow my passion and stay true to myself. Major turning points arise through a combination of circumstances. Various people have influenced my life and career at different times. Stan Miller (then CEO at Orange/Base) challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone professionally.
6
What would you have done if you hadn’t ended up doing this job? I really love what I do now. But if I had to change, it might be something in sports or travel. Politics also appeals. I’d have no problem accepting an appointment as minister, for example.
7
What (IT) book do you think everyone should read? ’What’s Mine is Yours’ by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers. They have an inspiring message about the social impact of bartering and sharing services. We can do this more efficiently now, thanks to hard- and software.
8
What invention would make your life easier? A solution for our mobility problem in Belgium, and a way to make work more flexible and efficient.
9
What do you expect will be the next trend in the world of technology and IT? The shrinking of all electronics. Ultimately, everything is going to fit into a chip. Because of the ‘web of things’, data security is going to become an even bigger challenge.
10 How
do you see your role as CIO evolving in the next 20 years? What leadership skills do you consider important for a CIO? The CIO needs to become more flexible. We’re soon going to be working with four overlapping generations. Remote management is going to become more important. Greater diversity in the workplace also calls for greater empathy. Creativity will need to be stimulated more. ICT needs to be seen as a ‘value center’ and not a ‘cost center’.
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“ An appointment as minister: why not?” Pascale Van Damme Managing Director Dell Belux
Personal: Pascale Van Damme is a team player who surrounds herself with people who are outstanding in their fields. Results-oriented and persistent, but also a strong believer in empowerment, she aims to ensure that her employees feel valued. They are given the task of developing their potential without losing their individual identity. Career: Pascale graduated from the University of Gent. Ten years ago, she joined Dell NV, becoming General Manager Belux in 2008. Since February 2012 she has been Managing Director Dell Belux and Director EMEA Nato & Nato Alliances. Company: The headquarters of Dell Inc. are in Round Rock, Texas. In addition to personal computers, Dell manufactures products such as servers, workstations, notebooks, network hardware, PDAs, software, monitors and printers, as well as a complete range of accessories and services. The American computer manufacturer has grown into an end-to- end computing solutions provider dedicated to making IT simpler, more efficient and more secure. Workforce: Dell is active in 79 countries. The 110,000 employees generate a turnover of 60 billion dollars. As Managing Director Dell Belux, Pascale Van Damme oversees a staff of 160.
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Company profile The GO! school system of the Flemish community is one of the three educational networks recognized by the Flemish community. GO! supports the systems of statutory public education (preschool, primary and secondary school), adult education and part-time arts education in 1,000 institutions with 300,000 students and course participants.
“The new offices and the new environment are part of our strategy for project-based working. In this sense it’s more about a shift in company culture than strictly an ICT process.” Jan Buytaert, ICT-manager at the GO!
GO! opts for state-of-the-art ICT at new headquarters
Focus on project-based collaboration 10
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GO!
The move to a new location was
Combination of solutions
of Working plays a key role in the
For its new server infrastructure, GO! chose FlexPod, a datacenter solution based on servers and switches from Cisco, virtualization with VMware and storage from NetApp. “Via FlexPod we’re opting for simplicity: lower costs for better performance and a solution that’s easily expandable.” GO! housed its two FlexPods in the datacenters of the VDAB. In the offices, GO! standardized the network – LAN and WLAN – on Cisco as well. “We went for the combination of thin clients and Citrix,” says Buytaert. “Our employees use a virtual desktop, which instantly gives us the option of supporting teleworking or mobile working.” In the office, Unified Communications is provided via Microsoft Lync, combined with Polycom. A solution from Spikes – based on Microsoft SharePoint – ensures the management of the document flows.
approach, thanks to the advantages
Video how-to’s
an opportunity for the central administration of the Flemish community’s GO! educational authority to perfectly tailor the use of ICT to the changing needs of its employees. The New Way
of modern technology.
The central administration of the GO! authority recently moved to the Willebroekkaai in Brussels. Operating out of the new building, the administration supports the 28 school groups that make up the state school network. All told, it encompasses 1,000 institutions, including schools, student counseling centers and boarding schools. “We were previously located on Emile Jacqmainlaan,” explains ICT manager Jan Buytaert. “It was an old building. It wasn’t particularly energy efficient and was no longer suited to the way that our staff works day to day: more on the basis of projects and less individually.” When our lease ran out, the GO! had one year to find and install a new location. We ultimately chose a new development on the Willebroekkaai, near the Noordstation.
More flexibility GO! started with a survey among the 400 employees of the central administration on their expectations for the new offices, including in terms of telephony, computers, printers, etc. Buytaert: “We used this input to chart the needs of our staff, also taking teleworking into account. But we didn’t want to change everything at once. We decided to work with a process of step-bystep evolution towards the new situation.” The implementation of this process fell within the ICT framework contract of the Flemish government with the consortium HP-Belgacom. “From the outset, the entire project was supported by a business consultant from Belgacom who provided the necessary assistance.”
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In particular the use of video is opening up new possibilities for GO!. This is not only evident in the fully equipped conference rooms, but also the six training rooms where multimedia is key. “Teachers come in for continuing education here,” explains Buytaert. “Via Lync it’s possible to follow these courses remotely as well. What’s more, we record the sessions and then make them available as a video on their smartschool platform.” Buytaert emphasized that – despite the considerable technology involved – the installation of the new headquarters should not be looked at as an ICT project. “It was a cultural shift. The involvement of the employees was the key to success. At the same time, the support and project management from Belgacom proved essential for completing the entire process before the scheduled deadline.”
Business benefits •E asily manageable and expandable server infrastructure and storage •G ain time and productivity thanks to the virtual desktop: at the office, at home or on the road •M ore efficient collaboration thanks to Unified Communications and video •M akes continuing education available via video
Read more cases on www.ictnews.be/one
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m2m: the road to
innovation
Healthcare
Smart device for athletes transmits data on their heart rate, speed ... for better health and performance monitoring.
Machine-to-machine solutions allow you to cut costs, improve efficiency and customer service and create new business models.
SMART HOME
Smart meters
Automatic display and transmission of energy consumption to the grid operator. Real-time monitoring will help consumers save energy.
E-call in case of accidents Crane rental
Efficient cost planning through geolocation, real-time monitoring and management.
Automatic notification of emergency services with indication of GPS location for a more rapid response.
Process automation SMART BUILDINGS
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Lets the various business processes automatically communicate with business applications.
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solutions
Mobility
Smart shop
GPS displays available parking spaces, controls traffic jams and reduces CO2 emissions in cities.
Parking management
Connected car
SMART CITY
The user can pay via SMS-parking. The enforcement officer can check in real time whether a parking session has been started.
Mobile payments, measurement of customer traffic and personalized in-store offers improve the shopping experience and boost turnover.
The car can be located or shut down in case of theft, and maintenance reminders can be sent.
Digital signage Personalized advertising geared towards target audience maximizes returns.
Video surveillance
Automatic transmission of camera images allows faster intervention.
Automatic bus system
More efficient public transport thanks to automatic green light at the approach of a bus.
More info? Surf to www.belgacom.be/m2m or contact your Account Manager. Follow us on Twitter @bm2m
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Precision agriculture Fine-tuning the delivery of water for plants and monitoring livestock for increased production.
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solutions
Belgacom Employee Solutions for the New Way of Working
Mobility solutions boost motivation Belgacom Employee Solutions offer four solutions for increasing your employees’ mobility and satisfaction. These solutions also meet the need to offer them an extra financial benefit without increased salary costs. The Flemish public employment service VDAB was the first to choose all four at once, taking optimal advantage of the benefits that these solutions can bring. Belgacom Employee Solutions help you, as an employer, to offer your employees the necessary connectivity for the New Way of Working. You can choose from four different solutions and combine them in whatever way you like.
Belgacom Packs For Employees With this solution, as the employer, you pay for all or part of the Internet Everywhere subscription for your employees. This gives you a big fiscal advantage, which saves a lot on salary costs, and your employees get to enjoy high-quality Internet.
Belgacom Mobile For Employees With this solution, you pay for all or part of the mobile subscription for your employees. If the profiling is done correctly, this is not considered a salary increase. You can thus ensure
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maximum reachability for your staff at minimal cost, and your employees can also enjoy the cheaper professional rates for private use.
Belgacom Devices For Employees If you choose this solution, then, as the employer, you pay for your employees’ mobile device in full or in part, thus allowing you to respond to the growing demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Your employees can then buy the device of their choice through a portal at a much lower price and use it for both professional and private purposes.
Belgacom Employee Privilege Program Thanks to this unique program, your employees and their family members can benefit from a permanent discount of 10% on the Proximus mobile rate plans and on various Belgacom packs. This discount is in addition to current promotions offered by Belgacom and Proximus and it couldn’t be easier to implement, with no extra workload for you, the employer.
More info? View all the benefits of Belgacom Employee Solutions at www.belgacom.be/employeesolutions
Company profile The 5,000 employees of the Flemish governmental service VDAB: • help jobseekers find jobs; • provide job- and career counseling; • assist jobseekers with specific needs; • provide professional training at the various training centers.
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VDAB
VDAB opts for maximum reachability
Ready for the NWOW Now that the VDAB is increasingly holding job fairs and on-site traineeships, its staff are becoming more mobile. But the number of teleworkers is also increasing. In order to guarantee the reachability of all Paul Danneels, CIO and Katrien Vereecken, Director of General Services at the VDAB
these employees, the VDAB made a few changes … “It started two years ago with the introduction of Google Apps,” recalls Paul Danneels, CIO at the VDAB. “This gave our staff, on one hand, easier access to all documents while working externally but, on the other hand, the demand to use their own mobile devices certainly rose exponentially.” “In order to close the digital gap with our staff and to offer them HR-advantages, we have chosen the Belgacom Employee Solutions. We offer our employees Packs For Employees: they get discounts on mobile devices of their choice and their home Internet is paid by the VDAB. Their mobile Internet is charged at professional rates,” says Guido Triest, Budget Manager at the VDAB. The solution is a perfect illustration of our efforts to increase employee satisfaction and ICT innovation. Paul Danneels: “Our 5,000
employees can choose a mobile device on a portal. We make sure that we can support these devices in the areas of security and accessibility. Both e-mails and documents, as well as their agenda are available in the cloud, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Greater freedom Exactly what the big advantage for the VDAB is, is crystal clear to Katrien Vereecken, Director of General Services at the VDAB: “Maximum reachability! Our staff are increasingly working outside of the office, at job fairs, on-site with employers or simply working from home. Thanks to the Employee Solutions pack from Belgacom, we can give them the freedom to access their documents and reach one another anywhere, instead of constantly having to return to the office.”
Business benefits
Read more cases on
• Maximum reachability for employees working outside of the VDAB offices • Saves time • Cheaper communication rate for employees, for both professional and private use, for both calls and the Internet • Employees can purchase their preferred device more cheaply • No extra costs for the VDAB
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Mobile desktops Samsung Galaxy S5
Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1
Top model gets even better
Tablet with a backbone The Samsung S5 comes with a wide range of innovative features such as extra sensors, and the new housing gives it a pleasing look and feel.
This Toughpad, with its 7” format and reinforced hardware, is an ideal tool for mobile workers in more rugged terrain.
The new flagship of Samsung’s fleet of smartphones comes with impressive specifications. The 5.1” AMOLED screen brilliantly displays colors and contrast, and the plastic casing is now perforated which gives it the appearance of leather and improves grip. The Galaxy S5 is noticeably faster than the previous top model – the S4 – and has a whole slew of extra features. For example, the S5 is dust resistant and waterproof up to one meter deep, although it’s only built to survive a brief submersion. The device also includes a fingerprint scanner to restrict access to your device and a sensor for measuring your heart rate. The 16 megapixel camera has ultra-fast autofocus (just a few tenths of a second) and the MicroUSB port works at USB 3.0 speed.
The Panasonic Tough series is noted for its durability, and the Toughpad JT-B1 is no exception. This robust 7” Android tablet is water and dust resistant (compliant with the IP65 standard) and the screen has been designed for outdoor use. The tablet supports multitouch operation with four fingers at once. This Toughpad was specially designed for corporate use and is therefore ideal for mobile workers who need to be able to access and update the latest information no matter where they are, even in more rugged terrain. It also offers extra security options to prevent data loss. The device has the most advanced hard- and software, including Android 4, fast Wi-Fi, 4G connectivity and a 13 megapixel camera. The ergonomic design and battery life of at least a full workday are the finishing touches. The device is so solid that the standard guarantee that Panasonic offers is a full three years.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1
Processor: 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
Processor: Texas Instruments 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
Operating System: Android 4.4.2
Operating System: Android 4.0
Memory: 2 GB RAM, 16/32 GB storage, MicroSD up to 128 GB
Memory: 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, MicroSD up to 32 GB
Screen type: 5.1” Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Screen type: 7” WSVGA TFT multitouch with antiglare screen protector
Screen resolution: 1080 x 1920
Screen resolution: 1024 x 600
Battery: 2.800 mAh
Battery: 5.720 mAh
3G Stand-by time: 390 h
Stand-by time: 809 h
Dimensions: 142 x 72 x 8 mm
Dimensions: 220 x 18 x 129 mm
Weight: 145 g
Weight: 545 g
Connection: 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, DLNA, NFC, IR
Connection: 2G, 3G, 4G, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11n
SAR: 0,56 W/kg
SAR*: 0,774 W/kg
Bluetooth: 4.0
Bluetooth: 4.0
Camera: 16 MP, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, HD video; extra 2 megapixel front camera
Camera: 13 MP, LED flash, at the back, and a 1.3 megapixel front camera
Extra: Fingerprint sensor, IP67 dust and water resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Extra: GPS, compass, light sensor, IP65 dust and water resistant, shockproof from up to 1.5 m
* SAR – specific absorption ratio – is the unit of measure for the amount of electromagnetic energy that is absorbed by the body during use of mobile phones. The maximum allowable SAR in Europe is 2 Watts/kg according to guidelines issued by the ICNIRP.
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products
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Follow where your family is flying With the Flightradar24 app, you can track any flight worldwide in real time and instantly find out about changes in arrival and departure times. On a map of the world, you can see exactly where any plane is currently located. With a single click, you can call up all information about the aircraft, the airline, the make and model of the aircraft, plus its current altitude, direction and speed. The app even has an augmented-reality function to display the information visible aboard an airborne plane, providing a 3D display of what the pilot in the cockpit is currently seeing. That way, you can keep better track of the departure and arrival times for passengers onboard and you can see what your family and friends are flying over! Flightradar24 is available on your iOS, Android or Windows telephone or tablet.
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Thiry develops systems for extensive automation
Fresher than fresh Each day and night, the 33 Thiry trucks traverse the country in order to deliver fruit and vegetables to shops on time. The company has recently started using mobile solutions from Belgacom.
Along with the companies Van Lier, Coccinelle and DeliCoupe, Thiry is part of the umbrella company PrimaMundo. From three distribution centers (Bruges, Ghent and Liège) Thiry supplies supermarkets, greengrocers, specialty shops and market stalls throughout Belgium. No easy task, explains manager Johan Huys: “Our sector is not like others. In 90% of sectors, a company only starts production after the sale is made. In fruit and vegetables, the biggest determinant for the business is still supply and demand. Here, nature is in charge. Although we are seeing changes, a considerable part of sales volumes is already negotiated before production has started. But, for the most part, it’s precisely the opposite. We’ve produced something that we then need to be able to sell. There are so many external and uncontrollable factors that affect sales in fruit and vegetables. And you have to act as quickly as possible, because compared to, say, a car or a kitchen, our products have a very limited shelf life.”
Wiped clean in a single swap “In order to work in a more paperless way and to cut the time between purchase and sale, we had to automate our processes.” Take customer contacts, for example. Instead of using the phone or paper, Thiry now communicates with customers via mobile devices. This lets them place orders online, consult order slips at any time and track their sales statistics in real time. All these processes can be managed and monitored centrally via Mobile Device Management in the cloud. “With the Belgacom solution, we can manage the SIM cards for our mobile devices centrally and highly efficiently. We can maintain our fleet in real time, update the devices, etc. If we lose a customer or gain a new one? Well, internally, we can instantly deactivate or activate the SIM cards. The devices are also traceable. For example, if one of our customers has his tablet stolen, we can perform a swap, so that we can both wipe clean and locate the tablet in one go,” points out Huys. “In terms of network security, Mobile Device Management gives us real peace of mind.”
Time-saving for both sides “Our customers benefit from our tailor-made application for iPad and Android tablets. With this application, they can consult our prices which change daily, in real time, as well as our stocks and available space in our trucks. And for us as well, this new way of communication has added value, because it has significantly reduced the number of calls from our customers. It’s perfectly possible to respond in real time to what’s available on the market, without disturbing our customers. Thanks to these mobile innovations we have so far been able to save at least 8-9% on our costs and, at the same time, our customers are receiving better service.”
Measurements The communication with the truck drivers has also been optimized. Thiry decided to equip the 33 trucks with a trackand-trace system and direct communication between the truck, garage and the distribution center. “We can brief our drivers on their mobile devices, so that they instantly know how much they should pick up and where to take it. They can start their workday better prepared. We also know exactly how fast our trucks have been driven, as well as how often and how heavily they have used the brakes. The result has been a spectacular reduction in fuel consumption. But it goes a lot further than that. A truck can now report a malfunction in real time to our distribution center and the garage at once, so that the repair is ready and waiting as soon as they drive into the center, so to speak,” concludes Huys.
Watch the video of this customer experience and read more cases on www.ictnews.be/one
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PrimaMundo
“Thanks to our mobile innovations, we’ve cut costs by at least 8-9% and our customers are getting better service.” Johan Huys, Manager at Thiry BGL (Bruges, Ghent and Liège)
Company profile The Thiry group is part of the PrimaMundo company and has three distribution businesses for fruit and vegetables: Thiry Liège, Thiry Ghent and Thiry (Bouvry) Bruges. With a turnover of 60 million euros, the company employs a workforce of over 100 people.
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Business benefits • Track-and-trace system provides real-time information to freight dispatcher and customer • Customer receives real-time information on daily prices, stocks, transport, etc. • More economical vehicle fleet thanks to a direct communication system between truck, dispatcher and garage • Cost savings of 8-9% • More efficient deployment of staff
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The smartphone as a digital wallet m-commerce More and more Belgians are discovering e-commerce. Some 40 million transactions are being made a year, with consistent growth at 30%. But thanks to the rapid spread of smartphones and tablets, the focus is shifting to m-commerce. The ‘m’ stands for mobile. Our mobile device can play the role of an electronic wallet, complete with payment cards, loyalty cards and discount coupons – all handled electronically in a single app.
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“That all sounds promising, but how exactly do you pay for your purchase?” In the early days, that was the most frequently asked question about e-commerce. Placing an order on a website was no problem. But it was completing it – the payment – that was a barrier. Back in the pioneer days, people had to make do with entering credit card details. Together with the advent of Internet banking, more secure methods arrived, but a seamless, user-friendly process still never quite materialized. Online shopping had to be done at home on the PC, because the key transaction always involved a bank card and card reader. With this background in mind, it’s looking like m-commerce will finally provide the long-awaited solution. It’s a question of sheer necessity, because if you use a mobile device to make a purchase – stuck in traffic, on the train platform, at a restaurant – you’re not likely to have a card reader handy.
Sixdots The mobile wallet provides some possible solutions. Think of it as a complete electronic version of your wallet, including not only electronic payment cards, but also other cards, paperwork and receipts that you may need when you visit a shop: your loyalty card, a gift certificate from a previous visit, a coupon, etc. This mobile wallet combines everything into a single app on your mobile device. Late last year, Belgacom and BNP Paribas Fortis set up a joint venture for the development of this app. The result is Sixdots, named after the six-digit PIN code that users will need to enter in order to confirm a transaction. Sixdots is an open platform, accessible to all consumers, retailers and merchants in Belgium. The app is available free of charge to consumers. To use Sixdots, you simply need a payment card from a bank based in Belgium and a mobile data subscription from a Belgian telecoms operator. Sixdots works on the basis of MasterPass, the digital payment wallet from MasterCard. In this way, consumers can pay without leaving any payment details behind on the retailer’s website. And of course, there’s no longer any need for a card reader.
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Mobile ticket in your pocket The solution will, above all, ensure a seamless, integrated transaction. This offers greater convenience to consumers but, at the same time, allows retailers to improve their service and clearly stand out from the competition. A few examples say it all. A customer who wants to top up his prepaid phone card from Proximus will be able to do that via the Proximus app on his smartphone. For the payment process, the app will automatically connect to Sixdots, where the customer simply has to enter his PIN code. The same applies for buying a train ticket. Not only will you not need a card reader, you also no longer need to print out the ticket. Once the purchase is completed, the electronic ticket will be stored in your electronic wallet. If you make a purchase in a shop – the traditional brick-and-mortar shop – then you will be able to use Sixdots to pay as well, or to redeem a digital certificate or have your purchase added to your electronic loyalty card.
For the mobile wallet, the user needs just two things: a smartphone with a data subscription and a payment card.
Online, in-app, in-store These examples show how the mobile wallet can offer much more than just the mobile payment for a purchase. What’s more, for the retailers, the concept offers a complete toolbox for improving the customer’s shopping experience and for expanding business. Plus, for the retailer, the impact on the underlying ICT systems is fairly minimal. If the retailer has an e-commerce website, then it’s a good idea to have it optimized for surfing via smartphone and tablet. All that’s necessary then is to offer the MasterPass as a payment channel. In short, it’s basically like adding an extra button to the site. There is no investment involved at all. If the retailer uses an app to offer products or services, then for the in-app use of Sixdots, there will need to be an interaction with that particular app, which will require a minor adjustment to the retailer’s app. Sixdots will offer a software development kit for this purpose. Finally, there is also the situation where a retailer chooses to use Sixdots for customers who prefer to visit the shop in person. In that case, an interaction is necessary between the customer’s smartphone and the shop’s cash register system. Of these three situations – online, in-app and in-store – the last one requires the most intervention in terms of ICT.
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Single transaction At the moment, the greatest opportunity can be found in the market for in-app transactions. One out of every two Belgians carries a smartphone. And more and more is being bought on the go. These tend to be small purchases – a bus ticket, a sandwich, a cinema ticket. Moreover, these are purchases that the customer needs to access instantly. That calls for a purchasing process that’s fast and easy, including when it comes to payment. It’s also a new market that offers a promising opportunity for retailers. From the traditional, strictly informative app, retailers can now make the move to an app that also generates business. Even better, the app can truly form a lever for building customer loyalty and creating and maintaining a long-term relationship. On the customer’s side, the key to success is the fact that the digital wallet provides payment orchestration. When the customer needs to confirm payment, they receive an overview of their payment cards, available discount coupons or accumulated points. The app then allows all of these elements to be combined so that the customer can complete the transaction with a single click.
Exit paper money? Will the electronic wallet ultimately spell the end for the use of cash? It’s hard to predict. But it is a fact that currently half of all payments are made electronically. The management and processing of cash costs money, which is why the banks are absolutely in favor of reducing cash levels. Mobile solutions are also expected to ultimately replace many cash transactions. Sixdots took the first steps in that direction this spring. The company is starting with functionality for online payment traffic on websites, followed by in-app payments. By the end of this year, there should be enough critical mass for both the app users and retailers offering Sixdots via their websites and own apps. As these numbers continue to rise, it will have a snowball effect and then, by the end of this year, Sixdots will also make functionalities available for e-discount coupons, virtual tickets and loyalty programs.
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M-commerce is tapping into new markets: such as in-app sales and payments of products and services. Frédéric Lhostte, Managing Director Sixdots
Executive summary Online shopping is increasingly being done via smartphone or tablet. Customers also expect a simple transaction process – and certainly not one that involves a bank card and card reader. Sixdots is the joint venture between Belgacom and BNP Paribas Fortis that offers a solution with this seamless customer experience. Sixdots also offers retailers a way to generate new business and build customer loyalty, including online, via apps and in the shop.
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Smartphones have brought us to a turning point. The technology is opening the door to more and new types of business. But, at the same time, social media has made customers more assertive and online shoppers are just as likely to buy in China or in the USA as they are in the shop down the street. What this means is that organizations need to take a good look at their relationship with their customers. In the shop, online, via apps: it all forms one big whole.
m-commerce
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round table
Four technological evolutions have had a huge impact on our lives: mobile, the cloud, social media and big data. “Not only that, but all four of them are connected,” according to Jean-Marie Stas, Marketing Manager at Belgacom. “Mobile devices and cloud computing pave the way for social media and convert big data to feedback. The breakthrough of m-commerce – mobile e-commerce – is the logical next step.” The mobile aspect is allowing e-commerce to more rapidly grow in importance. “We see the potential,” says David Steegen, Communication and Media Manager at football club RSC Anderlecht. “Not all fans come and buy a T-shirt at the stadium shop. They also want to be able to get them online. We currently have 300,000 followers on Facebook. Of course, they don’t all live in the Brussels area. Through the mobile channel, we want to be able to offer something for them as well.” For many companies, mobile commerce can act as an extension of the existing channel. Sometimes, there’s a real need for this extension. “If we want our business to survive long-term, we need to find ways to gain market share through these new channels,” says Alexander Dewispelaere, Marketing Domain Manager at the Nationale Loterij (National Lottery). “A considerable part of that share can be tapped into online.”
Mobile added value Consumer interest in mobile commerce is growing in parallel with the success of the smartphone. But for local businesses that’s turning out to be a double-edged sword. “The online world has transformed retail into an activity that is no longer restricted in time or location,” says Jorg Snoeck, CEO of Retail Detail, a portal site for retailers and suppliers of retail communication. “We are already now seeing that one out of every two euros Belgians spend online goes to a foreign e-commerce site. So, as a retailer, you definitely need to make sure that you can serve your customers on any channel. Otherwise, traditional retail is at risk of being dealt a fatal blow, just the way Spotify spelled the end of the record store or booking.com is currently putting the travel sector under severe pressure. “The situation is different for every sector,” points out David Steegen. “We don’t need to fight for market share. For us, it’s about a community of fans who feel connected via the club. Via the digital and mobile world, we can offer these fans more comfort and further increase the sense of community.” The concept of the smart seat is a good example. Season-ticket holders who are unable to attend a match can login online to sell their seat. That way, they can recover part of the money they spent on the season ticket and there aren’t any empty seats in the stadium.
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The local butcher on an industrial scale This is just one of the many examples of the way that technology can create clear added value – for both the supplier and the customer. And in this context, virtually everything depends on personalized communication. “New parents who have stocked up on Pampers will receive an e-mail from the retailer when the supply has nearly run out,” says Jelle Deconinck, Marketing Manager at The Phone House. “With a single click in that message, they can order a new supply. This allows the retailer to generate turnover that might otherwise have gone to someone else.” The challenge for the retailer is to get the right message to the consumer at the right time. Thanks to big data, this is now possible. In this way, my retailers can offer customers an experience that’s comparable to the old-fashioned local butcher’s shop: he knew all the customers by name and their preferences and habits, so that he intuitively knew which products to suggest. Big data allows the same process to take place on an industrial scale. David Steegen: “That’s what we’re hoping to achieve, because via Facebook, we can personally address the fans.”
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Smartphone replacing the wallet With m-commerce too, retailers need to provide consumers with relevant messages. But, in the mobile world, there’s another aspect that counts. The entire process has to be easy, including payment. “We sell 30% of our tickets online,” says Stefaan Claes, International CRM & Digital Marketing Director at the Kinepolis Group. “In order to offer more to mobile customers, we give them the possibility of payment via PayPal.” Up until now, a cheaper alternative wasn’t available. “A mobile wallet – meaning that you use your smartphone to make payments – would be useful,” continues Stefaan Claes. “Someone who buys a movie ticket with their smartphone is not likely to be carrying a card reader for their debit card.”
1 function, 1 app Smartphones are expected to become the digital alternative to the traditional wallet, for example through an app such as Sixdots, that not only contains a digital payment card, but also e-coupons, e-tickets and e-loyalty cards. “Ultimately, we’re going to see a completely different cash register system in the supermarket,” notes Jorg Snoeck. “It will no longer be necessary to scan products at the register. Customers will be able to scan them by smartphone and make the payment with their mobile wallet.” Integration is going to be the key to success. “On the PC, we’ve always worked with fat apps,” says Jean-Marie Stas. “Applications with a lot of functionality, of which we only use a small portion. In the mobile world, the opposite is the case. The user wants a very simple app for every specific task.” In practice, it becomes a question of being able to connect that fragmented environment together in the right way.
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03 01 S tefaan Claes, International CRM & Digital Marketing Director at the Kinepolis Group: “Customers want to do the things they’ve always done, in as simple a way as possible - including mobilely.”
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02 J ean-Marie Stas, Marketing Manager at Belgacom: “In the mobile world, the situation is the opposite of what you are used to with PCs. The user wants a very simple app for every specific task.” 03 J org Snoeck, CEO of Retail Detail: “On- or offline, mobile or not: you don’t have to make a choice, you should be everywhere. It’s the customer who decides. Everything is all part of one big channel.” 04 A lexander Dewispelaere, Marketing Domain Manager at the National Lottery: “We are going to need to offer various solutions to support mobile payment.” 05 J elle Deconinck, Marketing Manager at The Phone House: “The new generation doesn’t stop to think about which device they’re using, in the same way that they no longer distinguish between on- and offline.” 06 David Steegen, Communication and Media Manager at football club RSC Anderlecht: “Via the digital and mobile world, we can offer fans more comfort and further increase the sense of community.”
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The customer drives the market Are customers ready for this evolution? “I think so,” says Stefaan Claes. “Customers are generally quite pragmatic. They want to do the things they’ve always done – like buying movie tickets – but they want to do it as simply as possible.” What’s important then is that the organization is able to correctly judge the customer’s expectations. “We have customers who, if it was available, would be delighted to make payments with a mobile wallet,” says Alexander Dewispelaere. “But there are also customers who make purchases online and then pay later via online banking or use a traditional bank transfer to deposit money on their lottery account. For us, it’s important to be able to offer the entire spectrum. We are probably going to have to offer many different solutions for supporting mobile payments.” Of course the question is not only whether customers are ready to use mobile wallets, but also whether the ecosystem is ready for it: the retailers, banks and mobile operators. “We’re certainly seeing a lot of activity in this sector,” points out Stefaan Claes. “But in principle, it’s the customer who drives the market. When the customer demands a certain solution, we’ll respond.”
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Mobile first Should companies be asking themselves whether they need to get onboard the m-commerce train? No. In fact, it’s the consumer who decides. It suffices to look at how many visitors are surfing to the site on a mobile device, and to react accordingly. However, there’s no question that the use of mobile devices is growing. Increasingly, sites are now being constructed according to the principle of mobile first. The site needs to be accessible first and foremost via smartphone and tablet. These are the devices that call the shots. “Only logical,” according to Jelle Deconinck, “because the new generation doesn’t stop to think about which device they’re using, in the same way that they no longer distinguish between on- and offline.” But not all market segments are evolving at equal speed. “We generate from 5 to 10% of our turnover online,” explains Alexander Dewispelaere. “This figure will continue to rise. But, at the same time, sales of Lotto tickets in newsagents’ shops are showing absolutely no signs of decline.” “Of course not,” adds Jorg Snoeck. “You don’t have to choose, you should be everywhere. It’s up to the customer to decide. At the end of the day, it’s all part of the same thing, and it’s really just one big channel.”
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Thanks to the smart meters from Eandis, consumers will be able to analyze their energy consumption much more effectively. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the only reason why Eandis has installed 40,000 of these meters in recent years as part of a large-scale pilot project.
Eandis evaluates its smart meters
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Eandis
“The new energy sources are forcing us to take a completely different approach to energy distribution.” Patrick Devos, Program Manager Smart Metering at Eandis
Green solutions to generate heat and power, such as windmills, solar panels, heat pumps, etc., are becoming increasingly popular for individuals and companies as well as electricity providers. After all, if we want to meet the targets of Europe 2020, we’ll have to reduce our energy consumption. But this new method of working places completely different demands on the distribution grid, explains Patrick Devos, Program Manager Smart Metering at Eandis. “Generating power through traditional plants produces a constant flow of power, with the occasional dip. With eco-friendly methods, the picture is much more erratic, with high peaks and deep valleys. This is normal, because they depend on natural elements such as the wind and the sun. If there’s a lot of wind or sun, there’s a lot of electricity, and vice versa. But that also means that we need to approach distribution in a whole new way. By making more information available to customers, awareness can be raised of the cost of energy, and customers will actively respond to this.”
Smart meters on smart grids
Company profile Eandis is a Flemish operating company for electricity and natural gas distribution. It has over 4,250 employees who are active in 239 municipalities in Flanders.
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“More and more people now have solar panels or heat pumps at home,” is how Patrick Devos frames the problem. “A positive evolution. But what if all of those panels generate too much energy on a sunny day? Then we risk overloading the grid. Partly for that reason, we introduced the smart meters. We’re now better able to monitor the power flow on the grid remotely, so that investments can be made in a much more targeted way. For consumers too, these meters represent a big step
forward. They let consumers analyze their consumption in real time and thus use energy more economically. Thanks to the smart household appliances that are currently being developed, a meter could, for example, start up the washing machine when there’s a lot of wind and energy prices are low.”
With the help of the operator However, smart meters require smart data connections. Data is constantly being sent to and from the smart meters, and is therefore encrypted for greater security. That requires an excellent connection. “The data from the smart meters can often be transmitted via SIM cards. Via a platform such as the one provided by Belgacom, all these cards can be managed at once. That will be handy when everyone has smart meters. But we’re still far from that point. We are now entering the end of the second phase,” notes Devos. After an initial trial project with 4,300 smart meters, in 2012, Eandis installed 40,000 smart meters in homes in order to assess the technical feasibility. For the project, Eandis is using the fixed and mobile network from Belgacom. Via the Explore network, Eandis was able to develop a private VPN to the two different networks. The necessary tools for integration with the Eandis NOC and privacy and cyber security are also provided. The evaluation of the pilot project is now underway. No definitive conclusions have yet been made, but the company will likely opt for a segmented, phased rollout to specific target groups, such as energyefficient new construction projects.
Business benefits • Central management of all SIM cards from smart meters • High-speed connection for transmission via private VPN
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Pierre Masai, Vice-President Information Systems & Telematics, Toyota Motor Europe
“There’s only room for IT with added value” The phenomenon of the connected car is ushering in the next generation in mobility. Intelligent apps support the car, the driver and his passengers. “The technology is ready for it,” says Pierre Masai, Vice-President Information Systems & Telematics at Toyota Motor Europe. For Pierre Masai, IT in the automotive sector holds no secrets. “From the punch card to today, we’ve come quite a long way,” he laughs. After a long career at Volkswagen (see Identikit), Masai joined Toyota Motor Europe, the European headquarters of Toyota, in Brussels. He oversaw measures such as the integration of the scattered IT teams for sales, production and R&D into a single, pan-European IT department. In addition, starting in 2008 he developed Toyota’s first activities related to telematics in Europe. The result was the availability of the Touch & Go solution in the Toyota Yaris in 2011, including the option to update the navigation system and search for information on the Internet. In 2013, a second generation of apps was released for various Toyota and Lexus models.
Safety and privacy “The importance of telematics is only going to grow,” says Pierre Masai. “In the meantime, we have a range of apps for our cars available in an e-store. They have highly diverse uses: from an app for navigation to an app that compares fuel prices from nearby gas stations, an app that shows where underground car parks are, etc.” With these applications, Toyota isn’t aiming to compete with the smartphone but simply to offer added value for the driver and his passengers. The point of departure is the strong integration of the apps with the navigation system. “The technology is there
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to make this type of application possible. With the advent of the 4G network, this trend is only going to accelerate. We are observing this in the growing demand for Wi-Fi in the car, for example. The car is connected and this allows it to provide Wi-Fi to passengers via a hotspot.”
Providing info with no distraction What makes the world of telematics particularly challenging is the fact that application designers need to consider much more than just the technology. “I am thinking, for example, of the concept of over-the-air updates of apps,” Masai explained. “This presents completely new challenges in terms of cyber security and privacy. These are apps that guide the driver – via the navigation system, among others things – so it’s therefore important that the information is up to date and correct. We’re talking about applications related to traffic safety, not just infotainment or games.” At the same time, a lot of information becomes available about the car and the driver’s driving behavior: where he has been, the route taken, the speed of the vehicle.“ That opens up a lot of new possibilities – in the context of big data – but also brings new challenges. This is data that we need to handle very carefully.” And then there’s also driver distraction. That factor plays a role as well. “The systems need to provide a driver with information, without unnecessary distraction.”
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Identikit Pierre Masai (55) studied mathematics and information technology at the ULB. He began his career as a teaching assistant at the university, but later switched to the automotive sector. At Volkswagen in Brussels, he advanced to the position of IT Director. He then spent two years as head of IT and Organization at FAW-Volkswagen in China. Masai returned to Europe for a job as CIO in Paris, at Europcar, the car rental company operated by the Volkswagen group. After 17 years at Volkswagen, he became worldwide CIO – and managing director of the German subsidiary – at Hays Logistics. In 2005 he returned to the automotive sector, joining Toyota Motor Europe in Brussels. There, he currently directs the unified European IT team. He has also overseen the launch of Toyota’s telematics activities in Europe. Pierre Masai speaks eight languages – including Chinese – and is an avid runner.
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Keep it lean One of the challenges that Toyota is now tackling is to standardize the platforms for telematics, at the same time as differentiating solutions for the various market segments and car types. “Toyota is the company that invented the principle of lean management. Lean is geared towards getting rid of all losses, surplus and waste. We take the same approach to IT. The process is always the point of departure, in fact. If IT does not provide added value, then we’ll continue to carry out a process without IT.” Put another way: IT has to help Toyota to stay lean. But at the same time, the IT itself needs to be lean. “That’s why we brought together all the European IT activities into a single department. And it’s also why we are now integrating the IT for the national distribution companies. But we always work on the basis of consensus. It’s not something that we simply impose from the top down.” The IT specialists from the British distribution company, for example, will continue working where they have in the past. But now they are simply part of the European team, and no longer of the British one. “That doesn’t mean that they need physically to move to Brussels.” Toyota also applies the same lean vision to telematics. “Providing drivers with unnecessary information, that’s also a type of waste.”
Innovation on the road With telematics, new possibilities can also be created in the area of mobile commerce. “There have been car-based systems for mobile payments for some time now,” said Masai. “Think of automatic toll payment on the highway.” However, telematics opens the door to completely new concepts. And there’s certainly no shortage of ideas. “You could create an app for drivers looking for a parking space in a busy area. When someone leaves a parking space, that could be announced via the app. Or to take it a step further, the driver could sell the available space through an online auction to the highest bidder.” Just like with any innovative idea, for telematics too, there is really only one question: where is the real added value? Or also: is there a business case? “That is certainly something that we consider as well. And sometimes we find ourselves facing a paradox.” It may seem obvious to offer the most advanced telematics in the larger, more deluxe, expensive cars. But is that really the best course of action? “Not always! We also have small, affordable cars designed for a young audience. It’s often precisely those young people who are interested in the latest technology.”
“In the end, simplicity and ease of use will make or break an app. That’s much more difficult than building a complex app with all kinds of functionality that no one ever uses.” Pierre Masai, Vice-President Information Systems & Telematics, Toyota Motor Europe
Insight into culture and business IT for IT’s sake is never a good idea. According to Masai, a successful policy is based on two pillars: understanding the corporate culture and insight into the business. “In the first place, it’s extremely important to grasp the cultural model of an organization,” he pointed out. “I have always found that quite fascinating and have spent a lot of time studying it. I learned the Chinese language when I went to work for the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen in the Chinese city of Changchun. Now I work at the European headquarters of a Japanese organization.” Understanding Japanese culture
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plays a key role there, but it goes much further than that. “In Brussels alone, we have 55 different nationalities working at our offices.” A second important ground rule is that the CIO needs to be familiar with the business. “At Toyota Motor Europe there are 24 business units that collaborate with IT,” Masai continued. “Each month, I meet with the Vice-Presidents of all those departments: in order to check how their needs are evolving, to find out whether our service is aligned with that, etc. The insight into culture and business is essential to generating good IT.”
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ASTRID
ASTRID launches 3G for emergency services
More mobile, closer to citizens Christian Mouraux, Product Manager at ASTRID
Company profile ASTRID, a limited company under public law, is the operator of the national network for radio communications and paging, and the dispatching for emergency and security services in Belgium.
For the past few weeks, the telecoms operator has been providing 3G services which have the unique characteristic of allowing police forces and emergency services to use any of the three mobile networks in Belgium and giving them VIP access to the Proximus network. Since 1998, ASTRID has had a special place in the Belgian telecoms landscape. Its target customers? Police forces and emergency services. With this new 3G service, the operator aims to meet these customers’ growing needs for data transfer. “It’s not simply connectivity, we offer an end-to-end service that lets emergency services connect securely to their applications no matter where they are, based on the three mobile networks available in Belgium,” explains Christian Mouraux, Product Manager at ASTRID.
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Always connected Belgacom, which launched the solution, stood out from the competition thanks to an original offer: the trick is providing users with a data SIM card with a Luxembourg number. This means that emergency services can surf on any of the three Belgian networks depending on their coverage and availability. “This is especially important for emergency services which have to stay connected at all times,” emphasized Mouraux. He also pointed to the priority access to the data network provided by Proximus as one of the key elements that tipped the balance in favor of the Belgacom proposal. As for the available applications, they are well known to the emergency services: secure database, license plate identification, mobile office, sharing photos, maps or diagrams between the on-site teams and the dispatching staff.“ But these are now at our fingertips, thanks to greater transmission speed. It’s a real boost to efficiency that ‘s directly observable on the ground,” Mouraux added.
Don’t bet the farm The project effectively took off in May 2013 in the form of three distinct public tenders with negotiated procedure. “We preferred to split these markets in order to be able to work with specialized partners. The tricky part is that we had to manage the integration internally. The advantages were obvious: you don’t have to bet the farm on a single operator, and the cost was lower,” Mouraux added.
Business benefits • Reliable data network available at all times • VIP access to the Proximus data network • Higher efficiency for emergency and aid services in the field
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With a qualification (or MA) in applied economic sciences and a postgraduate in management information systems, Dirk Schilders began his career in 1981. 30 years later, he leads the Communication and Information Systems Department at the Secretariat-General of the Council of the European Union.
A facilitator “My career has essentially been built on two major axes: IT and HR,” begins Dirk Schilders. “Seven years of IT, then 23 years in HR and since January 2013, back in IT.” He started his career in 1981 with the Norwegian group Norsk Hydro. “First as systems engineer, then as director of development and maintenance for the IT systems. Then I made the switch to HR Assistant to the HRM.” At Norsk Hydro, Schilders ended up in the HR Department of the Benelux headquarters in Brussels. “From there, I moved to AT&T, where I was executive HRM. In 1996, I went to work for Belgacom, under John Goossens, where I was, among other things, HRM of the ‘factory’ for the group, the Network Operations department. In May 2003, I joined the EU as the first ‘real’ HRM. Since early 2013, I’ve shifted back to IT.” Currently, Schilders oversees 220 employees, plus an additional 140 external consultants. “In the meantime, I have regularly kept up my education, which I consider essential in these times. This has included HR training at the IPO Management School Antwerp and a postgraduate in e-administration at Vlerick.”
“I have regularly kept up my education, which is essential these days.” Dirk Schilders, Director of Communication and Information Systems for the Secretariat-General of the Council of the European Union
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Identikit Dirk Schilders, Director Communication and Information Systems Organization: Secretariat-General of the Council of the European Union Career: holder of a qualification (or MA) in applied economic sciences, a postgraduate in management information systems, subsequently worked for Norsk Hydro, AT&T, Belgacom and the Council of the European Union
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my team
“We work with sensitive and classified information. Protecting it is a very important job.” Dirk Schilders, Director of Communication and Information Systems for the SecretariatGeneral of the Council of the European Union
Company profile Based in Brussels, the Council of the European Union drafts laws together with the European Parliament and oversees the budget. It is made up of a representative of each of the 28 member states of the European Union at the ministerial level. Greece holds the current presidency.
IT has come to play an indispensable role for policy institutions as well. At the Council in Brussels, Dirk Schilders’ team keeps all IT systems up and running. “We run the entire telecom and IT infrastructure for the European Council,” is how he describes his job. “For the departments (HR, finance, logistics, IT security, etc.) but also as policy support. Each year, there are over 6,400 meetings of 220 working parties. We maintain all of the technology this requires. We ensure that the 28 member states are able to consult the Commission about proposals, which are then approved by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.”
and classified information is involved. Data protection is one of our biggest jobs.” Given the demands on the team, most of them are highly trained: engineers, industrial engineers and IT specialists. How do you convince such sought-after people to work for Europe? “The hiring process is long and complex, with exams that have to be scheduled far in advance, and sometimes there are tens of thousands of candidates for just a few hundred jobs.”
Necessary evil with added value
Up until recently, Schilders’ division was organized in a fairly hierarchical way, something he is trying to change. “People who come to work here are ranked according to their recruitment exams. But I consider their skills more important than the rank that sets their salary levels. If they arrive with 10 years’ experience, it’s a shame not to use it. It’s above all a question of finding the added value people have to offer and letting it grow. This is new for the organization and we’re still adjusting to it.”
IT is a necessary evil which also brings a lot of added value, says Schilders. “Access to information has evolved hugely in recent years. We have an extranet with over 10,000 users that gives them ready access to official documents, archives and an agenda, and these users also want to be able to check these documents on their mobile devices just before meetings, with equal convenience. We do all the development in-house. That also requires discretion, as sensitive
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solutions
Support for traffic safety and management
ANPR within reach for any local authority
ANPR (automatic number-plate recognition) or license plate recognition has grown into a key element in the development and support of an effective traffic safety and management policy. For local authorities interested in using ANPR, Belgacom is the central point of contact. Plus, in Flanders, there’s the guarantee of an established procurement platform (see text box).
An ANPR camera records the license plate number of a passing vehicle and transmits it – possibly together with a photo – to the central server of the local police area. Analysis software is then activated, searching for links to uninsured vehicles, outstanding fines, etc. The authorities can also opt to share information with one another, which lets them track vehicles for which alerts have been issued across zone borders.
advantage of ANPR is in supporting traffic safety and management. ANPR provides information on traffic flows and travel patterns, as well as on speed, congestion, traffic control in pedestrian zones, within time blocks, etc. A license plate recognition system becomes a building block for an interoperable, digital network of local entities. ANPR offers a valuable tool for authorities for prevention and the creation of a modern traffic policy.
Valuable information
Ready-to-use scenarios
The information that a government can gain through ANPR can also support judicial investigations. In addition to prevention and detection, the big
Any Flemish public authority wishing to start an ANPR project can access the procurement platform (see text box). Belgacom is then in charge of delivering
a total solution and coordinates all the parties involved: from the excavation work to installing posts and network connections, to the installation of cameras, sensors, servers, software. For new projects, there’s a handbook with ready-to-use scenarios, from investment to maintenance, allowing local authorities to get up and running with ANPR quickly and easily. All technical issues have been resolved and the complex permit procedure has been streamlined. Existing installations for license plate recognition can also be taken onboard in the framework.
ANPR procurement platform
ANPR camera
The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) lowers the threshold for local entities to launch a license plate recognition project. The framework contract was awarded to Belgacom. The procurement platform ensures that local authorities mounting an ANPR project don’t have to start from scratch each time. Any Flemish public authority – a province, municipality or police area – can use the platform. Belgacom functions as a partner and single point of contact for the implementation of the ANPR solution.
More info? Surf to www.belgacom.be/anpr to get more information on ANPR.
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book review
‘Red Bang’
Family man vs. tech giant Inspired by life inside a Fortune 500 technology company, ‘Red Bang’ takes you down the proverbial digital rabbit hole and back.
Author Brandt Monroe is obsessed with writing, technology, entertainment and pop culture. He lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest in the United States. His debut novel ‘Red Bang’ tells the satirical story of a family man, Adam Murphy, a screenwriter in Hollywood, who briefly loses his bearings in life. When his wife Jess loses her job as a publicist, the bills pile up. Adam takes a bold decision: he’s going to work at a technology company worth millions in Seattle and drags his family along for the ride of their lives. What could go wrong?
Satirical fiction with a behind-the-scenes look at a Fortune 500 tech giant.
Absurdity pushed to the extreme Inspired by the, at times, absurd behavior behind closed doors at large tech companies and supported by a humoristic vision of the struggle of a simple family against the hard corporate world, ‘Red Bang’ takes you on a hilarious journey through the hornet’s nest of an innovative but flawed technology giant.
‘Win or fail’ Although working at ‘The Company’ is thrilling and intellectually stimulating, Adam soon discovers that this working culture is unknown territory for him. Just like the language, habits and interaction style of his co-workers. Adam is gripped by a dilemma: should he immerse himself in the culture of the technology giant, or does taking that plunge hold a risk of drowning? Confronted with this ‘win or fail’ situation, Adam has to find a way to develop a new and innovative product. He has to beat his political rival, form an alliance with the mysterious company founder, and save his wife from depression brought on by the terrible weather … and all this before the company finds out that he actually hasn’t a clue what he’s doing.
‘Red Bang’ (e-version and paper version of the book) is available at Amazon, iBooks …
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According to hauliers, the weak link in fleet protection is the gas tank. But thanks to Spytank, fuel theft can now be recorded in real time and even better, prevented.
Spytank, the best protection for your fuel
A smart fuel cap: thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super plus! 38
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Spytank “For a carrier, cutting fuel consumption costs by 1% immediately translates into a 0.3% to 0.4% improvement in the net margin.” Axel Soyez, co-founder of Spytank
It was in 2012 that partners Axel Soyez and Ali Bennis tested their idea for a smart fuel cap at the largest European transport trade fair in Hanover. Encouraged by the unanimously positive reception of what many saw as a good way to fight fuel theft, after a year of research and development, they brought their invention to the market. A smart fuel cap means a cap that simultaneously prevents siphoning, measures fuel consumption and transmits this information in real time to an extranet platform so that the fleet manager has an overview of all this useful information. “For carriers, fuel is the biggest cost after salaries. That’s why saving just 1% on fuel results in a 0.3 to 0.4% improvement in the net margin. The stakes are huge,” explains Axel Soyez.
Smooth management
Data reconciliation
Remote queries
While the principle of the cap may seem simple, the embedded technology is anything but. Through a set of sensors, the cap measures the fuel level more precisely than the on-board computers, giving the exact difference, down to the nearest hundredth, between the quantity of fuel purchased and the amount actually in the truck. “In the entire fuel chain, the weak link has always been how to reconcile these two figures: how much fuel you are buying and how much you are burning in your engine. Our product offers functionalities that simply didn’t exist on the market.” If the end client can expect to reduce fuel costs by 1%, the system should pay for itself in under 2 years. “But based on the initial experiences of our customers, the payback is actually a lot sooner, because of greater savings,” he confirms.
In addition to the (simple) provision of m2m SIM cards for the smart caps, the solution offered by Proximus also includes, of course, sending and receiving data via all the available networks on a global scale thanks to the partner networks, and access to its management platform, Belgacom m2m cockpit. “With SMS messaging, we can receive clear alerts and send queries to the cap remotely. Thanks to the various data networks, we have permanent access to more extensive data collected by the caps. It’s a real boost, therefore, for management and for profitability too,” Soyez concluded.
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Company profile Spytank is a start-up created in 2012 in Mons, with support and financing from various local organizations (Invest Mons). The company develops and manufactures smart caps for fuel tanks for road freight hauliers. Spytank is currently focusing on the Benelux market.
However, the solution is about more than just the cap. An extranet platform improves the administrative convenience for the fleet manager. By integrating all the information from the fuel cards and being informed in real time about all tankrelated activity, the manager can instantly detect any anomalies. And, naturally, the transmission of the data recorded by the smart cap can only be done with access to a reliable telecom network. “After having considered the various tenders, we chose Proximus because of the quality of their network, but also because we found them to be partners who were willing to listen and who immediately offered us a true partnership, not just a commercial relationship,” Soyez added.
Business benefits • Cuts costs, improves profitability for the end customer • True partnership with the Proximus machine-to-machine division • Reliable data networks throughout the world
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corporate info
1 brand for simplicity’s sake “Companies that use glass fiber are seeing increased productivity thanks to the superfast connection speed,” states Geert Standaert, Executive VicePresident of Belgacom. “Still, too few companies, however, are aware of its potential.” So Belgacom is starting an information campaign, to be kicked off in Limburg. Glass fiber has been installed at various business sites, allowing companies inexpensive access to the glass fiber network. Together with the employers’ organization and the province of Limburg, Belgacom will hold info sessions for local companies. The campaign will later be expanded to other provinces. The volume of data transmitted is currently growing by about 60% per year, so network speed and reliability are crucial.
Data highway without congestion
More info? Visit the website www.belgacom.be/fibreoptique
Up to 100 times faster
Check Point conference CPX2014 Belgacom = Security Partner of the Year At the annual Check Point conference CPX2014 Belgacom was voted Security Partner of the Year for the EMEA region. Belgacom is the fastest growing partner of the past year. The conference took place in Barcelona.
Proximus launches SMS
Proximus launches 3G
First to launch 4G services
First to launch 4G for everyone First to launch 4G in Brussels
Proximus will continue on this course. The 3G+ network is being upgraded to boost both speed and capacity. For 4G as well, improvements are in the works, such as glass fiber networks and LTE Advanced, which will increase the mobile speed to 1 Gbps. Proximus will be focusing on Wi-Fi hotspots – 840,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Belgium and 12,700,000 internationally – in order to offer mobile surfers a seamless transition from the fixed to the mobile network. Ultimately, the long-awaited 5G network, expected from 2020 onwards, will be able to reach speeds 100 times faster than 4G and will have 1,000 times the capacity of 4G.
First mobile network in Belgium
In 1994, the first mobile network was launched in Belgium. Now, 20 years on, virtually everyone can access 4G via Proximus. Such a fast evolution has only been possible through smart investment.
Later this year, all Belgacom services, products and solutions will be marketed under the brand name Proximus. The move represents the telecoms operator’s own choice for strategic convergence of telephony and IT within the company. This change should above all, simplify the process of meeting all your needs for fixed and mobile communication and ICT.
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events
Proximus MobileXperience
Mobile Internet takes the lead The mobile network has become synonymous with mobile Internet, and 4G is opening the door to even greater possibilities. At MobileXperience, some 500 customers turned out to hear about the future plans of Proximus, which celebrated its 20th anniversary with an oversized candy cake.
Bart Van Den Meersche
Geert Standaert
Luc de Brabandere
Alex Lorette
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In a series of well-attended workshops – on topics such as network, security, collaboration and human resources – the program at MobileXperience offered a targeted response to the questions currently surrounding the use of mobile technology in the business world. In conclusion to the day’s event, Bart Van Den Meersche, Executive VicePresident of the Enterprise Business Unit, addressed the audience. He talked about how indispensable devices have become. “Smartphones are life companions, if you realize you’ve forgotten
your smartphone on the way to work, you’re going to go back home to get it.”
Towards 2020 and 5G Luc de Brabandere, a philosopher and senior adviser to the Boston Consulting Group, reminded listeners of the many new possibilities that technology now offers us. In terms of mobile data, that means 4G. Geert Standaert, VicePresident, Service Delivery Engine & Wholesale, gave the audience a status update. “In Belgium, 4G coverage is already at 66% of Proximuscustomers. By year’s end,
4G should be available to virtually everyone, with an average download capacity of 25 Mbps. On the fixed network as well, speeds continue to race ahead. On the mobile network, we’ll be shifting via 4G+ to 5G starting from 2020.” “Right now, above all we want to offer our customers excellent reception and speed, both indoors and out,” added Alex Lorette, Vice-President, Telecom Solutions Corporate Market. “We’re also helping them develop integrated solutions and we’re the only operator to offer an SLA for our mobile services.”
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guest column
Riding the digital transformation wave
The typhoon called the Internet Anyone who still questions the disruptive power of the Internet and the digital transformation wave currently overtaking us has got to have spent the past few months on another planet. With relentless speed, complete business models and sectors are being upended by technological advances and the Net. Just ask taxi drivers, for example, (who now see their income threatened by Uber) or hotel operators (same story with Airbnb). For the first time, we are realizing that ‘digital’ means a lot more than having a nice website or a successful e-shop. For more and more new companies, digital is the very foundation on which they do business. It’s their raison d’être, a part of their DNA. And this means that there are also a lot of older players who are going to have to adapt. Because if they don’t, they’re going to be eaten alive by these newcomers. The transformation started 10 years ago in the entertainment industry. CDs and DVDs were wiped off the map by digital shops which, in turn, came under fire from the streaming services (Spotify, Netflix, etc.). Then came the travel industry and the classified ads business. And meanwhile, the impact extended to much less obvious sectors: retail, human resources, the medical world, pharmaceuticals and even education. They too are sensing that it’s time to react because immense changes are in the air.
Or should I stay as far away from that as possible? Another one is ‘The Gatekeeper’: who is currently in charge in my sector? Who are the trendsetters? In the past, it was the wine buyer for the Delhaize supermarkets who decided what wine people should drink, because it was all about what was available on the shelf. Now, there are bloggers, review sites, peers and even algorithms that have taken over the job. We examine the relevance of each metaphor and perform an impact analysis. This offers a basis for potential future scenarios. For the companies, that’s when the work truly begins. This may give them reference points and a direction in which to head, but to successfully stay afloat, constant attention and investment is crucial. Because one thing’s for sure: this is only the beginning. Jo Caudron, founder of DearMedia
At DearMedia, we’ve devised a model to help companies get a grip on all these changes, based on seven major metaphors. I’ll pick just a couple of them. The first is ‘The Glass House’: how are social media forcing me to adopt transparency and accountability? Am I going to enter into a dialogue with my customers?
Identikit Jo Caudron (1968) is one of Belgium’s Internet pioneers and a true serial entrepreneur. In 1993 he founded ‘The Reference’, one of the country’s first web agencies. This was followed by Webware, theOriginals, tvAgency and ONE Agency, among other projects. With DearMedia, he currently advises bigname companies such as Audi, Colruyt, Belfius and the VRT on how to survive and thrive in the new digital age.
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Travelling? Enable the data roaming option that suits you best.
Why would you surf and email less on holiday than at home? Who doesn’t enjoy using his smartphone and tablet peacefully – even abroad? But of course, without any unpleasant surprises on your return home. From now on you can enjoy the low roaming rates of Proximus in a plan that suits your organization and mobile fleet best. Make sure you enable your roaming option before you go abroad. Proximus offers you for example following roaming options: For individual employees: Vodafone Mobile Internet*
• € 20/month • 300 MB
For a group of employees: Shared Data Roaming Packs
• Share a monthly data volume (from 5 to 40 GB/month) among employees who travel occasionally or are frequently abroad • No longer individual activation per card • Unlimited number of users
More info? Please contact your usual Proximus specialist or your Account Manager or surf to www.proximus.be/enterpriseroaming *Rates valid for mobile surfing within Europe+. Surf to www.proximus.be/enterpriseroaming for more info on rates excluded any pack, rates outside Europe+, the list of countries of Europe+, the rest of the world and all conditions. All prices VAT excluded. © Belgacom 2014. All rights reserved. Belgacom SA under public law, Bd. du Roi Albert II 27, B-1000 Brussels
Did you know? Soon Proximus will deliver your telecom and ICT solutions with the same commitment as your mobile solutions.
For more info: b2btelecom@samsung.com