A connected workplace, a digitallyenabled future
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Paving the way for transformation with a connected workplace
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Partnering with technology giants like Cisco and Microsoft, Arkadin is ushering in a new era of communication services and giving companies the helping hand they need to start their transformation journeys
D
igital collaboration is a key ingredient of any business’ success; it nurtures innovation, helps to capture greater
business value, and most importantly, delivers sincere experiences for both customers and employees alike. Taking this to the next level, 04
many enterprises are now championing digitally-savvy collaboration services to help them create more connected workplaces and ultimately, deliver better profits. Headed up in Paris, France Arkadin is a leader in the field, standing as one of the world’s largest collaboration service providers. By offering a range of unified communications services, virtual events, and cloud transformation services, it provides the helping hand many businesses need to start their digital transformation. Yet, Arkadin doesn’t just provide products and part ways. Instead of leaving clients to undergo a mammoth transformation alone, the firm guides customers through every step with its unique professional services,
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42,000+ Approximate customers
2001
Year founded
1,300 Approximate number of employees
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“We’re more than just a cloud communication company; we are a leading professional services organisation that’s built around cloud communications” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin
around cloud communications,” he continues. “It’s more than providing a service, it’s really changing the way businesses work. You have to be able to integrate that service and make it functional within the clients’ future business plan, cost and technical initiatives.” A unique facet of Arkadin is the fact that it is part of the NTT Group, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world. This means that if a client
ensuring the transformation is an end-to-
requires communication services,
end success.
it doesn’t need to rely on an over-
“In the industry today, we’re seeing that
whelming number of vendors;
providing a service isn’t enough anymore,”
instead, they can count on Arkadin
observes Charlie Doubek, Arkadin’s Vice
and the variety of skills, vendors
President of Professional Services EMEA.
and services it has gained from
“In my role, I primarily deal with professional
its parent group.
services: this includes organisational change
“I would say Arkadin is uniquely
management, consultation and support.
positioned because it has been
We found that by providing industry leading
pulled into a network company
professional services, we have been able
that has the right type of products
to accelerate our cloud communication
and services that we can offer
revenues because we are providing more
to our own customers – this adds
added-value than our competitors.
value. Many businesses rely on
“We’re more than just a cloud communi-
several vendors to contribute
cation company; we are a leading profes-
to their transformation but, as
sional services organisation that’s built
impressive as it is, it’s very w w w. a r k a d i n . c o . u k
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08 difficult to manage all of those vendors.
Working alongside Cisco, Microsoft,
What’s unique about NTT is we have
and more, Arkadin’s partners make for
a lot of those companies in-house, so
impressive reading. As a result, Doubek
we can do a lot of the proposals and
highlights that investing in partnerships
consultation services without having to
is a critical part of its strategic plan.
balance too many contracts or service-
“Being a cloud communications
level agreements (SLAs).” When it comes to technology, one
provider, there’s a delicate balance between finding services that are best
size doesn’t fit all. Describing itself as
in the market and provided or building
‘technology-agnostic’, Arkadin has not
services internally,” notes Doubek.
only created its own solutions, but
“We’re creating products to fill gaps or
also works closely with some of the
creating partnerships to fill gaps.
industry’s leading technology giants
“I would say two of our biggest
to deliver a solution that is bespoke
partners are Microsoft and Cisco,”
and tailored to the company in mind.
he adds. “Then we work with some
09 smaller companies that have amazing
the world and it seems like there are
products, but they need a large company
three trends that are happening in the
like Arkadin to bring them to the fore
sector: the diverse strategy of business
like Zoom.ai, Workstreampeople,
leaders versus their IT departments;
Kollective, Sennheiser, and Nuvias.”
the movement of communications into
Doubek has networked with thou-
one place; and the increasing consump-
sands of business leaders from around
tion of video. These three things are
the globe, most recently speaking at
really initiating a lot of our projects and
UC Expo, Europe’s largest unified com-
I think Arkadin is positioned very well to
munications and collaboration event.
tackle these trends.
Leveraging this insight, he highlights the
“One of our key objectives is to accel-
key trends that he thinks are making
erate our unified communications
waves in the sector.
business, grow our professional
“Over the past few years I’ve met with
services, and work more closely with
3,000 different IT leaders from all over
fellow NTT group companies,” Doubek w w w. a r k a d i n . c o . u k
Meet the Future Prepared. Whether in the office, at a meeting, travelling, or working from home, Sennheiser offers a comprehensive range of quality wired and wireless headsets and conferencing solutions to enhance your Unified Communications experience – helping you to stay in touch and access all the information you need. Visit en-uk.sennheiser.com/headsets
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achieve more than just a reduction in IT infrastructure. If unified communications are integrated with cloud technology for example, businesses can generate reports on internal or external interactions, what files have been shared, and what topics are being discussed. This provides the perfect foundation for adding new technologies. “It creates the perfect flowerbed for you to add new modules such as artificial intelligence (AI). continues. “We’re hiring talent, making
This can tell you more about your
partnerships, and getting more and more
business and help leaders make
skilled professionals on board to add
better solutions,” comments
additional services from a consulting and
Doubek. “Therefore, Arkadin tries
delivery perspective. We’re also expanding
to look at what we do as more than
our professional services because no
a service; we’re laying the ground-
matter what our partners launch or offer in
work to make your enterprise
the marketplace, there’s always a need for
more intelligent and this really
these services.
requires consultants and experts
We offer the crucial consultation services
to do that properly.”
that ensure our clients don’t make the same
Over the coming years, predic-
mistakes as their rivals. Technologies change,
tions by Wainhouse Research
things are always in flux, but you’ll always
suggest that we could see
need people to deploy these projects.”
productivity increases of up
Technology waits for no-one, and for Doubek,
to 40% due to AI technology
implementing collaboration services is only
alone. As AI, bots, and virtual
the beginning for the sector. As more compa-
assistants quickly become the
nies shift to the cloud, these solutions can
norm in today’s workplaces, w w w. a r k a d i n . c o . u k
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Doubek outlines how businesses could utilise the data generated from collaboration services. “We’re only at the tip of the iceberg,” he notes. “Businesses that recognise the role AI could play in their cloud computing strategy are going to move a lot faster than those that carry on with business as usual. You learn from experience and you make decisions based on your own experiences – AI is no different. This intelligent software can learn, give recommendations or make actions based on what it’s learned from your communications data. “A good example is where we have worked with Microsoft Teams to deliver AI that acts as a schedul12
ing assistant in partnership with Zoom.ai. With this solution, management can open up the solution and it will say, ‘Okay, your team members are available for a meeting at 11:00.’ You don’t have to think about it and you don’t have to go into your calendar. That little gesture saves so much time and helps productivity.” Additionally, Arkadin is also exploring the use of AI in contact centres. “We have implemented unified communications with contact centres which means an employee would use the same system like Skype for Business or Teams to talk to clients and do their day-to-day phone calling,” Doubek explains. “By using that unification, everything from a client’s perspective is recordable so if someone calls in with an angry complaint about an organisation, that can
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“It’s more than providing a service, it’s really changing the way businesses work” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin
w w w. a r k a d i n . c o . u k
“We’re also expanding our professional services because no matter what our partners launch or offer in the marketplace, there’s always a need for these services” — Charlie Doubek, Vice President of Professional Services EMEA at Arkadin
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CLICK TO WATCH: ‘ARKADIN PRODUCT VISION 2018’ 15
be measured. You could implement
With a team of approximately
AI to find out how many customers
1,300 people, Arkadin has established
were upset by analysing the patterns
itself as one of the sector’s leading
of their voice. You could then relay
collaboration and communication
these complaints to senior leadership
companies. Now, by tapping into
and say, ‘There’s a lot of angry people
emerging technologies such as AI, the
calling in. I think you should change
company is helping businesses edge
something about one of your products.’
ahead of their rivals with next-genera-
The more you unify and the more
tion collaboration services.
that you make things more consistent within your organisation, the better the client experience will be.”
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153 Rue de Courcelles Paris 75017Â France T +33 (0)1 44 65 25 00 www.arkadin.co.uk