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This week, VMO2 has announced a £3.3 billion loss in 2023, having incurred a goodwill impairment of £3.1 billion related to the increased cost of capital.
The mobile and fixed broadband network operator explained that the difficult macroeconomic environment has seen their £8 billion in debt become an even heavier burden over the last year, costing them hundreds of millions of pounds in additional interest.
“We recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment of £3.1 billion primarily related to an increase in the weighted average cost of capital and the impacts of the broader macroeconomic conditions in the UK on estimated future cash flows,” explained the company in a statement.
The rest of VMO2’s results were somewhat flat. While VMO2 noted that it had added 64,000 new broadband customers last year, as well as 47,000 new mobile customers, this has done little to help the company’s bottom line.
VMO2 recorded a consumer fixed revenue decline of 2.3% to £3.3 billion, which the company attributed to a tightening of purse strings by consumers due to the increased cost-of-living. Their B2B fixed revenue was down a similar amount (2.4%), dropping to £554 million.
Mobile revenues increased by 0.6% to £5.9 billion, with VMO2 attributing the slow growth to “low-margin handset revenue performance which weakened through the year”.
“We ended the year with stable revenues in line with our revised guidance at Q3, and achieved the low end of our mid-single-digit Transaction Adjusted EBITDA growth guidance through accelerated synergy execution which offset the impacts of consumer spend optimisation,” explained VMO2 CEO Lutz Schüler.
“Operationally, we invested another £2 billion in our networks and services, with 2023 being the fastest year of fibre rollout as our fibre footprint reached over 4 million premises. In aggregate, our fully gigabit serviceable footprint now reaches over half of all UK homes, and our 5G network covers half the UK population. We also continued trading momentum with mobile and fixed customer growth, supported by sustained customer-first initiatives like inclusive EU roaming and our O2 Priority loyalty scheme.”
“Looking ahead, the 2024 outlook will be impacted by incremental investment in key initiatives to drive future growth, including increased marketing across our rapidly expanding fixed footprint, new commercial initiatives and wider digital and IT efficiency programmes. We remain focused on delivering against our core strategy and these key investments will help us to lay down strong foundations for future success.”
Also in the news:
Bell Canada announces plans to cut almost 5,000 jobs
EE to invest £6 million in retail stores
Mexican president calls for dissolution of telecoms regulator
Verizon, the “Official 5G Network of the NHL,” and the National Hockey League (NHL®) today announced a multi-year sponsorship renewal continuing Verizon’s role as the League’s Official 5G Partner, Official Wireless Services Partner and Official Mobile Edge Computing Partner in the United States. Additionally, as an Official Technology Partner for the NHL, Verizon has been selected to deploy Verizon Private 5G Wireless Network across NHL arenas to help game day operations roll out new and transformative solutions to advance the sport and improve the overall fan experience.
“Innovation is driven by a vision and the technology to support it, which makes this partnership with the NHL a perfect fit for Verizon and Verizon Business,” said Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business. “Our collaboration with the NHL showcases what transformative network connectivity can bring to venues and fans alike. Having a forward-looking partner in the NHL opens up significant opportunities from an operational standpoint, when you look at the business of professional hockey, to enhancing in-game efficiencies and the fan experience.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Business is currently piloting Verizon Private 5G Wireless Network in select arenas, with plans to roll out the technology to NHL arenas in future seasons. Utilizing Verizon’s 5G network technology and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), the NHL, and enterprises across industries, can tailor solutions to meet specific business needs, delivering enhanced reliability, security, speed, and flexibility both on and off the ice. These advanced technologies, which are enabled by Verizon 5G, include wireless Officials’ iPads for replay review, which is currently piloted at the Prudential Center, as well as video coaching, and coach/video coach communications.
Furthermore, as the “Official 5G Network of the NHL” in the United States, Verizon will continue efforts to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband network across NHL arenas, providing ultra-fast in-arena connectivity to enable fans to download and watch videos, livestream, manage their fantasy teams and check scores with virtually no lag. By creating more immersive and interactive experiences, through the power of 5G and MEC, Verizon is changing how fans consume live sports.
“The passion for innovation and the work already done in partnership with Verizon makes this renewal even more exciting for us,” said David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development and Innovation. “Creating the solutions and experiences of tomorrow is not only a function of applying cutting-edge technologies from world-class companies, it’s also a function of being able to truly collaborate with them to uncover meaningful new use cases. In Verizon, we have a partner that listens before bringing to bear their industry-best knowledge and solution set.”
The extended partnership with the NHL demonstrates Verizon’s ongoing commitment to shape the future of sports entertainment. With Verizon’s reliable 5G network and innovations like cashierless checkout, Verizon is paving the way for a new and improved stadium experience.
Fans can experience Verizon’s latest venue improvements and multiple Verizon activations live at the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 at MetLife Stadium. Verizon invites fans to the New Amsterdam Vodka® NHL PreGame, located in Parking Lot G of MetLife Stadium, where they can tailgate in style with games, charging stations, comfortable seats with plenty of photo opportunities and a chance to win exciting prizes.
By attending the NHL PreGame, Verizon customers can get a chance to win upgraded game seats in Verizon’s exclusive Hotspot section1, which includes comfortable heated seats, cozy blankets and exclusive gift bags. Verizon customers will also have access to the Hotspot Lounge on the 100 level concourse, which will feature charging stations, photo opportunities, and complimentary hot chocolate.
For fans looking for even more Hotspot connectivity, Verizon’s myPlan mobile plans give customers access to $10 monthly “perks,” like 100 GB of Mobile Hotspot. This perk saves you $35 monthly – and over $400 annually – and is only for Verizon customers.
Want to keep up with all of the latest wireless developments in the US? Join the industry in discussion at this year’s Connected America conference live in Dallas, Texas
Also in the news:
Bell Canada announces plans to cut almost 5,000 jobs
EE to invest £6 million in retail stores
Mexican president calls for dissolution of telecoms regulator
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.
Your journey from the son of a camel herder to the CEO of the largest business in Somalia is fascinating. Can you tell us a little more about your upbringing and how it has shaped you as a leader?
Raised in rural Somalia, my life has been influenced by community values and the spirit of entrepreneurialism. My father’s hard work ethic enabled me to attend boarding school, which led to my first job as a door-to-door salesman. This experience allowed me to understand the diverse communities of Somalia, enriching my appreciation of our vibrant social fabric.
I eventually took the leap of opening my own shop, rapidly growing it into an import/export business, connecting Somali entrepreneurs with the world, so I could continue my studies at the National University of Somalia.When the civil war forced me to leave my homeland in the 1990s, I had to relocate my business, which showed me how true entrepreneurs are those that can adapt in the face of hardship. When in the early 2000s I was able to return home, my mission was crystal clear: help get Somalia through its time of hardship, and rebuild it, so once again communities can connect with each other and the world.
I joined Hormuud Telecom in 2002. Now as a leader of Somalia’s largest business, I’m driven by three core values: resilience, ambition, and empathy. These principles keep me grounded, and reinforce my faith in our team, mission, and the future of Somalia.
What motivated you to return to Somalia after you were displaced by the civil war? Did you always plan on returning?
I always believed in Somalia’s potential, even during its most turbulent times. When the civil war saw the destruction of financial and telecommunications infrastructure, I saw an opportunity to make a difference and I am grateful every day that I embarked on this journey.
Despite facing numerous challenges, Somalia’s economy has displayed remarkable resilience, largely driven by the dynamism of its private sector. I take immense pride in knowing that Hormuud Telecom is not just driving economic growth but is transforming the accessibility of digital services for ordinary Somalis. I remain dedicated to putting communities at centre of everything I do – for me, not returning was not an option.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when launching a telecoms company in Somalia?
Restoring confidence in Somalia and its businesses has been a challenge, but to rise to this I’ve learnt to hold Hormuud Telecom to the highest standards and ensure that from necessity comes invention.
For example, when I returned to Somalia, the country was almost devoid of infrastructure and 98% of the Somali Shilling was counterfeit. Hormuud not only rebuilt infrastructure – from telephone masts to basic GSM services and fibre optic cables – we introduced mobile money to the country. Free at the point of use, this ensured that people had a reliable means to transact.
Now, with over 80% of people using mobile money every day, we stand on the cusp of being the world’s first cashless economy. Our mobile money platform, EVC Plus, reaching its 13-year anniversary was one of the proudest moments in my career. It proved how you can turn a challenge into an opportunity that can benefit millions.
One of Hormuud Telecoms’ biggest goals is to extend 4G connectivity throughout the country. Why is this so important for Somalia as a nation?
The fourth industrial revolution is transforming the world at scale – not least in Africa, which is home to a fast growing, data hungry population. In Somalia, this story is no different. For us, 4G is laying the track to digital transformation, we now need the low-cost handsets to achieve it.
We have one of the youngest, digitally savvy populations in the world, and some of the cheapest internet in Africa. With 4G coverage throughout the country, digital education and healthcare possibilities in last mile communities can be unlocked; our pre-eminent industries like agriculture and fishing can become more efficient; and with EAC admission, we see a future where Somalia is a telecommunications hub for the Horn.
We’re already well on our way. Roughly 70% of Somalia’s population is covered by 4G internet. This expansion isn’t just about convenience; it’s a pivotal step towards Somalia becoming a cashless economy, that fosters inclusive and sustainable economic growth. High-speed internet access is a basic human right. We’re dedicated to bridging the digital divide, even in the hardest-to-reach areas of our country.
Hormuud Telecom played a vital role in supporting the country during the coronavirus pandemic and, indeed, has many charitable initiatives to support the country’s most vulnerable people. Are there any projects you’re most proud of?
During the COVID19 pandemic Hormuud built the first oxygen plant in the country. We also developed a telephone emergency announcement system, which has since been used as part of the El Nino climate disaster response. I’m proud of the instrumental role we play in guiding our country through tough times.
In the fallout of the pandemic, Somalia was on the brink of famine. We needed a way to reach the 1.4 million people displaced by the drought, yet INGOs did not have the capacity to reach them with physical aid. With many internally displaced people already using EVC Plus, we also developed a portal for INGOs to transfer up $1 million through mobile money to 10,000 people each time.
Running on both smart and basic phones, mothers can now purchase food and water to keep their families alive — it has completely transformed aid delivery in Somalia, whilst getting aid money moving through the economy. There’s nothing I am prouder of than that.
What does winning the CEO of the Year Award at the World Communications Award mean to you?
Winning this award is a massive honour, and I’m grateful for the recognition. It means a lot more than just a trophy, as it indicates the future is bright for Somali telecommunications, and that Hormuud is leading our sector’s return to the world stage. I hope this paves the way to exciting collaborations and opportunities around digitalisation.
What’s next for Hormuud Telecom in 2024?
2024 is set to be another big year for Hormuud, we’ve got several infrastructure projects and products set to come to fruition, which will further pave the way to a cashless and digitally enabled economy. Watch this space.
Some M&A news, some WiFi access, some balance sheet work, and some more vRAN and Open RAN. … [visit site to read more]
Telekom Malaysia (TM) and Maybank Islamic announced on Thursday that they have partnered to create what they’re billing as Malaysia’s first Islamic banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solution powered by 5G.
Targeted at both consumers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the partnership aims to bundle Maybank Islamic’s financial services with TM’s Uni5G Postpaid Biz service.
“While the technology originates from the BaaS concept, what makes it unique is its adherence to Islamic principles, making it the pioneering example of its kind in Malaysia,” said Maybank Islamic CEO Dato’Mohamed Rafique Merican in a statement. “It combines modern technology with the ethical requirements of Islamic finance, providing innovative and faith-based financial services.”
The first offering out of the gate is ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile business banking bundle designed to help MSMEs manage finances, improve incomes and offer digital payment options. Banking services include accounts and credit facilities tailored for MSMEs, as well as payment acceptance facilities through Maybank Islamic’s QRPay Biz, and Tap2Phone, which enables cloud POS via mobile devices to facilitate digital/card payments.
The Go Niaga bundle includes any of Unifi’s three Uni5G Postpaid Biz packages, along with free 5G mobile devices, which TM says will ensures secure access to financial services, as well as bring 5G capabilities to more communities.
Shanti Jusnita Johari, chief commercial officer for Consumer Strategy & Business at Unifi said the bundle – which is being offered via its digital business solutions arm, Unifi Business – will address current market gaps among the MSME segment, and enable businesses to better leverage e-commerce and expand their customer reach.
“MSMEs are a key growth engine for the nation’s economy. At present, this segment accounts for nearly 38% of Malaysia’s GDP, yet their potential is often dimmed by limited access to digital tools and financial services,” she said in a statement. “This is even more apparent among underserved segments, micro and small businesses who face the most challenges in accessing financial services and digital innovations that are necessary to elevate their lives and livelihoods.”
Maybank Islamic’s Rafique also described the partnership as a significant step forward in financial inclusion.
“By embedding Maybank Islamic’s BaaS solutions within Unifi Business’ platforms, previously unbanked or underbanked individuals and businesses will gain access to Maybank’s essential financial services and 5G mobile connectivity through TM’s cutting-edge technologies,” he said.
The recent anti-dumping measures against the fiber optic cable exporters may delay the fiber deployment in the region even as data consumption continues to rise and businesses must accelerate digitalization to remain competitive
Key takeaways:
The telecommunication networks in Europe are witnessing a consistent increase in data consumption. A recent report forecasts that Europe’s mobile data consumption per user will grow five times from 15 GB per month in 2022 to 75 GB per month by 2030, indicating an annual growth rate of 25%. On the other hand, the fixed data consumption per household will increase from 225 GB per month in 2022 to 900 GB per month by 2030, an annual growth rate of 20%. [1]
The ever-increasing popularity of video-based content, along with the use of social networks, are the key reasons for the growing data consumption in the region. This consumption is only likely to increase with the emergence of high-definition 4K and 8K videos, high-definition video and the growing use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) based use cases. In addition, the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content and the increased use of short-form video on social networks is only going to fuel the data consumption.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic widened the gap between the connected and unconnected as people used the digital infrastructure to execute their professional and personal tasks. It was no longer enough to be just connected as high-speed quality digital infrastructure became the differentiating factor. Efficient digital infrastructure emerged as a crucial factor during the pandemic. The countries/regions with superior digital infrastructure were able to better respond to the pandemic while others struggled to maintain economic continuity.
As the digital economy continues to become all-pervasive, the state of the digital infrastructure is becoming an important differentiating factor for the economic growth of a nation. It forms the bedrock of the digital transformation of the industries. It is not possible to take advantage of digital transformation for businesses from different industry verticals without investing in digital infrastructure. In addition, high-quality and, more importantly, accessible digital infrastructure is crucial for ensuring widespread digital connectivity, fostering inclusive growth and accelerating economic growth
Growing relevance of affordable fiber deployment in Europe
Fiber deployment is critical for the service providers to not just address the ever-increasing data consumption but to build a formidable foundation of the digital economy for years to come. A critical aspect of fiber, when compared with legacy broadband technologies, is that it offers a considerable price advantage without compromising on quality. This makes it central to ensuring inclusive growth.
The deployment of fiber is also vital for meeting sustainability targets. Fiber-based networks are known to consume less electricity than legacy technologies. This is crucial for Europe as electricity costs have skyrocketed post Ukraine-Russia war.
Just like how railways emerged as vehicles of economic growth in the last century, fiber deployment is known to provide an unprecedented boost to economic and social growth. Optical fiber cables offer unmatched resilience, capacity and cost economics when compared to copper or microwave.
European Union (EU) Commission is well aware of the vast benefits of fiber deployment, and this is the prime reason why it introduced the Gigabit Society Policy in 2016 to stimulate capacity networks required for a burgeoning digital economy. The strategy is focused on three pillars of 5G coverage in all urban areas, access to 1Gbps for all socio-economic drivers and access to 100Mbps for all households. [2]
The European Union is striving to meet the connectivity goals for the year 2025. These include providing all European households with 100 Mbps networks, with the flexibility to upgrade to even higher speeds, as and when required. Additionally, ensuring gigabit connectivity for all socio-economic entities such as schools, universities, research centers, transport hubs, hospitals, public administrations, and digital technology-dependent enterprises.
The plan outlines the objective of providing uninterrupted 5G coverage in all urban areas and major terrestrial transport routes to facilitate connectivity for both individuals and objects. Furthermore, the EU aims to ensure access to mobile data connectivity in all areas where people live, work, travel, and gather, emphasizing comprehensive coverage across various settings.
EU’s goal for Europe is to be the most connected continent by 2030. It has also come up with a Digital Decade program, which seeks to provide high-speed internet coverage by 2025 and gigabit connectivity by 2030. [3]
Even as Europe’s digital infrastructure continues to grow, it still has a lot of ground to cover. Only 59% of rural households had access to a broadband connection of 30Mbps. In addition, the coverage of households with high capacity networks reached only 20% of the total households and only 18% were covered by Fiber to the Premises. This prevents the rural communities from accessing growth opportunities, thus hampering their growth. It also puts them in a disadvantageous position by not allowing them to access online learning and telemedicine, among other services. [4]
Recent anti-dumping investigation initiated on OFC Imported by EU
In this context, the potential issue of imposition of antidumping measures by the EU against exporters may be counterproductive. This not only impacts the cost economics of the fiber deployment in the region but will also have repercussions on the deployment of 5G and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure in Europe. The import of optical fiber cables has played a crucial role in providing cost-effective connectivity solutions to EU citizens.
Any potential antidumping measures taken by the EU Commission may end up increasing the cost of broadband services for the end user, thus failing the very purpose of deploying fiber-based infrastructure in the first place. The increased cost may prevent the customers from benefiting from the transformative impact of fiber connectivity and thus may end up widening the digital divide.
Policy decisions, like a potential imposition of anti-dumping duty on optic fiber manufacturers imported by the EU, can have a far-reaching impact on the timelines as well as the quality of optic fiber networks being set up in the region. Fiber-based digital infrastructure is critical to not only address the growing data demands of the region but also to build a robust digital ecosystem, stimulating innovation and ensuring inclusive growth. Hence, a broader outlook by the EU may benefit the region and have far-reaching positive consequences while achieving the objectives of the policy.
[1] https://www.adlittle.com/en/insights/report/evolution-data-growth-europe
[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52016DC0587&from=de
[3] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/connectivity
[4] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/connectivity-european-gigabit-society-brochure
We here at Bicom Systems always strive to offer your clients the latest and most innovative technologies while ensuring that they are adapted for more intuitive use.
7.1 enforces that standard as we pave the way for Omnichannel, which enables seamless customer interaction across all communication channels.
But, fret not as our teams have been hard at work developing a suite of other features across all our products aimed at improving overall employee quality of life and increasing workplace efficiency.
SEE WHAT’S NEW IN 7.1 FIRSTHAND
Here is what our 7.1 release has in store.
Security always remains a prime concern for us here at Bicom Systems, so we wanted to further reinforce our existing security measures by providing your clients with a much needed security feature, 2-Factor Authentication.
It forms an extra layer of defense against potential security breaches through compromised accounts, helping mitigate the chances of such occurrences through the use of an external authenticator app.
This feature is available on both OSC portals and gloCOM.
While data safety is important, so too is client safety which is why PBXware has been made compliant with Ray Baum’s act, allowing end users to utilize the PBX platform to dial emergency numbers and automatically provide them with a selected dispatchable location that needs to be set up prior, ensuring optimal emergency services response times.
We have even made sure to cover users on the move by enabling them to enter a list of their location options (approved by admins) and choose the appropriate one should the need arise.
To support safety and efficient communication for UK clients, PBXware has introduced the “Force E.164 Caller ID” option, minimizing the risk of calls from potentially fraudulent numbers and keeping all numbers uniform to one format for more efficient routing.
It also ensures compliance with UK regulatory requirements, allowing the product to retain its footprint on the UK market.
We are aware that a lot of clients tend to exchange a lot of messages and files over gloCOM, all of which gets stored locally.
But, over time, the amount of stored data piles up and becomes increasingly difficult to manage for both the gloCOM and the chosen platform to manage due to increasing client sync times and drive space issues.
To ease the load on client systems, we have implemented the ability to archive and delete gloCOM chat history over set time periods.
The feature focus of our newest release, Contact Center has seen the most changes in order to incorporate features that we believe are going to pave the way for a brighter future for telecommunications, Omnichannel.
Undoubtedly the biggest star of 7.1, the Omnichannel solution in Contact Center provides clients with the ability to manage customer interaction through all available communication channels, be it email, voice, SMS or Live Chat effortlessly, unifying them all into a seamless customer experience.
To accommodate this change, we have introduced new features and have done updates on existing ones.
The first thing that needed to be done was a new look for the existing agent interface to make room for all the new toys coming with the introduction of Omnichannel while still keeping it instinctive and easy to maneuver.
Now, the panel features tabs for every new communication channel: Live Chat, SMS, email and voice calls, all in one easy-to-access place, allowing for seamless transition between them.
Supervisors have also received additions on the Agent panel with the introduction of the ‘Dashboard’ and ‘Conversations’ tabs so they can have the option to operate from the agent panel rather than having to switch to Supervisor should they so choose.
A feature aimed at improving routing speed and accuracy, Chatbots are here to stay and we are certain that agents across the world will be thankful for having to perform less conversation transfers.
Chatbots are not the only new way we have improved queue efficiency as we have implemented new queue assignment methods too with the auto-assignment strategy being the focal point.
It utilizes an algorithm that takes several crucial factors into consideration like: agent capacity per channel, their availability, total workload and total unserved time, as well as checking if a request is coming from a returning customer.
With those parameters, it determines the most appropriate agent for an individual customer query and applies it to every single one, resulting in a vastly more efficient workload assignment strategy than before with equitable workload distribution and optimal customer satisfaction.
With an abundance of new features, especially one as robust as omnichannel, we needed to implement ways of tracking all these new statistics, which we have thanks to blended reporting.
With both Agent and Queue Statistics taken into account, we have introduced blended reports that offer a comprehensive view of metrics per channel that provide key insights into agent, queue and channel performance.
The generation and delivery of these reports to specific users can also be automated thanks to Scheduled Reporting.
A new Security page has been introduced in order to allow users to better manage security measures and to take on a more active role in threat prevention.
We empower them by enabling them to issue manual bans out to potential malicious actors detected by the system and to receive threat notifications over Alert Email to specified individuals.
License assignment and release has seen touchups with the introduction of multiple channels thanks to the addition of the Licenses page and the overall streamlining of the entire process in order to improve resource allocation across the board.
Both gloCOM and gloCOM GO have seen improvements in user security and overall interaction which should enhance the overall user experience.
In order to reduce message congestion in group chats while still retaining a more light-hearted atmosphere in a professional setting, we have introduced Message Reactions, allowing users to express their emotions toward messages sent in by their colleagues.
It also helps reduce that tedium of having to send out a confirmation message for event planning and can now be done with a click of a button and a Thumbs Up.
As mentioned earlier in PBXware, gloCOM has also received the benefits of 2FA, placing that extra layer of protection for user accounts to further assist in security breach prevention in case of an accidental lapse in security protocol within businesses.
Also mentioned within PBXware, Ray Baum’s Act compliance extends to gloCOM and gloCOM GO as well with gloCOM reflecting the capabilities of this feature from PBXware while gloCOM GO users only have access to the key feature of getting their emergency call redirected to a native phone dialer.
Another safety measure to help alert users that they may be joining an unsecured server is SSL Certificate Confirmation, acting as a reminder when attempting to join a server without a valid or suspicious SSL certificate which could leave user accounts compromised should they accept the join invitation.
gloCOM Meeting has received a few quality of life updates which should help streamline the overall meeting process.
The most impactful of the three changes that facilitate all of this is the Clipboard Sharing feature that allows presenters to give select users the ability to paste clipboard text on the presenter’s side to actively provide more insight on the topic at hand and allow the presenter to focus on the presentation.
The other two changes are reminders that can assist with overall meeting organization. Doing exactly what their names imply, the Meeting Recording Reminder helps remind users to record meetings so that important information can be recorded and played back at a later date if need be.
The Meeting Pre-expiry notification, on the other hand, pops up near the end of a meeting’s allotted time depending on Meeting license, notifying users that they either need to wrap the meeting up, or plan for scheduling a secondary meeting to finish up with everything.
These are only some of the more major changes that our teams have valiantly worked on to deliver in the 7.1 release.
There are still several others that will help boost the overall usefulness of the entire Bicom Systems product suite with some of the more notable ones being:
• Bringing the option to empty out media storage on iOS instances of gloCOM GO
• The ability to add contacts to a local phone book directly from an SMS conversation on gloCOM GO
• Expanding gloCOM GO’s presence options with the ‘Ringing’ and ‘On Call’ statuses
• Simplifying Live Chat widget setup for Contact Center
• The setup of Out-of-hours messages so businesses can better designate contact center operating hours
• First Response and Chatbot Timeout options for Contact Center that help streamline the customer queue process and conserve resources
While seemingly minor, these changes all serve to improve everyone’s overall experience with our products and we hope that it reflects as such.
In the meantime, we will continue our work on delivering new, beneficial features to your clients while we eagerly await to see everyone’s experiences with the features that have arrived with the release of 7.1.
Until our next major release, we hope that we have met your expectations and that both you and your clients remain satisfied.
To find out more, we’re a click of a button away!
