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Multi-Year Agreement with BICS to Manage Voice Services Across Group Operations “Anticipates Needs of New Communications Ecosystem”, Says Ooredoo Group Managing Director and CEO
Brussels, Belgium & Doha, Qatar [July 03 2022] – To enhance customer experience and service quality, Ooredoo Group has announced a joint agreement with international communications company BICS to create an innovative voice business model that will deliver new solutions in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and fraud protection, among others.
The agreement for voice traffic, which aligns with Ooredoo Group’s strategic commitment to improving customer experience and quality of service for businesses and consumers, is the first such partnership of its kind in the region.
Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Ooredoo Group Managing Director and CEO said: “For Ooredoo, this partnership is about reducing complexity and anticipating the needs of a new communications ecosystem. We are committed to investing in innovation, technology, and people to ensure we can offer the best possible products and services to our customers across our markets.”
Effective immediately, the agreement will involve a phased deployment plan for Ooredoo Group operating companies across its global footprint that will be rolled out in Q3 and Q4 of 2022. Ooredoo Group will work with BICS for voice traffic both in and out of the Group’s operating companies. A key element of the first phase of the deployment plan is the creation of a dedicated team of specialists to share insight, expertise, and resources between the two organisations and ensure a firm focus on customer experience.
“This is an innovative partnership which underlines both Ooredoo’s and BICS’ commitment to fuel market-leading growth in this evolving telecommunications landscape,” said Guillaume Boutin, Chairman of the Board of BICS and CEO of Proximus, BICS’ parent company. “As the voice market is consolidating, it is increasingly crucial to offer future-proof quality, stability, and protection to both operator networks and subscribers. I am confident that by combining BICS’ and Ooredoo’s strengths in this area, we will achieve significant returns for subscribers and operating companies alike.”
The new partnership echoes Ooredoo Group’s strategic commitment to investing in technology, and seeking partnerships with leading technology providers, in order to drive improvements in customer experience and deliver transformational digital experiences for its customers.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo, said: “We are continually looking at opportunities for further improvement in customer experience and to strengthen our core services. Building on the strong international foundations of each organisation, our partnership with BICS in International Voice allows us to achieve both and to ensure we can meet and exceed our commitments to customers in the years to come.”
“We’re proud to support Ooredoo’s future-facing efforts to innovate on customer experience through digitalization, playing a cornerstone role in the region as Ooredoo’s trusted communications partner. Our relationship with the various operating countries has been an industrious one for many years now. In raising this relationship to Group level, together we will extend BICS’ services and partnership to a consistent level across the operating companies while building on Ooredoo’s strong position in this significant market,” comments Matteo Gatta, CEO of BICS.
While the agreement focuses on voice traffic – with high voice quality guaranteed across the full range of BICS destinations across the world – Ooredoo Group will also enjoy access to the very latest in new technology which will enable augmentation of several elements of the ICT provider’s business and, in turn, enable further enhancement of the customer experience.