Arkadin’s Unified Communications & Collaboration Portfolio and Service Strategy Position it for Leadership in the Virtual Workplace

1. Introduction

The virtual workplace is fast becoming the norm. With trends driven by the cloud, mobility, and an emerging generation of millennials who are used to working on their own terms, most major organizations are implementing virtual work policies that offer more flexibility in how and where work is conducted. Arkadin, an NTT Communications company, is extremely well positioned for leadership in this environment. Its collection of cloud-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) technologies that enable anytime, anywhere, any device communications and virtual workforce engagement are essential enablers.

Cloud-based UC services that combine audio, web, and video collaboration in particular, in a convenient all-in-one solution, will take on more importance. Businesses will benefit from the scalability, simplicity, and cost benefits compared to on-premise UC services. Recent developments underscore Arkadin’s leadership in UC and its commitment to having the most advanced cloud services available for customers.

2. Collaboration Service Provider of the Year

For the 4th consecutive year, Arkadin was selected as Collaboration Service Provider of the Year at Frost & Sullivan’s prestigious Asia Pacific ICT (information and communication technology) Awards in 2016. Arkadin received the highest score in various performance indicators, including revenue and market share growth, leadership in product innovation, breadth of services, customer acquisitions, and business strategy [1, 2].

According to Jessie Yu, Research Manager, Digital Transformation, Asia-Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, Arkadin has strong and sustainable momentum in Asia-Pacific: “In a highly competitive and fast-changing business environment Arkadin has achieved significant customer and revenue growth. Their service quality, delivery and customization, coupled with flexible pricing policies and fast, efficient technology enhancements, are contributing to the value they deliver to their customers, spanning enterprises, SMBs and the public sector.”

3. Enabling Singapore businesses to leverage the full power of the virtual office

After its initial debut in North America and Europe, Arkadin Total Connect, a Microsoft Skype for Business^* hosted service, is now available to Singapore businesses that require a fully integrated UC ecosystem with voice-enabled Office 365^*, audio/web/video conferencing, and a contact center. Professional project management, migration services, end-user training, support, and change-management capabilities ensure efficient onboarding and seamless long-term client care.

Arkadin is one of only a few service providers operating on a global scale capable of meeting Microsoft’s requirements and functioning as a fully integrated platform for meetings and voice. Through Arkadin Total Connect, businesses can harness the full power of UC for greater workplace productivity in a convenient, all-in-one cloud-based offer.

According to Bill Haskins of Wainhouse Research, the service positions Arkadin well for delivering a superior overall experience: “Going beyond the standard benefits customers should expect for hosted UC deployments, Arkadin adds code-level knowledge of the hosted Skype for Business platform, global infrastructure, robust networks, and multi-lingual local support. This combination of services, expertise, and infrastructure positions Arkadin to deliver a superior overall experience.”

4. Acquisition enabling large enterprises to transform to the virtual workplace

Arkadin’s September acquisition of Applicable, a leading provider of cloud UC and enterprise voice services, extends Arkadin’s capabilities beyond its SMB stronghold to large global businesses. The combination of Applicable’s extensive 360-degree expertise in successfully delivering integrated Microsoft UC services that match the requirements of very large customers, with Arkadin’s telephony integration and local approach to service, creates an unbeatable offering, and it positions Arkadin solidly as a global force in deploying Cloud Microsoft UC services for businesses of all sizes, from SMBs to very large global organizations [3].

5. Winning prestigious industry awards for executive leadership in telecommunications and video services

Recent awards conferred on Arkadin underscore leadership in the virtual workplace. Arkadin CEO Didier Jaubert was awarded a Stevie Award in the 2016 International Business Awards for Telecommunications Executive of the Year. The Stevie Awards are considered one of the world’s premier business awards, attracting hundreds of organizations worldwide. Didier earned a Silver trophy in the Telecommunications category for his bold vision and leadership in digital workplace transformation initiatives. The awards were presented at a gala reception in Rome on October 21st (Photo 1).

Photo 1. Arkadin’s Andrea Carboni (left) accepts a Silver Stevie trophy from Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards, at a reception in Rome on October 21st. Didier Jaubert, CEO of Arkadin, won the Stevie Award for Telecommunications Executive of the Year but was unable to attend the reception.

Arkadin achieved a Silver award in the Best in Biz 2016 International competition for video services in the Product Line of the Year category. Arkadin’s extensive video services product line enables businesses of all sizes to have face-to-face interactions anywhere, anytime, and from any device.

6. Future prospects and strategies

Arkadin is very excited about trends in the virtual workplace. Working together with NTT Communications, it has an attractive value proposition to enable customers to succeed in a digitally transformed work environment. Global businesses are offered the most sophisticated infrastructure, networking, telecommunications, and interoperability services anywhere in the industry.

Arkadin will continue to align with NTT Communications on product development and business strategies to ensure long-term leadership in cloud-based UC&C services, which are so essential to the virtual workplace culture. Additionally, Arkadin will continue to collaborate with its network of partners, including technology companies such as Microsoft, Adobe Systems, Cisco, Vidyo, and BlueJeans Network to ensure it has the most advanced UC&C services. Arkadin’s comprehensive portfolio enables it to compete through a single provider strategy for meeting the needs of all businesses.

For further information on specific business strategies, please refer to the article in the September issue of NTT Technical Review “Arkadin: Global Unified Communications & Collaboration Champion in a Dynamic Digital Workplace” [4].

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