Arkadin Brochure 2018

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.

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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

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“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