Connect Telecom has been announced as the only Northern Ireland company to be awarded Total Communications Partner status by mobile giant Vodafone.
The elite Total Communications Partner status, introduced by Vodafone as part of its new UK Partner Programme, is now the highest Vodafone accreditation and is achieved by distribution partners that have demonstrated outstanding levels of customer excellence and the highest expertise in both Vodafone Fixed and Mobile solutions.
With an office in Scotland, Connect Telecom is also the only Total Communications partner based in Scotland, with no other companies in the region achieving this coveted status.
This new tiering – ‘Approved’, ‘Specialist’, ‘Advance’ and ‘Total Communications’ – replaces the previous ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’ and ‘Platinum’ accreditation and has been driven by customer demand as businesses look to providers for trusted expertise to digitally transform their operations.
As a Total Communications Partner, Connect Telecom now has access to a wide range of Vodafone training opportunities and technological expertise to help bolster its reputation as one of the region’s leading communications firms.
Scott Ritchie, Director at Belfast-based Connect Telecom which this year celebrates its tenth year at the helm of business telecoms in Northern Ireland, said:
“Vodafone’s new Partner Programme has been designed to meet the changing communication requirements of business customers which no longer stop at fixed lines and mobiles, and therefore rewards partners which have demonstrated the ability to sell across multiple product and service segments.
“As a Vodafone Total Communications Partner, we have direct access to the very best levels of service from Vodafone support teams which will allow us to deliver solutions to our customers more efficiently and faster than other Vodafone partners.
“The status provides us with a strong voice for which to provide feedback from our customers directly to Vodafone and ensure they continue to receive the most reliable communications solutions in the market.
“For the last ten years our experienced and award winning team has kept one step ahead of competitors and our unrivalled relationship with Vodafone, which is now closer and stronger than ever, will ensure our customers have access to the very latest solutions as they emerge.”
The new Vodafone Partner programme marks an industry shift in the way Partners are accredited and supported. The programme has been designed to meet the changing needs of business customers and better promote Partners’ capabilities, introducing new customer support criteria as well as committed investment by Partners to extensive skills development and training.
The programme places increased focus on the expertise of Partners to provide their customers with the best possible understanding, deployment and ongoing support of Vodafone’s business communications services and technologies. The move to highlight Vodafone’s wider capabilities is driven by customer demand, as businesses look to Vodafone and the channel for trusted expertise in digitally transforming their operations.
Nick Birtwistle, Head of Partners and Alliances at Vodafone UK, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Connect Telecom as a Total Communications Partner to the new Vodafone Partner Programme. Its team has shown great commitment and vision to leading a new era in communications and connectivity.
“Digital infrastructure – from mobile to unified communications to the Internet of Things – is changing the way organisations work and new capabilities are needed to support customers in the decade ahead.
“With a focus on deeper customer engagement and the development of new skills, our Partner Programme provides a new platform for our partners to enhance their value propositions around key technology growth areas.
“We look forward to working closely with Connect Telecom as we help customers benefit from new ways of working.”
Connect Telecom has grown by more than 50%, in terms of customers and connections, since being acquired by Scott Ritchie 14 months ago, and is now the largest unified communications provider in Northern Ireland.
The company, which now has more than 5,000 customers throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and the north of England, had to demonstrate its strength in customer support in its fixed, mobile, converged and cloud portfolio of technologies, as well as its commitment to investing in its staff’s skills and training to gain the Vodafone Total Communications Partner status.
To find out more about Connect Telecom, please visit www.connect-tele.co.uk