SYSCONFiG has launched fast access to native FMC (Fixed-Mobile Convergence) for resellers, on the EE network. The company selected Transatel (NTT Group) as enabler for the launch of an “off-the-shelf” FMC service that includes the SIM as an endpoint. Transatel is a pioneer in integrating UC directly into the SIM rather than relying on OTT apps. Today, SYSCONFiG goes one step further by making the solution available to service providers for revenue generation in under a week: SYSCONFiG is the channel’s first true FMC service ‘aggregator’.
Although FMC is nothing new to telecom or to the UK, there has always been a divide between simple, app-based OTT (Over-The-Top) services, offering a certain degree of convergence between devices (for which Teams and Skype are good examples), and true Fixed-Mobile Convergence.
Few fully functioning native FMC offers are available on the market, due to the difficulties of taking control of both inbound and outbound calls on the GSM network. The setup of such a service requires integration with a Mobile Network Operator for the control of the SIMs—the service offered by Transatel and SYSCONFiG takes the sting out of the hefty financial and technical requirements, and allows resellers to launch their product in minimal timescales.
The trade-off for companies is simple: high performance-higher cost with native FMC, compared to low performance but easy set-up with OTT services. Thanks to Transatel’s flexible platform, SYSCONFiG is now offering the best of both worlds for service providers who would like to offer their own FMC service to their client base in a matter of days.
In the telecom architecture presented above, the SIM is an endpoint, alongside IP phones, software, and smartphone apps; each of these can initiate or receive all of the users’ communications. Today, everyone has a SIM in their pocket (in their smartphone), so the SIM is in fact the best common denominator for all incoming and outgoing calls and/or messaging.
By receiving communications from the UC platform on the SIM, the service offers more call stability, increased seamlessness, no dependence on Wi-Fi availability, better management and tracking of communications, and of course allowing you to be ’always on’.
Converting to this solution is an obvious choice for companies seeking to optimise productivity or who need to record calls for compliance purposes. Users must no longer change their behaviour: for example, remember to use an app, as calls are routed to the SIM over the GSM network. All mobile activity is linked to the platform and completely synchronised. From the SIM, all other devices are updated according to the user’s presence-based rules. This offers a perfectly seamless experience, with no crossing-over of native and app-based calls, a unified voicemail, and a better calling experience. For example, the GSM network performs better than an app when driving down the motorway and switching constantly between 2G, 3G and 4G.
Alex Tempest, MD of Wholesale, BT says: “The learnings from the COVID-19 crisis combined with the progressive withdrawal of ISDN only reinforces further the need for easy and instant access to productivity and collaboration tools to empower a mobile workforce. We’ve witnessed that this is absolutely key today and will be even more critical in the years to come. We’re excited for SysConfig to launch its innovative solution to the market today, utilising EE’s leading UK mobile network infrastructure.”
Sam Dawkins, SYSCONFiG MD, concludes: “We’re excited to be giving our resellers the best solutions for their clients. The Mobile Desk Phone brings together the ways in which a company can connect its teams under a UC solution. One size does not fit all: with our portfolio of end points, a reseller can truly create a customer-specific solution. FMC has been something of a legend for many years now, but I truly believe it is to become the norm, enabling one platform for all your communication needs and centralising your communications story.”