mobilkom austria has introduced comprehensive and standardized Service Level Agreements (SLA). The first mobile provider in Austria to offer SLAs, its A1 customers can now benefit from the highest quality standards, the best service through a specifically developed SLA service unit, round-the-clock technical support and a detailed reporting system to track achievement of the contractually agreed service levels. PORR AG was the first A1 customer to benefit from mobilkom austria’s guaranteed services through a pilot project that began in May 2009. From now on, A1 Business SLAs will be available for all enterprise customers.
Mobile solutions can efficiently support a great number of corporate processes ranging from long term sales procedures monitoring to resource management, which can bring customers a rapid return on investment, in some cases, after two or three months only. The more companies employ mobile solutions, the better they are integrated into corporate processes, with clearly defined quality parameters and service levels becoming increasingly important.
Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group, commented: “Service can be best managed when adequately measured. A great number of our customers are increasingly relying on mobile communication to provide their services. Mobile SLAs are becoming imperative for any IT manager. With A1 Business SLA we are considerably enhancing our service levels and contractually committing ourselves to comply with the highest quality guidelines for our customers.”
PORR AG had the opportunity to test mobilkom austria’s SLAs with a pilot project. DI Quirin Radmer, Head of IT PORR AG, said: “In the construction sector we are faced with extreme time pressure and communication with our employees is crucial for our business success. Safeguarding currently existing services, rapid reaction times and guaranteed service levels represent the three main reasons behind our decision to choose mobilkom austria’s A1 Business SLA.”
Service Level Agreements stipulated between a business customer and a service provider lay down certain quality and service standards. mobilkom austria offers A1 Business SLA in three types: “basic” “standard” and “premium”. These include up to 36 KPIs, which are clearly defined, currently monitored and assessed on a regular basis and made available to customers in the form of a report. Thus, customers can benefit from clearly defined and contractually agreed service levels, a predefined service interface and, in the case of malfunctioning, they are supported with highest priority. Regular and transparent A1 Quality Reports, which are compiled on a monthly or half-yearly basis according to the selected SLA product, as well as Quality Review Meetings between customers and mobilkom austria’s key accountants also contribute to safeguarding quality under the SLA agreement. Business customers are entitled to compensation in the case the contractually agreed levels are not met as laid down in the A1 Business SLA.
Guaranteed service levels include six products: Voice, SMS, mobile broadband, BlackBerry, Internet Security and Data Guard (the secure connection for corporate intranet). The three SLA versions on offer are characterized by a different range and number of quality parameters to be agreed and measured.
“Old-school SLAs used to include only one up to two service levels with ten different criteria, which to a large extent were not so crucial for business success,” explains Leif-Olof Wallin, Research Vice President, Mobile and Wireless, Gartner Client Service Group. “With A1 Business SLA, mobilkom austria has a considerable competitive edge over its international rivals based on exactly defined service levels and the value add for the customers.”
Reinhard Zuba, Head of Marketing at mobilkom austria, said: “As the country’s market leader, we have a responsibility towards our business customers. We are constantly exchanging feedback with them and are committed to developing innovative and tailor-made products and services to meet the specific needs of our customers in their daily business.”