Swisscom Solutions AG starts partnership with Vanco

Swisscom Solutions AG is entering into a commercial partnership agreement with UK-based Vanco plc, of a minimum term of ten years, with a view to offering its multinational and international customers services, outside its home markets of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. This is the first time that a leading European telecoms company has opted for a global alliance with a Virtual Network Operator (VNO).

“I am delighted to say that in Vanco plc we have found the ideal partner to enable us to offer multinational customers in Switzerland a comprehensive and attractive range of services for the management of global end-to-end communications solutions,“ says René Fischer, CEO of Swisscom Solutions Ltd. “Our multinational business customers increasingly expect us to be the sole contact partner for their corporate networks. Besides cost optimisation, the key deciding factors were the ability to deliver complete end-to-end solutions, guaranteed high network availability and first-class quality of service. This relationship with Vanco is the most effective way of bringing these benefits to market on a truly global basis. Swisscom is the first carrier to give our customers access to the strengths of Vanco and the VNO approach.“

Vanco was founded in 1988 and is the pioneer of the VNO model – an asset-light approach to networking. Its core competences include the design, implementation and operation of global corporate networks, without Vanco actually owning the underlying infrastructure. Vanco selects and procures the requisite infrastructure from existing suppliers and integrates it into the respective corporate network. This way, customers can be offered an optimum price-performance ratio and a solution tailored to their specific business requirements. Additionally, the VNO model allows the client the freedom to alter the underlying technology or carrier depending on changing business requirements.

“For the customer, the advantages of a VNO model are clear: lowest lifetime cost, ultimate flexibility and an absolute service focus,“ says Allen Timpany, CEO of Vanco plc. “With Swisscom Solutions, globally-active Swiss customers will deal with one contact partner and receive one global agreement. Instead of investing in network infrastructure, we invest in customer care. This way the customer reaps the benefits of cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure options as well as maximum network coverage at the best global prices.”

Vanco’s customers include Siemens, IBM/Lloyds TSB, British Airways, Ford Motor Company, Accor and Avis Europe. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 35% over the last five years, Vanco posted revenues in January 2005 of CHF 240 million. At the start, of 2005 Vanco’s 600-strong workforce served customers in 142 countries. The company is headquartered in Isleworth, near London.

Source : Vanco