At a glance
- Reseller integrates range of systems to create taxi management solution
- Requirement for innovationand comprehensive API makes ipcortex perfect fit
- By packaging products and services in this way, they are easier to buy and therefore easier to sell
- TargetTelecoms are now in an excellent position to engage additional vertical markets
About Target Telecoms
Target Telecoms have built their business around selling complete solutions to private hire taxi companies. The solution includes Mercury, the market-leading taxi and private hire booking software, which is owned by Target Telecoms’ parent company, Exel Technology Group.
Their long term vision is to capitalise on the skills and experience they have built up to identify other verticals where they can add value through application development and telephony integration.
Why IPCortex?
Initially, Target Telecoms experimented with developing their own Asterisk open source PBX. They soon realised that by using IPCortex instead they could better leverage their development resource to create innovative new solutions and gain a distinct competitive advantage.
Innovation and vision
Jonathan Witty, Target Telecoms’ Head of Business Development, felt it was important to choose a partner that shared their commitment to developing clever new technology.
“Software development is all about innovation. We selected IPCortex not for the price, but because of the ethos around the product and their long term vision for the market.”
Their plan was to integrate IPCortex with their existing Target Telecoms branded call recording, their call management suite including reports, statistics, wallboards and Mercury software solutions. This would provide cross-referencing of call data, and the ability to complete automated or manual telephony actions from within the other systems. The IPCortex API would help them to achieve it.
“IPCortex understood our solution selling approach in a way that their competitors didn’t, and we could see how their API could help us to achieve that. Also, they’re being a UK based company was attractive to us.”
Easy integration
Although Target Telecoms don’t claim to be telephony experts, they have found IPCortex and the API very easy to work with.
“It’s been pretty self-explanatory, and we’re finding new things we can achieve all of the time. This means there’s always more we can do to make the systems more usable and clever, which is exactly the way we like to operate.”
What does IPCortex bring to the solution?
Solution orientation
IPCortex is tightly integrated with the Target Telecoms call management suite and Mercury software. Line and minute deals complete the solution.
“The single supplier factor is very important to our customers, who can speak with the same team about any element of their solution. This accountability results in a high level of customer service, which is a significant element of our brand.”
Creative technology
Legislation is important in the private hire industry and in addition to being PCI compliant, companies need to abide by rules for taking and storing booking information set by councils and the Hackney Carriage Office. Target Telecoms have been mindful of this in designing every element of the system, for example when introducing automated telephone bookings via an IVR. The system recognises the caller’s number and allows them to repeat a previous booking, automatically recording the pick-up and drop-off points based on the driver’s geo reference.
“It’s innovations like this that make us stand out, and that our customers have now come to expect.”
Reliability
“Cab companies trade on a name, number, and reputation. Our systems directly influence the last two, so it’s important our customers trust us and the solution.” The private hire industry is a 24×7 business with some of Target Telecoms’ customers making upwards of 20,000 calls a week. Reliability is therefore a key priority, and they have developed a reputation for making sure that every element of their solutions are reliable, secure and well supported.
“The mature IPCortex platform, with the option of High Availability, is an excellent fit.”
A great partnership
“IPCortex are open to exploring new partnerships and are very easy to work with. Their approach to customer service is like ours; if there’s a problem, they take ownership and work hard to make sure it’s sorted out quickly.”
Target Telecoms’ customers fit an unusual profile. Most of their clients only require a 5 or 10 handset solution but need the sophisticated call centre and calling functionality typically used by much larger organisations. Furthermore, the usage is high with three lines per user, rather than the typical single line per three users.
“IPCortex have taken the time to really understand our market and have been able to make sure that their solution works for us on a technical and commercial level.”
