Why is it important to ensure that wholesale customers can still connect with people at a telco in the age of automation and AI?

In a world where telcos have typically taken an opex-reduction approach and are now sometimes looking at low single-digit margins, one value proposition that may have become a little lost is access to people and expertise.

The feedback we’re getting from customers through sales engagements is that when they try to talk to some providers, interacting with a human who knows what they’re talking about is difficult. That, in turn, leads to a lack of trust and can manifest itself in a lack of sales.

At Gamma Communications, we’re going the other way by investing in expertise, making it a cornerstone of our relationships with partners.

What differentiates Gamma in terms of customers’ ability to get in touch with experts?

Often, resources are hidden in large telcos and it can be hard to reach an expert. However, we try to provide as many touchpoints into our organisation as possible.

We employ high-calibre, experienced sales experts at the front end, and have a flat structure under which people like myself and the CEOs are very accessible. We also provide access to expert network architects and other team members, while having multiple specialists in areas like regulation.

Furthermore, we’ve established a customer advisory board, whereby customers can get involved in sharing feedback during product development. Through that, we’ve introduced a new programme that allows developers to engage directly with our team to integrate services with our platforms.

Gamma has expanded globally from its initial UK focus via multiple recent M&A deals. How can it maintain its customer-facing stance as it grows?

Often, the bigger a company gets, the more challenging this is. However, you don’t need hundreds of experts available; rather, it’s about continuing with a ‘lean’ ethos by providing access to a select number of subject matter specialists.

When you look at some hyperscalers’ blueprint, they have pretty small telco teams, but with experts available on certain subjects. Indeed, we’ve worked with several hyperscalers to help refine our customer success model.

What’s the situation in terms of integrating the businesses that Gamma has acquired?

It’s broadly on track. A key acquisition for our global expansion was that of international voice and SMS service provider Coolwave Communications in early 2024. We relaunched the proposition under the umbrella of Global Communications Enablement solutions this April and have integrated the sales teams, with a planned work programme to integrate the networks.

Meanwhile, one thing we’ve found is that you tend to buy a business for one particular reason, but nearly always find new nuggets of opportunity too. For instance, we bought German SIP trunking provider HFO in 2020. Through its Epsilon brand, the company had a fantastic capability called FUSION IoT, which we’ve now ended up launching in the UK.

Meanwhile, Gamma acquired German unified communications provider STARFACE early this year, after which we strengthened our leadership team in Germany. That’s significant because our strategic drive is to be as big there as we are in the UK.

How would you say the company’s international expansion is going overall?

We already have the ability to provide general services in more than 180 countries, while we’ve achieved fuller compliance via obtaining a licence in over 20 countries and aim to reach about 35 by the end of the year.

Things can take longer than expected in certain locations, due to the time needed to ensure full compliance with tax and legal frameworks, and that all contracts stand up to scrutiny. But the expansion is going well overall.

How important is it to retain human interaction going forward?

These days, it’s clear that you can be much more efficient by using AI. However, I don’t see a situation in the next five years or so where there’s no need for human relationships, partly because there will be problems that AI can’t fix.

One of the first things people also still do when they have a real issue is pick up the phone. At Gamma, access to people and expertise thus remains a cornerstone of our value proposition.

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