The reason is just as simple: it helps multinational companies enjoy the best of both worlds by giving enterprises the chance to benefit from a unique and global mobile strategy, whilst assuring that the local affiliates access the best networks.
The Alliance synchronises the expertise and capabilities of four major mobile operators (Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Telecom Italia, and Telia Company) and other leading players from all over the world. The FreeMove Alliance members and partners all have Tier 1 and 2 networks. «Our customers can access a global strategy and a centralised management organization, while operating with the best local networks on those key-markets, where they need to make successful business decisions», says Lazaro Fernandez Parra, General Manager at the FreeMove Alliance.
Mobility Management in a post-pandemic world
The FreeMove Alliance helps multinationals optimise their mobility management strategy thanks to a network that spans over 100 countries and a centralised service procurement model. By partnering with the Alliance, enterprises benefit from a centralised point of management and local support for employees across the entire organisation – as well as across different countries. «We are not merely a vendor alliance. We act as a partner for our customers, helping them work better everywhere they are, because we provide them with a global overview, flexibility, and the ability to react quickly», says Fernandez Parra.
Businesses today have a mobile workforce that’s distributed all over the globe. The pandemic is accelerating the shift, but remote working is here to stay. Also, we expect that 5G will act as a new game changer in the workspace. And «while a company might be global, its workforce is necessarily local», points out Fernandez Parra. Sometimes that becomes a headache: «Europe, for instance, has almost 800 operators, 400 of which are MVNOs. The FreeMove Alliance helps its customers navigate this multi-local intricacy by easing complexity», goes on Fernandez Parra.
It is also a matter of end-to-end overview. «Centralised managed multinationals want to have visibility on every detail of their local operations, such as vendor strategies, and be able to match their global and local approaches on procurement. They might find that a lack of control on local markets translates into poor flexibility due to multiple contracting. Or that a lack of visibility on local connectivity contracts – for example data allowances – is creating inefficiencies in their remote working policies», says Fernandez Parra.
Going “Glocal” with best-in-class networks
The Glocal strategy is at the heart of the FreeMove Alliance’s approach, and one of its key advantages is the fact that it provides its customers with best-in class networks anywhere they operate. «Only top-quality networks can deliver top-quality services that support our customers’ execution», states the Alliance’s General Manager. «We want to enable multinationals to unleash the power of mobility with the best services on the best networks. Our customers can access our networks and our support anywhere they do or plan to do business. The Alliance is able to coordinate for its customers their global and local needs, so they receive the best experience and optimise their investment in mobility».
Now, the FreeMove Alliance is gearing up to expand its offer and embrace emerging trends, like Business Process Automation (BPA) and 5G Private networks, including their next impact on workplace transformation. «We see the multinationals demand for information on centralised management and on the way this approach leads to end-to-end order and incident management business process automation. We are investing in API-driven and software-driven solutions, as well as in ITSM integration by combining our members’ platforms. Also, as an Alliance, we are exploring our role in the 5G Private networks evolution, which may require a multi-country execution and coordination. Moreover, we believe that together – Private 5G and BPA – will shift the conversation in enterprise mobility from connectivity to productivity. At the FreeMove Alliance, we embrace emerging trends and technologies that improve the seamless experience we are committed to deliver to multinational customers».
Finally, the Alliance understands how important it is for multinationals to have a truly global footprint. «The Alliance main operations take place in Europe, but we are tightening our relationships with local partners both in the APAC region and in the Americas. Therefore, we have just signed a partnership agreement with Tigo-Millicom, in Latin America», concludes Lazaro. «In the end, it is all about being where our customers want to be».
