For Multinational Corporations (MNCs) these challenges are exponentially complex. For every commercial or operational benefit derived from their scale there are many additional tensions which must be resolved in order to work effectively across multiple jurisdictions, territories, and time zones. Addressing their mobile communication needs is a perfect example of this.

Throughout the world, each country’s mobile network has evolved over time to best support its specific needs, and those of its population. Usage habits, data speeds, pricing conventions and coverage levels are as diverse as the customs and cultures of each nation. However, MNC’s are constantly trying to reconcile the need for standardised mobile services and consistent operating practices, while maintaining a comprehensive global presence, and also leveraging their ability to buy at scale.

For some MNC’s the path of least resistance is to allow each country to negotiate its own arrangements, although this can come with considerable drawbacks, not least the lack of visibility of overall global usage and spend, and a lesser ability to negotiate volume discounts. Added to this is the risk that, with an increasingly internationally mobile workforce (COVID-19 notwithstanding) visitors from one region may find their roaming experience compromised if the MNCs mobile requirements have not been approached from a far-sighted and strategic global perspective.

But perhaps the greatest disadvantage of defaulting to a locally negotiated approach is the limitations it may pose to the MNC’s centralised digital transformation initiatives. With mobile capability increasingly interwoven into other global technology projects, a patchwork of independent agreements with no co-ordinated central governance could create a costly obstacle to implementing efficient global programmes.

The FreeMove Alliance was conceived precisely to help MNC’s to address this issue and resolve its inherent conflicts. We do so not by looking at the global/local relationship as an obstacle, but as an opportunity. By harnessing the strengths of each approach, in a systematic and coordinated way, we have helped hundreds of MNC’s to establish comprehensive and resilient global mobile arrangements, offering value-added services such as data analytics, while fully exploiting their buying power. Put simply, we create a bridge that allows MNC’s and local markets to work more effectively together.

We call this hybrid strategy our GLOCAL approach. And by operating as a gateway to the mobile capabilities offered in over 100 countries, we offer our customers the simplicity of being able to treat the entire global market as a single territory. Our local teams match up the needs of the MNC with the capabilities of the providers in each market, also establishing which specific market offers would be of the greatest benefit to the customer. These are then consolidated into a single global proposal, and presented to the MNC.

At the heart of our culture lies service. We are problem solvers. We exist to make the complex appear simple, and to create bespoke and seamless solutions for each customer using our knowledge and mobile sector expertise. Ambitious global businesses in fast-moving competitive industries simply cannot afford to compromise on their evolving mobile communications needs. We provide them with the assurance and peace of mind that this business-critical capability is in safe hands, so they can focus on what they do best.

To help maintain these standards and ensure that the voice of our customers is strongly and consistently represented in how we operate, we have established a Customer Advisory Board to promote the free flow of ideas and feedback between ourselves and the MNC’s we serve. We are an organisation with a broad and rich vantage point on the global mobile industry, and by understanding the characteristics and demands of different industries, we are well placed to ensure that this insight can be used to provide even higher service levels to our customers.

Kitty Weldon, Research Director, Enterprise Technology and Services at GlobalData, acknowledges FreeMove’s efforts to be closer to its customers:

“FreeMove has established itself as a Trusted Advisor to the MNC organizations it is working with and has taken on a number of initiatives to be closer to its customers. One notable example is the creation of a Customer Advisory Board which helps the Alliance respond more quickly to the issues its customers face as well steer its longer-term vision according to customer needs. FreeMove also communicates very proactively within its community to further build customer proximity and reinforce its Glocal approach of thinking globally whilst acting locally.”

In the last year the world has learned the value of quick and effective response to change. As global workforces face into a new future, we are working with our partner networks and customers to ensure that we can pre-empt and support the global communications needs of MNC’s allowing them to remain agile and resilient for whatever lies ahead.