transcosmos: How an outsourcing leader ensures safety in an emergency with reliable connectivity

Who is the customer?

transcosmos Information Systems Limited (TCIS) is the UK-based subsidiary of global outsourcing juggernaut, transcosmos Incorporated. The organisation provides critical Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to some of the world’s biggest organisations within EMEA, the US and Latin America, including IT Support and service desk, customer service, and e-commerce support.

Challenge

As part of a contract with a large telecommunications customer in the US, transcosmos Information Systems operates a private MPLS network to connect calls from the US into a Manila-based call centre. The telecommunications customer relies on TCIS to deliver customer service calls, as well as a large volume of emergency services calls when its customers need urgent help. For the latter, operators at the call centre are responsible for taking calls and rerouting them to the appropriate emergency service entity back in the United States. The urgency of these calls makes it absolutely critical that the MPLS network supporting these activities is capable of near 100% uptime. However, TCIS’s previous MPLS network wasn’t providing them with the speed and resiliency required to manage these high-priority calls. The organisation was suffering from unacceptable downtime, as well as problems with service management and delivery. They also worked with multiple loop providers in Asia, with multiple contracts that unnecessarily drove up costs. This prompted them to reassess their provider, ultimately choosing Telstra – which was a long-time existing customer for other services – to expand and improve their network connectivity.

Solution

Through a series of consultation sessions, Telstra’s EMEA team worked closely with TCIS to gain a deep understanding of its needs and demonstrate how it could provide value. As part of this process, Telstra designed a new MPLS network, leveraging our leading subsea cable ownership in Asia to deliver connectivity with unmatched resiliency and stability. Solution Due to Telstra’s existing relationships with the TCIS loop providers, we were able to consolidate these partnerships by offering all of the connectivity under one Telstra contract. This drove down costs and offers higher resiliency, with local loops managed under one roof. The new network was delivered in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns. Despite global semiconductor delays and supply chain strains, Telstra ensured that all appropriate infrastructure – including routers, firewalls, and switches – was delivered quickly and efficiently. The network is delivered as a managed service, with a team of trusted experts on the ground in the UK and the Philippines providing 24-hour support. Establishing a close and trusted working relationship was important for TCIS, as they didn’t want the ‘set-and-forget’ ethos that’s often typical of larger providers.

Telstra was compelling for multiple reasons. They were considerate of our needs, offered competitive pricing, provided stable circuits, and they were transparent with delivery. They could also provide support, including technical knowledge, to our teams across multiple geographies and in multiple languages.

- Anthony Forder Head of Information Technology Operations transcosmos Information Systems

Benefits and Outcomes 

TCIS’s new network supports its growth ambitions. Given the critical nature of calls, its telecoms client expects absolute uptime, as even a millisecond of downtime could jeopardise the safety of its customers. It’s new MPLS service delivers that, with no downtime recorded since the implementation. Through constant consultation and hands-on workshops, Telstra has developed an in-depth knowledge of what matters the most for TCIS and is committed to supporting the growth of its business. We’ve built a team of 20 experts that work closely with TCIS, so the organisation knows exactly who to go to when they need assistance. We’ve also got a trusted team of support staff in the Philippines, so if TCIS need help at its call centre, Telstra can send technicians to the site or offer support over the phone, in local languages. That tight-knit relationship was important to TCIS, as they didn’t want a provider that would make them go through multiple layers of escalation to solve simple issues. That’s part of the reason TCIS is now looking at Telstra to develop more connectivity for its other customers in Europe, bringing more services under one roof. Its Manila call centre is growing at a rapid pace, as the company looks to scale its services for clients all over the world.

Download the Transcosmos case study (PDF, 2.1MB)