Telecommunications operator Orange has confirmed the digitalisation of its services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region as demand for streamlined customer channels increases.
Orange is adapting its organisation through the inception of its ‘Digital Factory’ which will develop and extend its digital offer in several countries.
The company has cited the need ‘to meet its customers’ expectations by picking up speed on its digital offers’ as the main catalyst behind its turn to digital; referring to the 30 per cent jump it recorded in its mobile data traffic between 2020 and 2021 as an example of this demand.
‘People want to see and hear each other when they are apart, stay in contact with their communities through social media, share and express themselves, trade, access online knowledge, make their lives easier and be entertained,’ an official statement read.
So, what do the company’s digital services look like? Let’s find out:
My Orange
My Orange refers to the company’s multi-service mobile app which manages mobile and landline contracts
Launched in 2016, the application, which can be downloaded for free, is available in 17 countries across MEA and allows users to transfer money and view their balance while also offering voice and data subscriptions. With €6.4billion in turnover in 2021, Orange MEA is the Group’s main growth region.
2021 saw the addition of the ‘My Place’ service to the offer. Available in a limited eight countries, the service primarily facilitates the provision of entertainment content (films and series, games, music, news).
At the time of writing, My Orange and the associated My Place service have commanded a user base of 13.5 million people.
Telecoms e-shops
Orange also runs a platform whereby customers from 12 MEA countries can order telecoms hardware online, including mobile devices and various internet accessories; a major component of financial inclusion in the region.
In March 2022, the company’s Cameroon division established a business space that runs in conjunction with the initial service.
Contactless sales
June 2021 saw the company’s Ivory Coast division launch an internet fibre offer exclusively for online subscriptions. This convergent fibre offer, for households and professionals, enables orders to be placed online without the need for the consumer to visit a physical branch or contact a sales representative.
The company’s Jordan division followed this a year later with the launch of ‘Jood’ in June 2022, a similar offer providing more data through an entirely digital customer journey.
The company intends to replicate the Jood blueprint in the markets of Egypt, Ivory Coast and Senegal ‘in the near future’.
Chatbots
To enhance its customer relations channels, the company has developed 21 chatbots that have been dispersed across 11 countries in MEA; namely Morocco, Jordan, Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Tunisia and Mali.
Initially designed for information purposes (viewing your offer, voice and data balance, etc.), chatbots are now moving towards transactional services (money transfers, top-ups, etc.). In Guinea, Cameroon and Jordan, customers can buy products and services via the chatbot in addition to receiving customer assistance.
Orange also plans to develop voicebots in local languages to address the needs of the region’s many varied populations.
In Cameroon for example, the company has implemented a WhatsApp chatbot that can collect customers’ ID documents by taking a photo using their smartphone.
These bots can be accessed via the company’s web portal, social media channels and its My Orange app.
Image and article originally from thefintechtimes.com. Read the original article here.