| Seat SMS service Client: Seat Systems integrator: Gedas SMS partner: |
31/10/02 |
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For Immediate Release : Thursday 31 October 02
Source : New Media Age
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| Hybyte Aims: Gedas provides a full range of technical services and solutions to businesses. One of its key sector focuses is the automotive industry, with clients including Audi, Bentley Motors, BMW and Volkswagen. |
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In addition to developing its own technical offering, it works with best-of-breed technical partners. Back in February this year the company went to the SMS 2002 Show to explore the potential of SMS. It selected SMS specialist Hybyte as partner for mobile solutions. The first of Gedas's clients to request an SMS solution was Seat. The manufacturer wanted an end-to-end system that would let it send out SMS alerts to bespoke groups of employees. The main benefit was seen as replacing email with a more immediate communication mechanism. Seat wanted to give its regional managers quicker daily access to important information. In the past, when the company wanted to communicate one message to large numbers of employees it would have to make around 20 to 30 phone calls, which often needed to be repeatedly made.
Execution: The solution, developed jointly by Hybyte and Gedas, was installed within 72 hours. Hybyte provided a connection to its SMS gateway, enabling it to deliver messages for Seat across all four UK operators' subscribers. The solution was based on Hybyte's AirByte online platform, which enables real-time delivery of high-volume messages to tailored databases. Hybyte provides reports directly to Gedas that can be accessed, managed, customised and evaluated online. Gedas can then break down these reports on a detailed basis.
Results: Once Seat had seen and evaluated the results of the SMS pilot, it rapidly rolled it out to deliver a wide range of internal communications. Information delivered by SMS has now included travel information and logistics, monthly sales figures, employee illness and daily educational bulletins. According to Gedas senior e-business manager David Taylor, the company is about to start on the next stage of the SMS implementation, giving far greater control to Seat. The manufacturer will be able to control the SMS interface through a management tool. This will, for instance, enable management to build target groups, such as regional retailers, and control the capabilities of individual users' accounts. Gedas is now pitching SMS to its other automotive clients. This month saw its second SMS service launched for Skoda. Visitors to the British International Motor Show 2002 were able to send an SMS whereby they could download a Skoda logo to their handset.
Comment: SMS to date has largely been driven by peer-to-peer communication in the youth age group. While premium content and marketing is viewed as one of the most important new drivers, corporate use of the medium is also important. The Mobile Data Association recently launched a campaign to drive take-up of SMS by businesses and Seat is a good example of how it can be used to by companies to raise efficiency and drive down costs.
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