Orbit deal with Microsoft to revolutionize customer service with cutting edge IT infrastructure

The agreement will see wide-ranging upgrades in Orbit's IT infrastructure by Microsoft that will dramatically improve the broadcaster's capability and resources. The improvements are the first in a series of projects being undertaken by Orbit in a $2 million investment scheme which is set to revolutionize its delivery of customer services.

"We have undergone an extensive licensing upgrade exercise and operating system overhaul with Microsoft that sets the stage for us to transform our customer service interface by early 2006,"

explained Khosrow Afrasiabi, Orbit's global IT director.

"With complete back as well as front-office e-business capabilities in place we will see a paperless interface with dealers and customers, which will have a dramatic effect on the time and energy needed to install, upgrade or vary customers' packages," he said.

But the really exciting developments for customers say Orbit will be the increase in control they will enjoy through online payment, subscription management and ordering. As well as online and mobile ordering of pay per view services, customers will be able to check on, pay and vary their subscription remotely, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Remote control ordering and automated billing will hugely simplify and speed up the customer admin, putting Orbit's customer interface well ahead of regional competitors. The operational cost savings resulting from the improvements make Orbit more cost effective than its rivals, and increase its ability to further invest in best quality entertainment.

"We are hugely excited about the changes for customers because it removes effort; Orbit is all about entertainment and having the latest shows and movies at your disposal - we see getting rid of admin hassles as an absolutely essential part of improving the viewer experience," concluded Mr. Afrasiabi.

In order to prepare for the new customer service upgrades, the company has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft that rationalises and replaces the thousands of individual software licences operating throughout the group's locations in eight countries.

"A year ago we began the process of analysing our licensing position on Microsoft operating systems and software packages and found that it was in need of a complete overhaul," he explained.

He believes most companies with operations that have grown rapidly across the Middle East will find themselves in a similar position, having purchased licenses on an ad hoc basis as the number of PC users increased.

The complete overhaul of the Orbit's licensing position was a priority for the group, which suffers from piracy itself and was keen to ensure its compliance to set an example to its partners, customers and dealers. The new arrangement includes an Enterprise Agreement on server and desktop applications and a software assurance agreement which effectively "future-proofs" Orbit and ensures Microsoft packages will automatically be entitled to upgrades as new versions are launched.

Orbit is also partnering with Microsoft in migration of its IT platform to a unified Active Directory and Exchange 2003 Messaging platform. The partnership between Orbit and Microsoft will soon result in further future projects covering development of Business Intelligence systems, DOT NET applications and WEB Services based on Service Oriented Architecture technology (SOA). The SOA is mainly going to be used for Application Integration both within Orbit's scope and with business partners including dealers and banks.