Partners in advertising
Signnovation supplies exclusively to sign makers. 'Our customers are advertising companies; we don't sell to end users,' Aaron explains. 'They make the design, we produce and they then hang the advertising on their customers' facades.' Some 60% of the company's sales come from the Netherlands - but Germany, with 30% of sales, is also an important market. 'And we operate in Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland,' Aaron adds. 'Actually, we're everywhere Dutch or German is spoken.'
The transfer to VoIP
When Signnovation's telephone exchange needed replacing ten years ago, Aaron contacted ICT and telecom partner Amnez, which later merged into Trends ICT Group. Aaron: “We were still using traditional telephony, but when the switchboard became obsolete we wanted to switch to telephony via the Internet. Amnez recommended Xelion, a cloud solution for business communications. As long as you have an Internet connection, with Xelion you can make calls anywhere and with any device. Then it no longer matters whether you're in the office, at home or working somewhere else.
A second chance for Xelion
The implementation of Xelion did not go quite as desired. Due to start-up problems, management decided to go with another solution. That was short-lived. Aaron: “That was not a success. The problems we had with Xelion in the beginning just came back. I also found the interface and usability with Xelion much better. And with Xelion we could also handle more lines at the same time.' All in all, plenty of reasons for Signnovation to give Xelion a second chance. 'I don't regret that to this day,' says Aaron with contentment.
'We as switchboard operators were happy too,' Bea confirms. 'We didn't want to leave Amnez and Xelion at all. Look, we are located near the border of Germany. Around the border, the connection to the mobile network is not always secure. The problems had to do with the infrastructure on the other side of the border, not so much with Amnez or Xelion.' Aaron: “Some adjustments on the server actually solved those problems, but by then the decision to switch had already been made. Fortunately, within two years we were back with Xelion,” he laughs.
Flexible and always reachable
With Xelion, you can easily make calls using your preferred device. This can be a fixed desk phone, a PC or laptop or via the app on the smartphone. Bea: 'I have several colleagues who prefer to use the landline phone rather than the softphone on the computer. But there is also a whole department that only uses the softphone. At the reception we always use the softphone. That works fine.' The home workers use Xelion's mobile app. Bea: 'If they have the mobile app, they can switch in an instant, that's just fine.'
Improvements and a look to the future
Xelion now works satisfactorily, but areas for improvement remain. Aaron: 'In our production hall, the connection is not always optimal. But that's not necessarily down to Xelion.' Bea adds: 'That might also have to do with where the broadcasters are located. Together with the guys from Trends ICT Groep we already looked at the best location, because our halls are quite large. That is something that could perhaps be improved.'
When asked what the company expects from Xelion in the future, Aaron is clear: “I wouldn't change much. The functionalities we need are already there. If you look purely at the telephony solution, Xelion is perfect for us. But of course nowadays we don't only make phone calls. We can also send each other messages via Xelion, and I just understood that video calling is also already possible. None of that was possible with our previous system. Xelion has everything to meet today's needs.
'Xelion is customer-friendly, user-friendly and of our time.'
Why Signnovation chose Xelion
Bea was lightning fast with her answer, “Xelion is customer-friendly, user-friendly and of our time. Aaron nodded in agreement. 'These descriptions fit my experience exactly. Thanks to the return to Xelion and Trends ICT Group, Signnovation now has a system that not only supports their current needs, but also allows for future developments.
