T-Mobile targets aims for 15pc SME share

T-Mobile said last week it will hike its share of the UK SME market from 10 per cent to 15 per cent during the next two years, and double its revenues from the SME market in the same period.

O2, Vodafone and Orange currently take significantly larger shares of the  SME market.

T-Mobile claimed its data offerings and new Business One tariff will see it through; its G1 Google Android handset has also proved popular with business users.

The network will also tap into new marketing initiatives from its other European markets and  recruit for further roles in its internal sales team.

T-Mobile UK head of business marketing Oliver Chivers (pictured) said: “It’s a big intention of ours for 2009 to grow our business sector, with our focus being SME. We don’t believe this part of the industry is well served. Our aim is to make it simple for customers and give clear value without compromising on service.

“We’ll be working as a European unit as well as UK, as there are a range of European initiatives we’re looking to utilise in the UK, based around mobile email and broadband.

“We are looking to substantially increase the amount of business customers we have and take a significant amount of market share in the SME area, potentially doubling our revenue from it within the next few years.”

Chivers claimed T-Mobile has increased its number of business customers by a third since 2006. Last year it reorganised its business sales and customer service teams into specific divisions labelled SME and corporate.

Chivers added that the network would grow its internal sales team but would also look to the indirect channel to provide some growth in the SME market.

“We’ll make sure our direct channels are market leading with specific SME and corporate sales forces. But there are a lot of small businesses who like to do business with other small businesses so there will be a number of our indirect partners who we see growing with us,” he said.

“In regards to revenue share, we are in negotiation with partners in regards to the ideal model given the current market.”