Swisscom info and facts
Berne, 22 September 2016
“We believe in the power of dreams. Dreams of freedom, independence and happiness.” This is the philosophy of Jack Wolfskin – and it reflects how things are done internally, too. During the spin-off from its parent company Transa, Outdoor Trading – the operator for Jack Wolfskin stores in Switzerland – opted for Swisscom’s Smart Business Connect: a complete IP solution consisting of telephony, Internet and a choice of service levels. “We were looking for a solution that was both future-oriented and cost-effective,” explains co-owner and head of sales Jürg Lüthi.
At the recommendation of its long-standing and trusted partner Swisscom, Jürg Lüthi opted for an IP solution with a telephone system in the cloud. The Internet speeds and required service level can be individually selected. This means every store now has its own tailored communications solution. The tariff models are also adapted to individual requirements. The stores often call Jack Wolfskin’s German headquarters, which is why the stores themselves have a different tariff model than headquarters of Outdoor Trading.
The Jack Wolfskin stores source the required telephony functions straight from Swisscom’s own data centres in Switzerland. Companies no longer need a physical telephone system on site, which means that they can forgo investment in procuring a system or keeping it up-to-date. Cloud-based IPtelephony is therefore more cost-effective, significantly more flexible and has better performance, too. “We can now integrate new stores much more quickly and easily,” says Jürg Lüthi, before adding: “To begin with, I was sceptical about the cloud. But, knowing what I do now, I would make the same decision all over again.”
The employees mostly take customer orders as they always have done by telephone or call other stores to check a product’s availability. But only a few conventional corded telephones can be found in stores nowadays: mobile phones make up two-thirds of the company’s 30 lines. The employees carry their phones on them, so are available at all times. Modern technology has made the employees and their boss truly independent. Jürg Lüthi, for instance, often makes calls via the telephone client on his laptop. This works just as well in the office as it does on the move. He also has an app on his smartphone allowing him to make calls via his fixed network number, anytime, anywhere. “This will definitely come in handy in future,” predicts the company’s owner, a keen kayaker.
Outdoor Trading AG is the franchising partner for the Jack Wolfskin brand, with 55 employees, seven Jack Wolfskin stores and one Jack Wolfskin outlet in Switzerland. In August 2015, Transa sold subsidiary Outdoor Trading AG to Jürg Lüthi, the company’s former head of sales as well as a number of investors from among his person associates.