LONDON, UK, 2nd August 2006 — The Messaging Centre (TMC) (www.tmcsms.com) – a leading provider of global corporate communications today announced that existing client, Tube Lines (www.tubelines.com) has reported a financial saving on its internal communication spend by deploying SMS technology from The Messaging Centre (TMC).

 

Tube Lines is rebuilding the Tube’s busiest lines on the London Underground. It maintains and is upgrading the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The Messaging Centre (TMC) – provides clients with a powerful, browser-based application that operates a fully scalable, web-based SMS (Short Message Service) platform for business communication with customers, clients, suppliers, prospects, remote personnel or anyone with a compatible GSM (global system for mobile communications) device. 

 

Tube Lines discovered a business problem in 2004 when it was found that senior managers could not communicate with internal employees and contacts quickly enough. Tube Lines was experiencing delays with its current communications infrastructure - text messages were not being delivered and distributed rapidly enough. The current system was sending text messages singularly to each individual mobile handset, using a slow and lengthy process. Tube Lines needed to find and implement a faster, more robust communications system to replace this system as soon as possible.

The project was subsequently appointed to Peter Radley, Duty Operations Engineer (DOE) for Tube Lines, who began the selection process to find a brand new system that would enable quicker and more reliable dissemination of information from the Tube Lines Control Centre. Key requirements for the new system included enabling senior managers to communicate with a large number of employees via text message within seconds using a scalable, cost effective platform with universal appeal and a user-friendly interface.

Why was this project developed?

The Control Centre is the communications hub for Tube Lines. This nerve centre is the central point where direction for all three lines is managed. All incidents relating to its infrastructure, from a light bulb blowing in a station staff room right through to emergency situations such as the 7/7 bombings are reported to the Control Centre and the response is managed from there.

The Control Centre is manned 24-7 with two duty operations engineers (DOEs) and a team of fault handlers. The teams work around the clock to ensure the swift rectification of any fault but the communications hub constantly updates and informs relevant employees of any incidents which could potentially impact Tube Lines operations. Messages are distributed via text message to a list of numbers from a computer in the Control Centre. It was critical that Tube Lines deployed the most effective and reliable method of communicating internally to its workforce.

Which technology was implemented and how?

Tube Lines DOE Peter Radley led the project and officially appointed the SMS technology from The Messaging Centre (www.tmcsms.com). They provided the funds for the project and kick started the scheme by identifying exactly what technology it required. Initially it began testing the TMC technology by conducting trials on a small group of Tube Lines managers. (Free trials of The Messaging Centre can be found by visiting www.tmcsms.com) Following the positive feedback received from the management board regarding The Messaging Centre, the technology was gradually rolled out across the company.

During the initial roll out stage, Tube Lines continued to assess the SMS technology that TMC had provided against its specific requirements – cost, speed, and reliability. It was able to work very closely with The Messaging Centre (www.tmcsms.com) to ensure that any necessary improvements or bespoke requirements for Tube Lines were met as quickly as were needed. It was also critical to every day business operations and continuity that the migration to the new technology would appear absolutely seamless to people around the company.

The technology from The Messaging Centre (www.tmcsms.com) was chosen above numerous other systems due to the cost of savings experienced, reliability and robustness it provided the organisation. As a result, to date, The Messaging Centre (www.tmcsms.com) has now been used by the company for over two years and Tube Lines is very pleased with the results.

Results & evaluation of the Tube Lines / TMC project

Tube Lines monitored and evaluated the project by setting targets against the required speed of text messages being distributed and received but also on the direct cost.

Peter Radley, DOE, Tube Lines commented: “Previously it could take around quarter of an hour to send out all the text messages but now 1,000 messages go within seconds.” He continued: “Since deploying the SMS technology from The Messaging Centre (TMC) we now have real-time awareness of problems on our lines, enabling a much more rapid response than previously possible.”

 

The project achieved the overall aims and objectives set out by the Tube Lines management board. However, it also exceeded them in terms of improving cost containment for Tube Lines, by reducing the annual spend on their communications infrastructure. Tube Lines found that the main cost in this area was the fee for each text message and reported that the TMC solution shaved 40% off the price of each text. More importantly than the price and costs saved were the robustness, reliability and speed of the communications system that The Messaging Centre provided. The Messaging Centre (TMC) technology even withstood the extra strain of updates on 7/7.

Sustainability of the Tube Lines / TMC project

The project and its benefits will continue to grow into the future for Tube Lines. The company is looking to implement The Messaging Centre (TMC) technology within other areas of the organisation as the interface can be integrated into existing database systems with ease.

Peter Radley, DOE, Tube Lines Ltd added: “One key thing we learnt was that we could be demanding on The Messaging Centre and they would respond. Their support has been excellent and they’ve never let us down. We asked for some changes to be made to our system, for example by adding a spell checker. These improvements have been made promptly, effectively and without fuss.”

 

Contacts/Links/Resources

For more information on The Messaging Centre (TMC) and its products and services, and to sign up for a FREE, NO obligation trial now, please visit www.tmcsms.com.

 

TMC MEDIA CONTACT

Peter Taner

peter@tmcgo.com

+44 (0)20 7224 4331

+44 (0)7836 225 222 

 

Laura Wallace

laura.wallace@tubelines.com

+44 (0)20 7088 5335

 

·        TMC press assets are available from www.tmcsms.com – please visit The Media Centre for downloads

·          The first text message was sent in December 1992, and SMS was launched commercially for the first time in 1995

·          The first recorded monthly text message total was 5.4 million in April 1998

·          The MDA has forecast that 36.5 billion messages will be sent throughout the UK during 2006, with an average of 100 million messages being sent per day 

·          Annual SMS totals: 1999 - 1 billion; 2000 - 6.2 billion; 2001 - 12.2 billion; 2002 - 16.8 billion; 2003 - 20.5 billion; 2004 - 26 billion; 2005 - 32 billion 

·          120 million text messages were sent by Britons on Valentine's Day 2006, compared to the estimated 12 million cards sent.  

·          Amongst the top 10 business users of SMS are recruitment agencies, clubs and bars, internet service providers, couriers, hair salons, dentists and charities.

·          65 million UK subscribers were registered as active on UK networks as of the end of December 2005 of which over 70% send text messages

·          On average, 4.1 million messages are sent every hour in Britain. 

 

The Messaging Centre (TMC) is headquartered in London and launched globally in May 2006, with several European roll-out launches preceding this date, between 2002 and 2005. TMChas expanded its services to operate globally and is now a leading provider of bulk SMS messaging services and SMS Gateway connectivity, providing coverage to 860 networks across 220 countries / areas of the world. (Users must be GSM or Associated network compatible to receive this global coverage). The Messaging Centre provides a fully scalable, web-based SMS platform for communication with customers, suppliers, prospects, remote personnel or anyone with a compatible GSM device. Existing TMC clients include: Virgin, Tube Lines Ltd, Brent County Council and many more.

 

Since 2005 TMC have sent over 4,585,857 messages to the following countries on behalf of corporate clients - Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador- Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India , Indonesia , Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam,  Zambia and Zimbabwe.              

© TMC Ltd 2002-2006. 

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