KTM Bikes are sold all over the world. To achieve this, the sales team is constantly on the road. Thanks to XPhone Connect, customers and colleagues can easily reach them.
Customer
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, leading bicycle manufacturer in Austria
Challenge
Outdated telephone system slows down growth and flexibility
Solution
Introduction of XPhone Connect in combination with a modern Mitel PBX
Highlights
- Worldwide accessibility via app
- Softphone for remote work telephony
- Integration with Microsoft Teams
- Presence & hotline management
Result
More efficient communication, greater availability and less hardware
“Our communication is now far more efficient, and our employees can quite literally work from anywhere. Most importantly, we’ve succeeded in becoming even more accessible to our dealers. With XPhone Connect, we’ve taken a huge leap forward in every respect.”
Investment Security in IT Communication
The bicycle has enjoyed a strong upswing in recent years: cities are investing in cycle lanes and bike-friendly streets, more and more people are turning to cycling as a sustainable and healthy mode of transport – and as a sport, it’s more popular than ever.
For bicycle manufacturers, this means one thing: invest. KTM Fahrrad GmbH is well prepared. Alongside production and logistics, the company has consistently modernised its digital communication. With the business communication solution XPhone Connect, KTM has made itself far easier for dealers and partners to reach – while also streamlining its internal processes.
Requirement: Global Reach for Sales and Dealers
KTM sells its bicycles worldwide – from Europe to South America and Asia. Reliable global reach was therefore one of the central requirements for the new telephony solution. “Beyond that, flexibility, fast support and above all scalability were crucial for us,” explains Helmut Sperl, Head of IT at KTM Fahrrad GmbH. The company is already expanding further, including new halls to serve as a distribution hub for accessories such as helmets and clothing.
The Salzburg-based IT provider MEHOKO delivered the right solution: a Mitel PBX (formerly Unify) combined with XPhone Connect. The UC platform consolidates all key communication channels – telephony, chat, conferences and online meetings – and adds advanced features such as presence management and hotline management.
Mobile App: Office Extension, Anywhere in the World
“At first, we were almost modest, thinking simple call forwarding would do the job,” says Sperl with a smile. But the UC platform quickly showed its full potential – most notably through the Mobile App. “Our sales teams are constantly on the road. Thanks to the app, they can now be reached on their office extension whether they’re in Brazil, Finland or Taiwan.”
Employees also have secure access to all company contacts via the app, with data stored in compliance with GDPR on KTM’s own servers. This has not only replaced many DECT phones but also significantly reduced the overall number of hardware phones required.
Microsoft Teams Integration & Presence Management
Whether via desk phone, softphone or smartphone: the presence management system always shows if a colleague is available. Calendar synchronisation ensures that meetings are automatically reflected in presence status.
Another advantage is the integration with Microsoft Teams. XPhone automatically detects if an employee is in a Teams meeting and reroutes incoming calls accordingly.
Hotline Management for the Switchboard
The telephone switchboard benefits most from this setup. “Previously, staff could only see if someone was on a call – and even that wasn’t straightforward,” recalls Sperl. “Today, the switchboard can see at a glance who is available and how long someone will remain in a meeting. And anyone who doesn’t want to be disturbed can simply set their status to ‘Do not disturb’.”
Hotline management has also brought major improvements. All calls are now consolidated through a central hotline and intelligently distributed. Employees log in with a single click and instantly see how many calls are waiting. The result: an easier workflow for the switchboard and noticeably better service for customers and partners.
Smooth Migration Without Downtime
For KTM Fahrrad, availability is paramount – making the migration to the new system a critical challenge. “If our dealers hadn’t been able to reach us for half a day, it would have caused an uproar,” Sperl says. “But MEHOKO managed such a seamless migration that we weren’t offline for more than 10 minutes.”
MEHOKO implemented a redundant setup: while the new system and extensions were configured, the old phones remained in place. Only after the switchover was complete were the legacy devices removed, many of them replaced immediately by softphones.
Access to Contacts and SAP
Even when working remotely, staff can access all company contacts via the XPhone Client’s full-text search – which also enables caller identification. If a number isn’t already stored, simply highlighting it allows the call to be placed via hotkey. All calls are logged in the journal, even if the PC is switched off.
“With XPhone Connect, we’ve taken a huge leap forward in every respect,” Sperl concludes. “Our communication is far more efficient, our employees can work literally from anywhere, and most importantly, we’ve become much more accessible to our dealers.”
And KTM isn’t finished yet: the next milestone is the introduction of SAP, with a direct integration of ERP and communication.
