Suncorp

website: suncorptech.com

Challenge
SunCorp is an OEM manufacturing Home [DECT] phones for a range of networks across Europe, its largest customer is BT with Telecom Italia a close second. It has a record of developing high quality innovative, but not cutting edge, designs at a competitive price point. Sales of their products, in some markets, were starting to slow.

Insight
The volume of fixed line voice calls is beginning to fall in many developed markets. In many urban areas the fixed line is used for broadband data access only whilst the residents use the convenience of mobile phones. In some Western European markets there are already now more registered mobile phones than the total adult population.

The reason for this growth is that Mobile phones are better at capturing the emotional benefits of communication, spontaneity and immediacy of contact. The conventional DECT phone looks tired by comparison.

Solution
We were asked to develop a flip phone that could emulate a mobile. Our response was in two stages:

Firstly to design a flip phone that could function more like a mobile with a large colour screen and simple mobile-like interface with SMS and Photo capability.

Secondly to recognise that with convergence the base station was an underexploited asset for networks trying to maintain a physical presence in the home. The base station has the physical and technological capacity to deliver a greater number of services and the handset was more than a phone but the means to facilitate user delivery.

Results
New models were designed in 3 months and exhibited at CEBIT in Hanover - subsequent sales exceeded predictions. A range of networks has purchased the models including BT, Deutsche telecom & France Telecom.