Orange Belgium acquires broad ICT expertise

BKM, the ICT service provider that specialises in unified communications and collaboration, IT and security solutions, document and visual solutions and connectivity, changed its name to BKM-Orange following the 2019 acquisition by Orange Belgium. On 1 March 2024, Orange Belgium took over all activities. The name BKM no longer exists and the company has been fully integrated into Orange Belgium.

But why did Orange Belgium opt for this acquisition? How will it impact its customers and what does the future have in store? We spoke to Rigo Gielen, Commercial Director B2B at Orange Belgium.

On 1 March 2024, BKM-Orange was fully integrated into Orange Belgium. What was the reasoning behind that decision?

“Orange Belgium acquired BKM in 2019 and from day one, our choice and strategy was to fully integrate the company over time. But we didn’t want to rush the process. That is why we elected to start by gearing our structures and processes to each other. Today we have a solid foundation and can implement the full integration of BKM. This approach was also better and more transparent for our customers. From now on they can call on a single company with a single brand name: Orange Belgium.” 

How will the acquisition strengthen and support Orange Belgium’s overall strategy?

“The acquisition fits in perfectly with Orange Belgium’s vision: Lead the Future. We have a significant telecoms offering, both fixed and mobile. In addition, we provide premium services to business customers, with ICT being an essential part. The integration of BKM and the onboarding of their 180 ICT experts made this possible. By adding ICT solutions to our offering, we can provide a much wider scope of services to our customers and support them with ICT at every stage of their growth. The fusion is about much more than streamlining business activities. We are perfecting the customer experience, developing our ICT portfolio and increasing efficiency. We are going full steam ahead to achieve customer experience excellence.”

What market trends do the integrated solutions of Orange Belgium respond to?

“It is obvious that many companies are undergoing a digital transformation. We are seeing significant evolutions, specifically in the area of hybrid working. Today it is no longer an emergency plan but a strategic necessity. And this evolution inevitably impacts numerous business processes and structures. The possibilities are endless: UCC solutions with extra customer engagement functionalities, an omnichannel approach to optimise interaction, innovative collaboration tools...

“Companies have also started thinking more about their IT infrastructure and its security. Digital transformation brings an increase of data and applications in the cloud. The IT infrastructure must therefore evolve with it and extra attention must be paid to securing cloud environments.”

How will the knowledge of the former BKM be deployed in Orange Belgium’s expert teams?

“Our approach is based on the concept of complementarity. The former BKM teams will work alongside our traditional telecom teams, but obviously they will collaborate closely. This way ICT remains a speciality in our organisation.”

The integration of BKM into Orange Belgium is now complete. What does the future have in store?

“For Orange, the integration of BKM has opened up a new world brimming with opportunity. A central role in this process is reserved for the ICT experts who are now part of Orange Belgium. In the long term, this integration will allow us to offer even more integrated solutions while fine-tuning our services even further. ICT is a growth market that we will continue to focus on, always keeping the needs of our customers in mind.”