OPTUS BUSINESS ENABLES AGILE WORKING MODEL FOR KNIGHT FRANK AUSTRALIA

Roll-out begins with Knight Frank’s Sydney and Brisbane offices, followed by Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

Optus Business has announced a Skype for Business roll-out at Knight Frank Australia. Knight Frank is a world leading independent commercial and residential real estate consultancy. The partnership supports Knight Frank’s strategic move to an agile working model; an ICT-enabled approach to building a more agile and collaborative working environment.

Optus consulted on the telecommunications architecture design, the devices required, through to implementation and end-user training to encourage user adoption. Work has commenced on the roll-out of Skype for Business across the company’s Brisbane and Sydney offices, and will soon be extended to Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

As Knight Frank’s strategic telecommunications and technology provider in Australia, Optus developed an end-to-end agile communications model that would help staff to embrace mobile working.

John Paitaridis, Managing Director at Optus Business, said: “This implementation demonstrates the value of collaboration and a customer-centric approach in the design and delivery of innovative communications systems. With this roll-out, Optus is enabling Knight Frank to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing marketplace and its demand for a dynamic, agile workforce.”

Kathleen Stubbs, Knight Frank Group Information Technology Director, said: “The feedback from staff has been resoundingly positive. They can now work more effectively on-the-go and collaborate easily with our global teams. As a long-term Optus customer, there was the added advantage of end-to-end continuity for our communications systems and the peace of mind of working with a single provider.”

With the Skype for Business platform used widely across Knight Frank’s global operations, the move to transition over 800 Australian employees to the platform will enable the company to work towards a centralised global communications model, with all staff on the same system.

The new solution also includes Optus Business Voice over IP (VoIP) services – a solution that supports staff preferences to talk rather than type, and mobile devices and headsets to replace legacy desk phones.

Ms Stubbs said for Knight Frank, IT has been the key enabler for an agile working model, with benefits ranging from increased staff satisfaction, improved collaboration and financial benefits.

“Keen to attract the next generation of leaders by building a non-traditional office environment, it is important to adopt a new way of working that delivers choice, accessibility and freedom. The desk is no longer an anchor.

We often get together across geographical locations and blur the lines between teams to achieve our mutual goals. Our new way of working accommodates this movement from individual spaces to shared team spaces that favour collaboration,” said Ms Stubbs.

Media contacts

Steve Batten

Optus Corporate Affairs
T: (02) 8082 8795

E: Steve.Batten@optus.com.au

Mihika Gujral
Text100 Public Relations
T: (02) 9956 5733
E: sydneyoptusteam@text100.com.au