Proposing to replace the historical supplier of a large group such as Proximus, especially when this supplier does its job honourably with quality products, is an attempt to move a mountain.

To achieve this goal, one must be able to:

• Offer a product of at least equivalent quality to the current component,
• Obviously be cost competitive,
• But also, be able to offer significant added value to its customer.

Skylane Optics has achieved all of this with its XFP DWDM Tunable transceiver.

Challenges

The overall quality of a service is always dependent on the weakest component in the chain. Therefore, a quest for excellence such as that of Proximus is always accompanied by a search for the most reliable and best performing components, down to the smallest detail, such as choosing the best XFP transmitter for its equipment.

A transceiver is used to translate electrical signals from its host into light signals so that they can be carried by optical fibre. Also, what can differentiate two suppliers? On the one hand, we have the technical characteristics of course, and on this point Skylane Optics’ XFPs are high-end products. And on the other hand, the price. But there is also a third aspect that should not be underestimated: the support a supplier provides to its customer; and it is precisely on this point that Skylane Optics stands out the most.

How Product Helped

The XFP DWDM Tunable is a high-end product marketed by Skylane Optics. It is true that it respects the specifics of the market standards for this type of component, but with the requirements that Skylane Optics imposes in terms of quality. However, for Proximus, quality was only the sine qua non, not what really tipped the balance.

Price is of course a differentiator and Skylane Optics can boast an attractive offer, on average 40% lower than its competitor. This is obviously a sobering thought. But surprising as it may seem, this is not Skylane Optics’ greatest asset.

What really stood out, and had a real impact, were its qualities as a local supplier on the one hand, and its technical and commercial support on the other.

• Proximity and short circuits have enabled Skylane Optics to free Proximus from its own stock management
• Adapted logistics for Proximus: the transceivers were individually wrapped, whereas they are usually packaged in batches of ten, and the SAP product reference was affixed to each of them.
• Transparent communication on the delivery times of parts, even in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
• And a reactive technical and commercial team, which never hesitated to travel to the site to offer its expertise, but also to give visibility on new products and market trends.

It was this set of services that really made Skylane Optics stand out to Proximus.

About us

Skylane Optics, a Belgium-based SME founded in 2009 by Philippe Bolle, is a technological gem in the heart of Wallonia (the mainly French-speaking part of Belgium). Its flagship product: A range of optical transceivers compatible with the world’s largest OEMs. Converting electrical signals into optical signals and vice-versa, and slightly larger than a USB key, they increase the power and speed of data transmission over fiber optic networks.

With operations in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, Skylane Optics is a multinational company that continues to grow in the highly competitive telecommunications market.

For more information: Website