Good communication is essential for efficient collaboration. Based in Turnhout, Hello helps companies get more out of Microsoft Teams.
Many companies today are deeply anchored in the Microsoft ecosystem. Teams is often the go-to communication platform for calling, chatting, and meetings. However, hybrid communication still frequently proves to be a stumbling block. Hello has made it its mission to solve that.
The Turnhout-based company, recently acquired by Cheops, was founded with a clear focus: making communication within Microsoft 365 simpler, more consistent, and more user-friendly. “We extend this right into the meeting room, where communication has been neglected for too long. The importance of the ‘digital impression’ you make as an organization cannot be underestimated,” says Managing Director Koen Van Loon.
A layer of adoption over Teams
In Hello’s vision, it’s about more than just technology that does what it’s supposed to do. Van Loon explains: “The user must see the added value. A communication platform is completely different from, for example, ERP software, where only one target group feels the impact. It involves much more than just calling: we combine communication with collaboration. Every user needs to be on board.”
Hello therefore swears by the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. “We use the functionalities that are already standard in Teams, from calling to meetings. We bundle all of this into a single interface and then add a layer of adoption. We proactively teach customers how to use the tools they often already have at their disposal. That ensures an easy learning curve,” he continues.
With this approach, Hello has already managed to win over big names in Belgium, such as Studio 100. “We focus on ‘healthy’, larger SMEs,” says Van Loon. “These types of organizations experience the added value of a centrally managed communication platform that spans multiple departments. For us, it doesn’t matter whether the customer wants to connect ten, a hundred, or a thousand users. We scale along with their needs.”
Bridging the gap with Microsoft
The fact that perceptions of ‘American’ technology are shifting in the European market does not deter Van Loon. “Microsoft is indispensable in the market today: about eight out of ten Belgian companies use the technology. There is no full-fledged alternative to what Microsoft offers. You have to face that reality. Other systems are often also in the American sphere. The big players realize they need to invest in European anchoring.”
The role of local partners like Hello is important in this, Van Loon believes. “Microsoft is the client, but customers call through us. We bridge the gap between specific knowledge of Microsoft technology and governance, to determine what is and isn’t possible and what the ‘exit’ scenarios are, but then we’re really talking about the worst case scenario.”
Microsoft is indispensable in the market. You have to face that reality.
Koen Van Loon, Managing Director Hello
Van Loon sees that specific Microsoft focus as a strength. “We have to differentiate ourselves from what the big telecom players like Proximus and Telenet do. As an IT company, you have two options: either you try to do everything, or you choose a niche. We very consciously chose the latter. That means you have to constantly keep up with everything happening in the industry.”
“Knowing what you’re talking about and sharing that knowledge: that’s how you create loyal customers. Sometimes you also have to dare to say no to things you have less expertise in,” says Van Loon.
AI as a lever for better communication
Van Loon wants to continue growing Hello, both in volume and in client size. The acquisition by Cheops should give the company extra resources to realize those ambitions. “In an automated and scalable way, to continue providing high-quality service with as few resources as possible. Specialists are rare, and that won’t change anytime soon. In the long run, we want to be the first company businesses think of when it comes to communication.”
It sounds like a cliché, but AI will play a crucial role in the evolution of Hello and communication technology in general. “If you miss the AI boat as a communication specialist now, you won’t be in the game in a few years. We are already experimenting with digital communication assistants that forward or summarize calls. Small interventions can often make a world of difference,” Van Loon concludes.
We want to be the first company people think of when it comes to communication.
Koen Van Loon, Managing Director Hello
In the ‘ICT in Belgium’ series, we focus on local, Belgian players in the sector. Do you want to discover more Belgian specialists? Here you will find all the interviews from the series.