Since their inception over 20 years ago, Telenor Connexion have expanded from their homebase in the Nordics and now have a presence and impact in nearly all corners of the globe. As one of the leading providers of international IoT solutions based on over 500 global mobile networks, they supply critical connectivity technology to enable roaming-based services for moving devices, with automotive as a key industry.
The significant growth of the global business compared to the Nordic operations means Telenor Connexion need to be agile and able to respond to customer needs in the local markets where they do business. But setting up subsidiaries and employing staff in each location would be financially and legally complicated.
Employment services that work for the business
For the past seven years, Business Sweden has been able to step in and take away the risk involved in employing local staff and complying with local labour laws.
Seth Ryding, Chief Sales Officer for Telenor Connexion explains:
“Our primary production is done in Sweden. But in the markets where our customers are, we need to provide sales and tech support. This is often just a small number of staff, so we need local employment solutions that are agile, reliable, and tailored to our needs in the different markets. Business Sweden’s solutions are perfect for our needs.
“We don’t have local entities in each market, but we still need to employ people; Business Sweden employ our staff, but from an operational and business culture perspective, they are 100% Telenor Connexion.”
The flexible employment and admin services are tailored for each market, and Telenor Connexion can assess what works best. Ryding continues:
“The tipping point for setting up an entity would be related to commercial risk, not the number of employees; for example, we would assess the tax implications in the specific market, the labour laws, but also the brand value and purpose if the local employee is not employed directly. For some individuals this could be seen as a risk, but with the Business Sweden model we use business culture to bridge this gap, and we treat all our locally employed staff like direct employees. Our culture is very strong, and all our global sales and tech people are included in bi-annual sales conferences and other key initiatives during the year.
“We also follow local employment terms and standards. We have tried applying Nordic standards in local markets and that does not always work. So, we adhere to local requirements and offer cultural benefits in line with direct employees.”
Collaboration and insights add value
Being able to reduce the risk and administration processes associated with local employments means Ryding and his teams around the globe can focus on their core business.
Telenor Connexion’s target large international enterprises who need global connectivity that works everywhere. Some examples are car manufacturing exporters, including SAIC, Great Wall Motors and Volvo Cars, whose subsidiary brands have their headquarters in different countries. These customers connect cars in different markets and use sim cards provided by Telenor Connexion, so the sales and tech teams need to be present there to support their needs.
This is where the second part of Telenor Connexion and Business Sweden’s relationship intersects.
In addition to the corporate services, the collaboration has extended to market assessments in China, Korea, Taiwan, the US, Italy, and France. Understanding Telenor Connexion’s business needs means Business Sweden have also been able to map target customers within the company’s key verticals. For Telenor Connexion, this information enables them to make informed business decisions and connect with the right suppliers and multipliers.
With the admin and employment services running in the background, the additional collaborations add significant value. Ryding explains:
“The services are separate operations but offer connected business value. It is a case of one plus one equals three.
“We have participated in several high-level delegations and my relationship with country managers and trade commissioners from Business Sweden means we have access to and can talk about business development, business to government opportunities, and potential regulatory and political challenges and opportunities. Our local sales staff also leverage these relationships and meetings.
“We need to be present in markets that have big export potential and impact, and Business Sweden provide insights and access to the right people when we need it.”
Ryding concludes:
“The attitude, mentality, and drive to support from all the local Business Sweden teams is very positive. From invoices to admin support, it just rolls on and is very easy. We appreciate the management consultant approach of always being there. The collaboration is hugely valuable.”
About Telenor Connexion
Telenor Connexion is the unit within Telenor that specialises in providing IoT solutions for large, global customers who need a customised offer with advanced support. We help our customers roll out scalable, stable, and secure IoT solutions that meet their needs for coverage, quality and price.