KPN brings AI to the mobile workday of SMEs

Research shows that 82% of SMEs struggle with the structural application of AI, while it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good staff. Productivity growth is also lagging behind. That is why KPN is introducing Mobile AI: a mobile subscription in which AI is an integral part. As a result, entrepreneurs see immediately what is important and which agreements have been made after every phone call, allowing them to follow up on customer inquiries faster and avoid missing out on orders.

“This is the first mobile subscription that helps entrepreneurs extract more commercial opportunities from customer conversations, while customers are helped faster and better,” says Thomas Tolsma, responsible for SMEs at KPN.

With this, KPN makes AI just as natural as mobile calling. Mobile AI automatically processes phone calls into a summary of the key points, actions, and agreements. The service also converts voicemails into text, giving entrepreneurs a quicker overview and enabling targeted follow-up. In this way, AI does not become a separate application that they have to organize themselves, but a standard part of business communication.

High pressure on accessibility among SMEs
“We see that many SMEs struggle with the expectation of being available at all times. Mobile AI supports them in this,” says Thomas Tolsma. Gym owner Leon Donkers of Trainbox recognizes this: “I receive many phone calls every day, even when I am giving training. I want to keep my attention on the training, but of course I don’t want to miss out on a new customer either.” Previous research shows that 61 percent of SMEs experience stress due to expectations regarding availability. At the same time, 66 percent of the surveyed entrepreneurs expect that AI can take over part of the customer contact and thus reduce the workload.

First step for AI to mobile
However, in practice, AI is still far from being deployed structurally . “Entrepreneurs are well aware of the possibilities of AI by now. The challenge lies primarily in applying it simply in daily work,” says Thomas Tolsma. Companies indicate that without AI, they miss commercial opportunities in customer conversations. “If opportunities are lost there, then AI must help entrepreneurs precisely there: in the conversation with their customer, on their mobile phone. And this is just the first step. In the coming period, we will be adding new features, including an AI assistant and a smart selection menu.”

Available for new and existing SME customers
New business customers can choose a mobile subscription with or without Mobile AI. Existing customers with KPN EEN MKB can easily add the service to their subscription without switching providers or changing numbers. Mobile AI was developed by KPN and uses technology from ElevenLabs for its AI functions. ElevenLabs is one of the world's leading and fastest-growing AI companies in the field of voice and conversational AI. Through KPN Ventures, KPN invests in ElevenLabs and works closely with them to make the latest AI innovations available to its customers.

KPN will further expand this first version of Mobile AI with new functionalities over the coming months. Mobile AI will be available from October 1st. Entrepreneurs can use it for free for the first two months, after which it starts at €7.50 per month. More information can be found here .