How can a smart app make your (local) digital life easier?
I don't know about you, but my daily life is becoming increasingly digital. From ordering food to finding a parking space - everything is done through apps. But honestly? Sometimes it feels like too much hassle: creating a new account with a password every time, in some cases, adding your payment details. That's why we developed Proximus+, an app that does more than catering for separate needs: it's a platform that really wants to make everyday life easier. No unnecessary bells and whistles, just a single app to find everything, from neighborhood information to cashback and mobility. And the best part? We're doing this together with local partners, so that it's not just smart, but also relevant and local. This article is about how we achieved this, the challenges we overcame and why I think this app will make a difference - maybe for you, too.
From network provider to digital guide
The launch of Proximus+ in April marked an important step in our aspiration to take up a central role in our customers' daily digital lives. By integrating a wide range of local services and products, the new Proximus+ app aims to become an indispensable digital companion for its current 1 million users.
The decision to step over to Proximus+ came from a clear observation: although our premium networks such as Fiber and 5G deliver top-notch performance, we noticed that customers often got lost in the wide range of digital solutions on offer. In other words, they were relying more than ever on our networks for essential services such as streaming, social media and cloud storage, but they also needed a trusted guide to make their everyday digital lives easier.
This is obviously a challenge we are happy to take on. Indeed, we want to ensure that Proximus plays a more central role in our customers' digital experience through new, engaging services, while helping our customers make the most of digital opportunities to simplify their daily lives. The evolution of the MyProximus app into Proximus+ is our solution to add relevant value every day, offering, on top of telecom services, services related to mobility, neighborhood communication, energy management as well as cashbacks. In that respect, Proximus+ is more than just an app: it's an ecosystem that responds to the daily digital needs of our customers, with a clear focus on local relevance and social responsibility.
World-class innovation through local partners
One of the key choices that I am personally most proud of is that we made a deliberate decision to develop Proximus+ together with local partners. For me, it was important to create not only a platform that provides services, but also one that is deeply embedded in the local community. We are working with Belgian partners such as Hoplr for neighborhood communication, NMBS and 4411 for mobility, and EnergieId and Gaele for optimizing your energy consumption and costs. This is a deliberate choice because we find that customers are more involved in services that have a local dimension, such as buying train tickets or taking part in events in their neighborhood.
This collaboration benefits not only our customers, who get easy access to everyday services, but also our local partners. For customers, it means less hassle, because they can access essential services in a single place without having to create or log in to accounts each time. In turn, the Belgian startups and companies we work with benefit from the huge user base and trust that Proximus has built up. This allows them to expand their reach and attract new customers, while we at Proximus do our part to strengthen the local economy.
One of the features I use a lot and am particularly proud of is the Proximus+ Wallet. This allows customers to link their bank accounts and easily monitor their budget. What makes it really interesting is the integration of the cashback system. Customers can get cash back on purchases from participating businesses such as Torfs, Smartphoto and Uber, without having to take any extra steps. All you have to do as a customer is link your bank account to the app and the rest is automatic. This is exactly the kind of added value we want to offer our customers with our 'Proximus for You' program.
In addition to technological innovation, we also want to leverage Proximus+ to take up our social responsibility. This means working to promote digital inclusion, especially for people who struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world. Here too, local partners play a crucial role. A good example of this is how we can help the elderly to use (now often mandatory) digital parking apps, as I experienced in Ostend, where my in-laws live. They found it difficult to make the switch to digital payments, but with Proximus+ we can help them by simplifying the process. Thanks to the integration into the app, they do not have to create an additional account and the payment is simply made through their usual Proximus bill, which helps them stay on top of things.
From an ambitious idea to a future-proof platform
Turning our ambitious idea into a working platform obviously did not come without challenges. What felt to many like a simple update was in fact a complete redesign of the app, with a new name, look and technology. The big question was: how to ensure a smooth transition for 1 million users without disrupting their user experience? Our priority was to seamlessly migrate customers who were already logged in without requiring them to re-enter their data. Thanks to advanced technologies and a phased migration, this transition went nearly unnoticed by the users.
This successful migration didn't only mark the launch Proximus+ as a thoroughly revamped platform, but has also maintained the trust of our customers. The process has been so smooth that users have barely noticed the technical changes, while benefiting from a much wider range of services.
Although we have already achieved a lot with Proximus+, I believe we are only starting to unravel its possibilities. The app will continue to evolve, with the aim of simplifying our customers' daily lives through digital solutions. Future enhancements include further development of our cashback program, allowing customers to receive discounts from even more partners. That's why we recently announced our partnership with Belfius, offering our customers exclusive discounts on banking and insurance products. In addition, we will continue to focus on energy management and new partnerships with local players, such as Fluvius and Net2Grid, to help customers better manage their energy costs. Of course, we also continue to enhance our customers' digital telecom experience, with new home Wi-Fi management features and eSIM onboarding. In short, Proximus+ enables us to strengthen our bond with our customers and support them in a rapidly digitizing world, today and in the future.
What about you ? What other features could we add to this app to make your daily life even easier? We'd love to hear it from you.
As Consumer Market Lead at Proximus, Jim Casteele understands better than anyone the importance of relevance in a rapidly changing digital world. In this article, he shares his inspiring vision on the added value of the Proximus+ app for customers in their daily lives and the crucial role of collaboration with local partners to achieve this.
