Alchemy Telco is the premier mobile aggregator for the West African region. Historically located in the Gambia, and recently also in Sierra Leone and Mauritania, the company offers voice and messaging services, mainly A2P SMS. Most of Alchemy’s clients are financial institutions that use the A2P SMS service to send one-time passwords.
Before becoming an SMS aggregator, Alchemy was a wholesaler of ground and cashew nuts across the Gambia. When Alchemy could not find any, and not finding any service- provider in the Gambia, the company quickly realized that SMS could be the answer leading Alchemy to develop its own SMS aggregation software and service and becoming the company it is nowadays.
In order to expand the coverage of its A2P SMS service to serve other SMS aggregators willing to send SMS to West African mobile users, Alchemy searched for an international A2P SMS partner. Several criteria guided Alchemy’s decision to select Orange’s wholesale A2P SMS service, such as the strong presence of the Orange group in Africa, its numerous innovations on the continent – for example Orange money-, and the Group’s reputation for quality services. Indeed, quality of service was paramount. “We cannot afford to risk our reputation with a service that doesn’t work, says Kim Buller, President of Alchemy Telco LTD in the Gambia. We wanted to select the most reliable service that would guarantee our customers that all of their SMS would be delivered in real-time. That’s why we chose Orange.”
The combination of Alchemy’s software and Orange’s wholesale A2P SMS solution, with its numerous direct and secure routes guaranteeing delivery and monetization of SMS, delivers a powerful solution for enterprises in Western Africa and other countries. Alchemy Telco can now serve clients, even the most demanding, in the UK and the USA.
Buller adds: “One could be tempted to consider price as the most essential factor. However, you must also take into account the routes through which the traffic passes. Only direct routes can maximize quality of service.”
Another key differentiator has been support. Throughout the purchasing process and continuing now that the service is live, Alchemy Telco has benefited from Orange’s recommendations, sound processes, and continuous support. Buller praises Orange’s Account Manager: “nothing is too much trouble for her. I’m happy to say that service is next to amazing.”
