Beyond Telephony: How Challenger Business Communications Turns AI‑Driven Communications into Business Advantage

5 November 2026

Previously, our focus was communication. Today, it extends to productivity, customer experience and business intelligence. With Wildix’s continued innovation, forward-looking roadmap and genuine partner support, we can use the AI, automation and CRM integration capabilities within x-bees to solve real business problems, power critical processes and enable people to do their jobs better.

Challenger provides communications, connectivity and managed IT solutions to businesses across the UK. Its approach brings those capabilities together: understand how each customer operates, identify where technology can improve performance and help turn innovation into practical business value.

Through its partnership with Wildix, Challenger is taking that approach further, using x-bees, AI and automation to reduce administration, strengthen customer engagement and connect communications with the processes businesses depend on.

A Shared Vision Beyond Telephony

Challenger wanted a technology partner that could help it stand out in a competitive market and offer customers more than minutes, handsets and phone systems. Wildix’s focus on collaboration, customer engagement and business outcomes matched that ambition.

“What stood out was the innovation and the roadmap,” says Steve. “It was clear that Wildix wasn’t simply building another phone system.”

The cloud-first platform gave Challenger the foundation to develop its role as a trusted technology adviser. With x-bees, its customer conversations now begin with operational priorities: missed opportunities, unanswered enquiries, lost information and time-consuming manual work.

As Challenger introduces x-bees across its existing customer base, it is helping organisations assess the investment in that wider context. The discussion goes beyond the cost of a phone system to consider potential savings through automation, reduced administration and better visibility of sales activity.

Making AI Work for Customers

Challenger’s early adoption of Sales Intelligence 2.0, Wilma and AI voicebots reflects its commitment to bringing useful innovation to customers. The deciding factor is whether a capability can solve a business problem, improve customer experience or support revenue generation.

“The key for us has always been solving business problems,” Steve explains. “If a feature removes manual work, improves customer experience or helps generate revenue, it’s worth exploring.”

Automating call summaries and notes into customer CRMs is one example. It reduces the burden of writing up conversations and updating systems, while helping teams maintain consistent records and spend more time with customers. For insurance and legal businesses, where accuracy and record keeping are particularly important, that has clear operational value.

In one deployment, a customer wanted better visibility of interactions and stronger CRM adoption. Integrating x-bees into its workflow enabled call activity and notes to be captured automatically, improving consistency and reducing administration.

Challenger is also deploying voicebots and chatbots in hospitality and healthcare to handle enquiries during busy periods and outside normal operating hours. The business need is immediate: a missed call can mean a lost booking or delayed access to a service. Automation helps organisations respond while easing pressure on their teams.

Steve reports positive feedback from customers and colleagues. Initial caution about AI often gives way to faster adoption once people experience the time savings and ease of use.

Building Stronger Customer Relationships

Challenger also sees Revenue Intelligence as a way to support customers more proactively. Declining activity or changes in engagement can prompt a conversation about training, optimisation or additional functionality before dissatisfaction develops.

This extends the relationship beyond implementation. By understanding how customers use the technology, Challenger can help them gain more value as their needs evolve.

“When communications, AI, automation and CRM integrations become embedded within a customer’s day-to-day operations, we’re helping power critical business processes, not just providing a phone service,” says Steve.

That deeper involvement strengthens Challenger’s customer relationships by linking its service directly to efficiency, customer experience and revenue generation.

A Partnership That Supports Progress

Wildix’s training and ongoing support have helped Challenger build confidence in both the technology and its business value, equipping the team to explain what it can achieve for each customer.

“The team genuinely wants partners to succeed, and that comes through in both the training and the ongoing engagement,” Steve says. “It never felt like a supplier-customer relationship. It feels much more like a partnership.”

His advice to other partners follows the same principle: “Stop leading with features. Lead with business outcomes.”

For business leaders, he recommends starting with one process, workflow or challenge that technology can improve, then building from there.

“Technology should never replace the human element. It should enable people to do their jobs better. That’s where the real opportunity lies.”