When I recently roamed through a big department store I noticed two things: As in many big and concrete buildings, 2G and 3G network coverage is rather weak, especially on the lower floors. And secondly, many of the employees are running around with very fashionable DECT phones, designed in the 1980's. At some point I guess the DECT system has to be replaced, something that is likely to cost a significant amount of money. So once that comes around, why not partnering with a mobile network operator to put in a dedicated 2G/3G coverage for customers and employees and rather spend the money on this than a new DECT system?
I've seen network operators who even support short codes among users of the same "virtual company" and I could even imagine that such a service could be added to an already existing private subscription of department store employees. And, with dedicated network coverage in the department store, it's easy to guess which network operator employees would go to over time, perhaps including some of their family if you offer good family calling plans. To me, that looks like a win-win-win situation. And on top, management could even boost about outsourcing the telephone system, because, really, that's not the core business of a department store, is it…