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Telcoinabox invests heavily into network upgrade which extends into New Zealand Telcoinabox high flyer recognises THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE SugarCRM targets business managers, not IT Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE! Telcoinabox New Zealand signs record number of new service providers New Zealand Credit Union South partners with Telcoinabox to save members money Telcoinabox New Zealand on track for expansion with Auckland office opening and two new appointments Telcoinabox launches flagship operations centre Telcoinabox launches mobile-in-a-box in response to market demand in New Zealand |
Press roomTelcoinabox invests heavily into network upgrade which extends into New ZealandFull-service telecommunications wholesale aggregator, Telcoinabox has spent the last 12 months gearing for growth to service the escalating demand among individuals and non-traditional telecommunications businesses to become their own telco. The company has invested over $1 million in network and systems upgrades, new product launches and hiring 20 new staff at the Australian and New Zealand Operations Centre (ANZOC) to meet the demand. read more Full-service telecommunications wholesale aggregator, Telcoinabox has spent the last 12 months gearing for growth to service the escalating demand among individuals and non-traditional telecommunications businesses to become their own telco. The company has invested over $1 million in network and systems upgrades, new product launches and hiring 20 new staff at the Australian and New Zealand Operations Centre (ANZOC) to meet the demand. Customer acquisition Over the past year 60 new retail service providers have signed with Telcoinabox to become their own phone company, half of which were ex-telco dealers. “Telco dealers need just as much telco specific infrastructure support as any start-up or non-traditional telco starting out in the industry,” says Telcoinabox CEO Damian Kay. “Telco dealers are used to selling plans for other carriers and now they can own their own customer. We have replicated that model as close as possible to allow them to do what they do best – sell,” he adds. The model simplifies their business operations as they can turn to a ‘one-stop-shop’ provider that manages the relationships with carriers and supplies a complete end-to-end back office solution, including customer support, billing and provisioning. The other new retail service providers that have signed with Telcoinabox this year include a mix of systems integrators, managed service providers and existing businesses with large customer bases looking to add telecommunications to their businesses. The micro-acquisition strategy that was launched early 2011 to help Telcoinabox’s existing customers grow their businesses through acquisition has taken an unexpected twist this year. “We are pleased to announce that some of our takeover targets have opted to become Telcoinabox retail service providers instead. “It says a lot when an existing retail service provider changes supplier relationships and migrates their billing system to ours. “In our view this is a strong indicator that the market acknowledges the profit-making potential in creating a business in telecommunications. We appreciate that NBN has a lot to do with this trend,” said Telcoinabox CEO, Damian Kay. Systems upgrade and new contract signings The company’s largest internal infrastructure development project is now complete. The network has been upgraded with Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) capability and has now been extended into New Zealand allowing Telcoinabox to offer advanced Trans-Tasman telco solutions. In addition, the network capacity is now quadrupled increasing the support for thousands of new customers. Fixed line and DSL bundles have also been launched to the Australian market which are competitive against unbundled local loop (ULL), Line Spectrum Sharing (LSS) and naked DSL offerings. New agreements have been signed with Telstra to resell Telstra’s new wholesale products including 3G Mobile and business grade SHDSL. This will be launched to service providers next week. Telcoinabox has also signed agreements with new carriers last month, AAPT, to supply Midband Ethernet, including IPLine (internal business lines) and Elines (external business lines) and Soul to supply to Ethernet First Mile (EFM). “By adding new carriers to our wholesale carrier mix allows us to broaden our product profile as well as give retail service providers’ customers more choice to pick and choose the best product mix that fits their telco needs and price points,” says Mr Kay. This month new Optus mobile plans were launched along with wireless broadband. Telcoinabox will announce more carrier deals later this year. ANZOC currently has 80 staff members to support the infrastructure and its system developments, manage service providers and relationships with carriers. For comment, please contact: Telcoinabox CEO Damian Kay on 0413 888 655. For information, contact Andreina Amato 0410 434 227. About Telcoinabox Established in 2002, Telcoinabox is a telecommunications wholesale aggregator which provides an end-to-end ‘in-a-box’ solution to 160 individually branded retail service providers (RSP) across Australia and New Zealand. Customers include start-ups, system integrators, managed service providers and non-traditional telcos that want to add telecommunications to their existing businesses. Telcoinabox manages the relationships with carriers (Telstra, Optus, AAPT, Soul, Engin and NBN) on behalf of its customers - the RSPs - and provides telecommunications products (fixed line, mobile and data) and white-label back-office services including customer support, billing and provisioning. By outsourcing to Telcoinabox RSPs are free to focus on marketing, sales and account management. www.telcoinabox.com.au Telcoinabox high flyer recognises THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFETelcoinabox offers an equitable work-life balance with recurring income In This Article Help People Save Money Meeting Financial And Lifestyle Goals For corporate high flyer Deon van der Nist, lying in a hospital bed recovering from swine flu was, ‘A reality check that opened my eyes to the important things in life. I could see it was time for making major decisions to achieve a more equitable work-life balance.’ read more Telcoinabox offers an equitable work-life balance with recurring income. 
For corporate high flyer Deon van der Nist, lying in a hospital bed recovering from swine flu was, ‘A reality check that opened my eyes to the important things in life. I could see it was time for making major decisions to achieve a more equitable work-life balance.’ That was well over a year ago. Today, as a Telcoinabox service provider, Deon is building a substantial business with the promise of recurring income. Even better, on most days he drops off and collects 8-year-old son Aiden from his North Shore school – something he could never do when heading up a working capital business unit in a major bank. Deon and his wife Antoinette both have banking backgrounds and when they left South Africa for New Zealand in 2005, Deon quickly resumed his corporate career at a senior management level with ANZ. ‘Two years later, I was promoted to a leading role which meant a lot of travel and big demands on my time. It wasn’t exactly good for family life, which is what I realised when I was lying in bed. I decided the time had come to go into business for myself and I have to say I got a lot of understanding and support from my employer.’ Deon started looking for a suitable opportunity and became particularly interested in telecommunications, where he was only too aware of the benefits that effective telco systems can bring to business. ‘That’s when I came across Telcoinabox.’ Help People Save MoneyTelcoinabox (pronounced Telco-in-a-box) enables people to take on the big players by establishing their own company offering a full range of telco services including landlines, calling, dial-up, broadband, mobile, mobile broadband, toll free numbers, web and email hosting. The Australian-based system has been highly successful on both sides of the Tasman: the company handles all the back end activities like administration, billing, technical help and support services, while service providers focus on the customers. The start-up cost is just $65,000. As Deon has proved, you don’t need experience in the telecommunications industry, but you do need to be able to analyse people’s needs and help provide them with a better solution. ‘There’s a lot of “smoke and mirrors” stuff in this industry,’ Deon explains. ‘Take free minutes or Best Mate-type deals, for example. They seem like a good deal, but are they? It comes as quite a shock to prospective clients when, by analysing their bill, I show them how the high cost of calls when their free minutes run out totally negates any benefits. What we can do is tailor-make a highly competitive package to suit each client’s individual needs.’ The result is that Deon’s clients can save money, while Deon makes money – a satisfactory outcome all round. Deon is the first to admit that his experience in relationship building has stood him in good stead. ‘My philosophy is “Putting honesty back into telecommunications,” so growing this business is not about selling but about networking and referrals, building the type of relationships that the big telecommunications providers are unable to match. It takes time, patience and a flexible approach to build your client base. For example, at times I’ll take it on the chin with line rental pricing as a way of getting a foot in the door with customers so I can then arrange the far more lucrative mobile services when their existing contracts expire.’ Meeting Financial And Lifestyle GoalsAll Telcoinabox service providers operate under their own brand names – Deon’s is TelSure Communications – to enable them to target their chosen market. This also gives them the freedom to develop their businesses in different ways – an advantage Deon has made full use of in his determination to achieve balance in his life. ‘If you’ve got big ambitions, I believe you can achieve much more with at least two people, so one can focus on networking and relationship building while the other handles client support and other aspects of the business,’ says Deon. ‘But Antoinette runs her own very successful childcare and learning centre, so I’ve adopted a different model by building a team of commission-based staff. ‘These people have the opportunity to build strong commission-based recurring income for themselves, while developing the overall TelSure brand,’ he says. ‘I’ve been very selective about whom I employ, as it’s important they share my zeal for bringing values and integrity to the New Zealand telecommunications market. I’m not going to quote figures, for obvious reasons, but it’s fair to say that they are finding themselves extremely well remunerated. Of course we’ve had some growing pains but, after just 12 months, the franchise is starting to deliver on my financial as well as my lifestyle goals.’ Guy Alexander, the company’s Business Development Executive, says that Deon is one of many using Telcoinabox to achieve their goals. ‘Some of the 23-plus Telcoinabox service providers in New Zealand work individually, some work with their spouse or a business partner. So whatever you’re looking for, if you think it’s time to change your life-work balance, pick up the phone and call me. We’ll even pay for the call!’ This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 21 Issue 2 Contact details for Telcoinabox We welcome links from other websites to this article. Please note that this article is copyright © Franchise NZ Marketing Limited, Franchise New Zealand magazine and Franchise New Zealand On Line. While it may be downloaded for personal use, no part may be reproduced on any other website, in electronic or printed form or in any other form whatsoever. SugarCRM targets business managers, not ITLine-of-business owners have become a core target for customer relationship management software sales, displacing CIOs and IT managers as a mere “veto factor” in the procurement process, according to software vendor SugarCRM. read more Line-of-business owners have become a core target for customer relationship management software sales, displacing CIOs and IT managers as a mere “veto factor” in the procurement process, according to software vendor SugarCRM. The US company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Clint Oram, said the company had seen a shift in sales from CIOs to sales professionals eagerly looking to replace spreadsheets with the software. “I think what we’re seeing right across the board is the line-of-business is looking for a solution that’s driving the purchasing process,” he said. “IT might be a bit more in the procurement side of things or a bit more as a veto factor as opposed to making a decision about which solution they’re actually going with.” In recent years, vendors, regulators and IT managers have warned of the risks and data governance issues associated with “rogue” cloud deployments, commissioned by various business units without the approval of IT. Certain Australian organisations have blocked access to unwanted cloud providers' websites from within the corporate network. Others have introduced enterprise-wide policies to balance the convenience of those services with control. New sales drive The sales process is a change for SugarCRM, which has previously pitched the open source version of its software to small and medium businesses. Last week, the company announced that it had raised $US33 million ($A32 million) in a equity and debt financing round, to be used to pursue the enterprise IT market and "strategic business opportunities". SugarCRM vendor has 600 customers in Australia and New Zealand, most of which are evenly split between the company’s on-demand cloud platform, its channel program and on-premise deployments. Australia/New Zealand country manager Tony Hughes said the average local deployment was “a little lower than 20 seats”, but the company has recently won business with an Australian company aiming for 1400 seats as well as a multi-national whose business could see 7000 seats deployed on the software in Australia alone. It counts customers including Macquarie University, Trans-Tasman Business Circle and Telcoinabox. The latter dumped a nine-month Salesforce.com deployment after “what they said they could do and the customisation required didn’t match what the reality was”, according to co-founder Damian Kay. Hughes said the difference between IT professionals and line-of-business managers during the sales professional had slowly dissipated. “It’s relatively new. Historically IT people were buying products and business people were buying business solutions and there’s often a gap but I’m seeing that gap close,” he said. Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE!Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE! read more An ex-Telecom man looked at the Telcoinabox franchise – and bought it
It would be a waste of breath suggesting to Angus Macniven that the sun doesn’t always shine on Nelson – he’s far too optimistic for that kind of talk. And who can blame him? Since he and wife Sharon made the move from Auckland early in 2011, they’ve had their first baby, made friends and just launched Nelson’s newest telecommunications service provider.
Angus is the latest franchisee with Telcoinabox, which enables people to establish their own company offering a full range of telco services including landlines, calling, dial-up, broadband, mobile, mobile broadband, toll free numbers, web and email hosting. Franchisees establish companies under their own brand to reflect the local or network market that they have chosen to target. In Angus’s case, that brand is, perhaps not surprisingly, SunTel and after just three weeks in serious business-building mode, his new company is already tracking ahead of projections. Although many Telcoinabox franchisees have no experience in the telecommunications industry at all, Angus spent 10 years with Telecom and then worked with a wireless services company which brought him into contact with Telcoinabox. ‘I realised that here was something with great potential that was ideal for me,’ he says. ‘The Telcoinabox training programmes confirmed the quality of the support and management systems for me. Telcoinabox handles all the back end activities like administration, billing, technical help and support services, which allows me to focus on the front end, marketing and growing my SunTel business – it’s fantastic.’ Angus soon realised the truth of what Telcoinabox founder Damian Kay, has said: ‘Customers respond to dealing with a local person. If they have a problem, they like being able to call you up and know who’s on the end of the phone. Being small is good – the national names are the big, impersonal guys with the “hold” queues. That’s why franchisees operate under their own brands and skilled operators make the most of it.’ A ‘Customer-centric’ Approach Angus enjoys having the freedom to develop his SunTel business in a way that best suits him and his clients. ‘Unlike many franchises, Telcoinabox doesn’t restrict how you can go about selling services and pricing. It’s entirely up to me how I approach people, what telecommunications services I choose to focus on and how I package them.’ Angus is using a ‘customer-centric’ approach based on tailor-making solutions for his prospective clients. ‘It’s making quite an impact on businesses used to being sold fairly tightly-structured telecommunications packages that may or may not deliver the right solution. With my Telcoinabox training and tools, I can investigate a potential client’s actual landline and mobile call patterns and develop a solution that will provide exactly what they need without wasting their money. I find that it ratchets up the interest level even further when I explain that SunTel doesn’t saddle clients with a contract, preferring to deliver solutions and an on-going relationship that will keep them with us. After all, it’s a lot easier to keep clients happy when they know that they can call you and get a real person on the phone!’ ‘I’ve also been able to show a number of businesses how the small print of their packages is costing them money. For example, some big telcos round out national toll calls and mobile calls to the next minute – if you talk for a minute and one second, the cost is rounded out at two minutes. At SunTel, I can charge actual time. For a business with high usage, this can result in as much as a 20% reduction in landline and mobile costs.’ Another plus for Angus is that his business is not being geographically restrained. ‘My main focus is the Nelson area, but I’ve also been working with potential clients in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington. If a company has branches elsewhere, or if a happy client refers SunTel to a friend, I can follow up the lead wherever they are.’ Attuned To People’s Needs The Telcoinabox franchise is very flexible. ‘With a mobile phone and a laptop, it can be run from a home, car, boat or even overseas,’ says CEO Shannon Fisher. ‘It’s also a major opportunity – the $65,000 start-up cost can generate up to $300,000 a year, much of it in recurring income. And with a growing network which already numbers over 20 franchisees here and around 150 in Australia, Telcoinabox has the muscle to keep up-to-date with the latest developments. Ultra Fast Broadband is going to be the next big thing; it’s going to revolutionise the way New Zealanders live and work, and people will need a service provider attuned to their needs.’ While he acknowledges that his telecommunications experience was tremendously helpful in spotting the potential of Telcoinabox, Angus Macniven encourages anyone with good sales skills to consider the franchise – whatever their background. ‘Just go on the Internet and learn about the essential services in this market and how big it is going to get,’ he says. ‘You’ll be impressed – and you’ll find just how worthwhile the Telcoinabox franchise is. I’m feeling that my SunTel business has been on the right track since day one!’ For information, contact Andreina Garofali on +61 (0)410 434 227 for comment, contact Shannon Fisher on +64 (0)21 686 230. About Telcoinabox New Zealand Telcoinabox is a telecommunications wholesaler, reseller and franchisor which packages telephony products that are distributed through its service provider network. To become a service provider all you need is a phone, laptop, internet connection and entrepreneurial spirit. Telcoinabox has over 150 service providers worldwide which are individually branded, owned and operated. www.telcoinabox.co.nz It’s Your CallTelecommunications franchisees are a reasonably recent phenomena in the Southern Hemisphere, but in a short period of time they have revolutionised the Telco industry in Australia - and thanks to small enterprises like Kingfisher Connexions, New Zealand is next. read more Telecommunications franchisees are a reasonably recent phenomena in the Southern Hemisphere, but in a short period of time they have revolutionised the Telco industry in Australia - and thanks to small enterprises like Kingfisher Connexions, New Zealand is next. Telcoinabox New Zealand signs record number of new service providersTelecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has signed 13 new service providers in less than 4-months. read more Telecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has signed 13 new service providers in less than 4-months. According to CEO Shannon Fisher this is a reflection of business buyers increased understanding of the benefits of operating in telecommunications. “Our release of mobile voice and data via NZ Telecom Wholesale, W-CDMA network has definitely proven to buyers that telecommunications is no longer an unreachable industry category. “What’s interesting is that the people who like the concept of being their own telecommunications business owner are families, mother and son and husband and wife teams.
“Many don’t have any telecommunications experience yet come from management and customer service backgrounds. The latest telecommunications providers to join the fold include NZCU in Dunedin, Procomm in Auckland, Necto Communications in Hibiscus Coast, Kingfisher Connexions in Pakuranga and Easytel in Wellington. “The feedback that we have been getting from our new service providers is that this is their opportunity to create an investment by building an asset rather than buy a job. “It’s more than just work / life balance New Zealanders seek, which used to be the catch-cry of the early naughties, working is now about creating a safety net for the family to ensure you earn even when you aren’t working, similar to an insurance policy. “As a Telcoinabox service provider you can achieve this. The more customers you accumulate the higher the recurring revenue. You can upsize the potential as far and beyond as you are motivated to do. It’s that easy.”
Telcoinabox is currently in discussions with additional 11potential service providers, which will bring the company’s sign on target beyond their forecasts for this 2010/11 financial year. ENDS.
For information, contact Andreina Garofali on +61 (0)410 434 227 for comment, contact Shannon Fisher on +64 (0)21 686 230. New Zealand Credit Union South partners with Telcoinabox to save members moneyFinancial cooperative New Zealand Credit Union (NZCU) South has signed a major telecommunications partnership agreement with Telcoinabox. read more Financial cooperative New Zealand Credit Union (NZCU) South has signed a major telecommunications partnership agreement with Telcoinabox. Scoop Business 04-Apr-2011 Australian Techworld 04-Apr-2011 Itwire 04-Apr-2011 Franchise 04-Apr-2011 Cio 04-Apr-2011 Telecompaper 04-Apr-2011 Manawatu Standard 05-Apr-2011 Communications Day 04-Apr-2011 Telcoinabox New Zealand on track for expansion with Auckland office opening and two new appointmentsTelecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has opened a new office in Auckland this month to support their current growth and prepare for further business expansion. read more MEDIA RELEASE Telcoinabox New Zealand on track for expansion with Auckland office opening and two new appointments Telecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has opened a new office in Auckland this month to support their current growth and prepare for further business expansion. “We are now ready for our next phase of growth to build upon our current success. By adding to the team with strong industry experience and practical hands on knowhow puts us in an advantageous position to further expand into the New Zealand market,” says Telcoinabox New Zealand CEO, Shannon Fisher. “Enquiries to become a Telcoinabox service provider are pouring in thick and fast and in two-months we have already signed ten new service providers. “If we continue to grow at this pace we could potentially become the largest telecommunications aggregator in New Zealand which would be a phenomenal achievement.” “Telcoinabox for me has it all. It’s set up for success. After years of talking about developing systems with other industry players and then finding a business that has done it, is incredible. “Telcoinabox is the only telecommunications company that hides the complexity of the industry and simplifies the infrastructure.” Greg and Guy joined the company this week and have been at the Australian and New Zealand Operations Centre (ANZOC) in Sydney for training. Greg will be in charge of setting up the service providers on the Telcoinabox network, ensuring they are executing their business plans and achieving their goals and Guy will lead the marketing of new recruitment. Within two years Guy built a telecommunications company from nothing and sold it to an NZX listed company. CEO Shannon Fisher believes Guy’s savvy and contagious enthusiasm will be a positive influence for potential service providers. “My goal this year is to sign on 20 new service providers by the end of the year. Based on the number of enquiries pouring in we are definitely on track to meet it,” says Guy Alexander. Shannon is particularly excited about the future but would like to continue to see more female interest. “We recently signed a mother and son team. They joined because it gives them the freedom to juggle family with business and manage their work life balance at their own pace. This is the perfect combination for most women and our aim is to help more women see that they can have the cake and eat it too.” ENDS. For information, contact Andreina Garofali on +61 (0)410 434 227 for comment, contact Shannon Fisher on +64 (0)21 686 230. Scoop Business 21-Feb-2011 Scoop Business 21-Feb-2011 Voxy 21-Feb-2011 Computer World 21-Feb-2011 Reseller 21-Feb-2011 The National Business Review 21-Feb-2011 Franchise 21-Feb-2011 |
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recent posts
Telcoinabox invests heavily into network upgrade which extends into New Zealand Telcoinabox high flyer recognises THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE SugarCRM targets business managers, not IT Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE! Telcoinabox New Zealand signs record number of new service providers New Zealand Credit Union South partners with Telcoinabox to save members money Telcoinabox New Zealand on track for expansion with Auckland office opening and two new appointments Telcoinabox launches flagship operations centre Telcoinabox launches mobile-in-a-box in response to market demand in New Zealand |
Press roomTelcoinabox invests heavily into network upgrade which extends into New ZealandFull-service telecommunications wholesale aggregator, Telcoinabox has spent the last 12 months gearing for growth to service the escalating demand among individuals and non-traditional telecommunications businesses to become their own telco. The company has invested over $1 million in network and systems upgrades, new product launches and hiring 20 new staff at the Australian and New Zealand Operations Centre (ANZOC) to meet the demand. read more Telcoinabox high flyer recognises THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFETelcoinabox offers an equitable work-life balance with recurring income In This Article Help People Save Money Meeting Financial And Lifestyle Goals For corporate high flyer Deon van der Nist, lying in a hospital bed recovering from swine flu was, ‘A reality check that opened my eyes to the important things in life. I could see it was time for making major decisions to achieve a more equitable work-life balance.’ read more SugarCRM targets business managers, not ITLine-of-business owners have become a core target for customer relationship management software sales, displacing CIOs and IT managers as a mere “veto factor” in the procurement process, according to software vendor SugarCRM. read more Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE!Telcoinabox buyer beware? not in this case BUYER AWARE! read more It’s Your CallTelecommunications franchisees are a reasonably recent phenomena in the Southern Hemisphere, but in a short period of time they have revolutionised the Telco industry in Australia - and thanks to small enterprises like Kingfisher Connexions, New Zealand is next. read more Telcoinabox New Zealand signs record number of new service providersTelecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has signed 13 new service providers in less than 4-months. read more New Zealand Credit Union South partners with Telcoinabox to save members moneyFinancial cooperative New Zealand Credit Union (NZCU) South has signed a major telecommunications partnership agreement with Telcoinabox. read more Scoop Business 04-Apr-2011 Australian Techworld 04-Apr-2011 Itwire 04-Apr-2011 Franchise 04-Apr-2011 Cio 04-Apr-2011 Telecompaper 04-Apr-2011 Manawatu Standard 05-Apr-2011 Communications Day 04-Apr-2011 Telcoinabox New Zealand on track for expansion with Auckland office opening and two new appointmentsTelecommunications wholesaler and franchisor, Telcoinabox New Zealand has opened a new office in Auckland this month to support their current growth and prepare for further business expansion. read more Scoop Business 21-Feb-2011 Scoop Business 21-Feb-2011 Voxy 21-Feb-2011 Computer World 21-Feb-2011 Reseller 21-Feb-2011 The National Business Review 21-Feb-2011 Franchise 21-Feb-2011 |
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