Request for Information

[cjd]

Traditionally telecoms companies have ignored small business preferring to design services and products for big business at big business prices. They also sell to medium and large companies through a commission based sales force, account management and what they call 'channels' - ie middle men.

That's meant that small business has been treated exactly like residential customers given the same simple products but charged more them.

There are about 4 million businesses in the Uk employing less than 5 people and I would guess that about 70% of those are one-man-bands. We have a fairly clear development path for several products we we have seen new markets for but the needs of the sole trader are not so easy to identify and if we don't know what they need we can't build them.

My company provides telephone services (VoIP) mainly to UK micro businesses - from sole traders up to 50 or more employees. We are able to build our own products and services as we write our own software and run our own networks. So, I'd like to know what telecoms needs you have that currently are not available or are too expensive. So far it seems that very small businesses need:

1. cheaper calls (obviuosly)
2. cheap 2nd and third lines
3. ability to divert calls to somewhere else (mobiles are popular)
4. reliability

These (and much more) are available now but what else? If you had a telecom wish list what would you put on it? I can't promise to build everything (or even anything!) you come up with but I can promise everything will be looked at carefully by Voipfone's directors.

Thanks in advance

Colin

[Cornish Steve]

While I'm in the US, I would relish your type of service. I'm bombarded with ads from Vonage, but I know they are struggling right now; I'm waiting to see what other companies emerge.

Here are the issues for me (and sorry if some of them don't apply in the UK):

1) Reliability and call quality is a given. If it's not at the same level as a regular telephone company, I wouldn't consider a VoIP option.

2) Recourse in the event of a problem. There are laws in place to protect consumers from bad practices of formal telephone companies. The VoIP operators are exempt and have taken advantage of this. I'd want to be sure I will be treated well for the long-term.

3) I currently have a plan from my telephone company whereby I can make unlimited calls each month across the country. I'd be pleased to get a similar plan at less cost. In addition, I'd like to have unlimited calling to certain countries (the UK being one) - something that has been offered recently.

4) I don't care about additional lines, but I do care about additional numbers. Right now, I have two numbers, and I hear a different ring for each. This is very important.

5) Call diversion would be helpful. I don't have it today, but I would like to. It must work in conjunction with multiple numbers, though, whereby calls to one number are diverted whereas others are not.

6) I have a unified mailbox that links my office phone and my cellphone. Calls to both numbers are diverted to the same mailbox, and I can retrieve messages from either phone (and have message waiting indicator on my cellphone). This is very helpful since I am aware of messages left at my office number while travelling.

7) I'd like to be able to offer a local number for various countries (something that is offered by some companies today). For example, I'd like to offer customers a local number to call in Canada, UK, Australia, and elsewhere. Calls would be completed to my office number. The cost of each call should be the same as if callers dial my regular office number (which is what I believe Vonage offers).

I hope this feedback is helpful.

[cjd]

1) Reliability and call quality is a given. If it's not at the same level as a regular telephone company, I wouldn't consider a VoIP option.
This seems to be everyone's priority as they've got used to picking the phone up and getting dial tone , everytime. VoIP is not yet at that level of reliability but it isn't far off. We've just spent almost a year doing nothing other than hardening the networks. If you're interested you can see what we've done here:

http://www.voipfoneuserforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=741

2) Recourse in the event of a problem. There are laws in place to protect consumers from bad practices of formal telephone companies. The VoIP operators are exempt and have taken advantage of this. I'd want to be sure I will be treated well for the long-term.
In the UK VoIP is regulated by Ofcom like regular telephony and has to comply with a Code of Practise. There is also an industry group which also has codes of practice which Voipfone is a founder member www.itspa.co.uk (http://www.itspa.co.uk)

3) I currently have a plan from my telephone company whereby I can make unlimited calls each month across the country. I'd be pleased to get a similar plan at less cost. In addition, I'd like to have unlimited calling to certain countries (the UK being one) - something that has been offered recently.
I don't think we'll ever do that - but you never know! As much as you can eat deals are a bit of a con. Here in the UK you pay say £7 per month for 'unlimited' calling in the UK. In fact if you become uneconomic (ie use more than they can make a profit from) you are bumped up to the business' tariff or bumped off the network. We sell calls to most of the Western world for 1p per minute. which feels about right to me. (That's about 11hrs 40mins for the same £7)

4) I don't care about additional lines, but I do care about additional numbers. Right now, I have two numbers, and I hear a different ring for each. This is very important.
A common request; with a bit of fiddling about it can be done now - you do need a phone that can handle it tho'. We'll be adding a feature at the network level that allows you to see which number is being called instead of which number is calling soon which should serve the same purpose. It seems a lot of small businesses have more than one small business and need to answer the phone with the right name!

5) Call diversion would be helpful. I don't have it today, but I would like to. It must work in conjunction with multiple numbers, though, whereby calls to one number are diverted whereas others are not.
First part is easy one and can be done now but the second part is new and needs some thought - I'll add that to the list, thank you.

6) I have a unified mailbox that links my office phone and my cellphone. Calls to both numbers are diverted to the same mailbox, and I can retrieve messages from either phone (and have message waiting indicator on my cellphone). This is very helpful since I am aware of messages left at my office number while travelling.
That's tricky unless both networks are provided by the same company or you can set a divert from your mobile to the VoIP network. We do an sms to mobile service were you get notified of a voicemail in your voip account and can dial into it tho'. Needs some thought.

7) I'd like to be able to offer a local number for various countries (something that is offered by some companies today). For example, I'd like to offer customers a local number to call in Canada, UK, Australia, and elsewhere. Calls would be completed to my office number. The cost of each call should be the same as if callers dial my regular office number (which is what I believe Vonage offers).
We do that for several European countries and a freephone (1800) number in the US. Adding other countries will happen as local regulation allows.

I hope this feedback is helpful.
Very, especially as you're never likely to take any of our services :)