O-bit Resellers target FTTC enabled clients

As part of O-bit’s continued endeavour to help their Resellers grow and prosper, the Voice & Data specialists have launched a marketing initiative to support their resellers in carrying out a targeted FTTC campaign.

Market research has shown that as the product availability depends on geographic location, end user expectation must be managed and sales campaigns but be effectively ran to only focus on FTTC enabled clients.

O-bit’s Sales and Marketing Director Elizabeth Sparrow commented, “Availability is dependent on which street cabinets have been enabled so resellers must precisely target particular customers. An availability checker is offered in our reseller portal but we have now made things even simpler! We are currently supplying our customer base with all their clients that are FTTC enabled so now all they have to do is call them! Together with our white labelled marketing material and attractive launch offers, our resellers are benefiting from a complete FTTC marketing package to fully support their own sales and Marketing activities.”

O-bit focuses on Reseller Training

With O-bit Telecom’s continued growth and dedication to customer service satisfaction, it is perfect timing for a Training Manager.

The Buckinghamshire based Voice and Data company is pleased to announce Owen Marks promotion to Training Manager. Marks will focus on both internal and reseller training to ensure staff and customers are as knowledgeable as humanly possible on O-bit’s wide product offering.

Marks has been with O-bit since the start and is highly experienced in customer service and the companies overall operation making Marks the obvious candidate for this newly created role within the company.

Marks’ first job has been to train all O-bit’s Resellers on the new WLR3 portal. Marks observes “The system gives resellers so much more control over what they can do and lots more information than before. They need the ability to use the system to its full potential and that’s where the training comes in. My role is focussed on the implementation of WLR3 and the training on that product, internally and externally. WLR3 training is done in house through a webinar session which is run online. Our resellers can go online and I walk them through the systems and give them different examples of the order types and how to effectively use them. The training is live and interactive so resellers can ask me questions whenever they wish.”

In his own time Marks loves football and golf. He adds “I’m not really good at either to be honest but I do enjoy them. I have actually retired from football this season due to ‘old age’ and injury and to concentrate on my golf! When asked what music he is currently listening to he joked “Whatever the kids listen to these days. I try and stay cool!”

Young, Dynamic and Forward Thinking

Comms Business Magazine talks to O-bit Sales and Marketing Director Elizabeth Sparrow and Managing Director Jenny Herd about their plans for 2011.

O-bit was formed in 2002 and today it is a £20m a year network services company employing some 56 people based in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. Their product portfolio includes traditional lines, calls and minutes as well as broadband, hosted telephony, SIP, MOLS and IP/VPNs. O-bit has its own core network and data centre which hosts their own and third party applications.

Jenny Herd, Managing Director of O-bit, is excited about the prospects for their recently launched FTTC product which was released at the end of 2010.

“Of all the E-casts we have done to our reseller base the one regarding our launch of FTTC generated the most response. O-bit customers are set to see the full benefits of FTTC of which include up to 40Mb downstream and a choice of 2Mb or 10Mb upstream making it the most powerful DSL product available on existing infrastructures. Resellers can offer their customers improved productivity as Fibre Broadband gives businesses the power to run real time applications over a DSL technology.

To make the provision of FTTC easier for our resellers our Merlin Portal has a cabinet availability checker. In fact the Merlin Portal is very much one of O-bit’s USPs as it is a single route in to O-bit for channel partners and an interface for provision, quotes, availability checking, billing, and marketing tools. It is also available in white label form for our reseller to use with their own customers.

The added advantage of our Surfwise FTTC is that resellers are able to re-grade easily from existing Surfwise products or other DSL providers and remain in control with regular order confirmations at every stage of the order process including order acceptance, delivery date confirmation, installation, missed appointment and order completion. They will also have the ability to choose service profiles for stability and throughput.”

Sales and Marketing Director Elizabeth Sparrow is keen to point out that O-bit has upgraded their WLR3 facility for channel partners which also runs through the Merlin Portal.

“WLR2 is due to cease in March 2011 and the heavy workload associated with it will disappear as we move to WLR3, a ‘zero touch’ process. Our surveys show however that despite the short time left before WLR2 is switched off more than 40% of resellers have done nothing in regard to migrating their customers to WLR3. Most will now need to find a partner quickly as migrations take time and need to be scheduled.

The time savings that will be made by O-bit in switching to WLR3 are significant and we anticipate using this freed up resource to enhance our channel partner support.”

O-bit is expecting a very busy February and March but has confirmed that all of their own channel partners are trained on WLR3 and have migrations scheduled.

What about plans for 2011?

Jenny Herd, “Many resellers are still just selling traditional lines and calls as they don’t understand DSL and IP networks. We are therefore continuing to run monthly workshops at O-bit educating our channel partners on new technologies and the opportunities they present.

These workshops work and illustrate that as we grow as a company we are still able to retain the personal touch with our partners – there is always a director attending each of these sessions.”

What makes O-bit different?

Elizabeth Sparrow, “There are a range of reasons why resellers should partner with O-bit. We have already mentioned our Merlin Portal but O-bit is also an ISP and carrier with our own network and interconnects with Opal, BT, Virgin Media and Tiscali. We are also 100% channel focussed, understand the market and are a tried and tested wholesaler.

Unlike many of our competitors who have been forced to buy billing companies in the last 12-18 months O-bit foresaw the need for our own billing platform many years ago. We have a team of 13 software developers here who amongst many other projects designed and build our own billing system.

O-bit is a young, forward thinking and dynamic company – three out of the five directors are 30 years old or younger. 2011 is looking to be another highly successful year for us, and importantly, our channel partners.”

Dedicated, Uncontended and Always-on Data Services

"O-bit Telecom can offer resellers a whole range of different data network solutions"...

“For businesses with multiple offices, the ability to host a corporate intranet and allow files to be shared between offices on its own private network is vital. Yet for many, this is something that is perceived as being too expensive and out of reach, despite the fact that it can improve the efficiency of many business processes and make it easier for staff to work together. However, by taking advantage of existing technologies, resellers can offer businesses of all sizes quick and effective ways to link offices together. The ability to offer private data network solutions allows resellers to make the most of the opportunities offered by businesses spread over several sites.

“O-bit Telecom can offer resellers a whole range of different data network solutions, allowing them to offer their customers a package that is exactly tailored to their needs. From IP VPNs (Broadband Virtual Private Networks), MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching), Ethernet, EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile), MIA (Managed Internet Access), Leased Line, Point-to-Point, to WANs (Wide Area Networks) and LANs (Local Area Networks), there is a wide range of options available to create bespoke solutions.

“Ethernet is now the established and ubiquitous data interface and transport protocol used in the local and private network. This is the most flexible and least expensive data interface to deploy and therefore the most popular. O-bit’s branded Surfwise Data Networks meets the requirements of customers looking to provide an Ethernet option to their clients. Resellers can now offer full UK coverage for short, medium and long distance data applications to their client base.

“For example, Point-to-Point circuits can be used by organisations requiring exclusive connectivity between geographically distant offices, with an always-on service and an assured level of quality. Our Point-to-Point leased lines are for companies with varying bandwidth requirements which require one scalable network to connect between two sites. Both mission critical or standard data traffic, along with VoIP, can all be securely and reliably carried and prioritised as required by the customer. Larger organisations can also use leased lines to create a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

“For smaller organisations, MPLS is a cost effective, secure and fully managed network service that allows you to connect your geographically dispersed sites. Our MPLS provides the security of a VPN with superior performance for business-critical applications, allowing customers to benefit from converging voice, data and video traffic onto the same network. Classes of service can be provided to control voice, multi-media, assured/standard data and delay sensitive applications.

“Surfwise IP VPN offers greater scalability and flexibility as a single IP VPN can support thousands of sites. These sites work together seamlessly to give flexible and scalable access via Access Bandwidths ranging from 1Mbit/s, all the way up to Gigabit speeds to suit all customer requirements for both primary and backup connections. Plus with Ethernet, access options are complemented by our cost-effective ADSL, ADSL2+ and Annex M.

“Our data networks are able to provide speeds from 2Mbps using copper cable up to 1Gbps using fibre optics, and feature business-critical service level agreements and 24/7 technical support. These networks have several access options, including a dedicated, uncontended and always-on service; a scalable service allowing bandwidth to be adjusted according to your customer’s needs; and a resilient service offering the reassurance of a secondary, dedicated back-up internet connection.”

Business Grade Broadband

General market analysis is saying SaaS (software as a service), hosted cloud computing and VoIP services are the future. County councils are starting to outsource these services instead of keeping them all in house. This trend is set to grow by about 300-400% year on year for the next 3 or 4 yrs. Any dealers and resellers that aren’t looking at selling software service such as cloud computing and VoIP definitely need to be. Also they would need to be looking for business opportunities by not only selling the co-locations but also the applications and ERP software.

Therefore the availability of fast, business grade broadband is vital as companies are developing more and more applications which in turn are swallowing up bandwidth. Along with this increase in requirement there is a higher demand in service level agreements and guaranteed uptime.

The key benefit of a faster broadband connection is the opportunity to maintain greater quality when simultaneously running tasks. ADSL internet access is a rate adaptive, uncapped quality service for increased reliability and offers real-time email retrieval. O-bits broadband products have an ‘always on’, high speed connectivity across a fully resilient network that is supported by a dedicated technical support team.

O-bit’s broadband products are of business class service and are rate adaptive so ‘stabilise’ at the best possible speed that the telephone line will support. They also allow users to download and send data effectively within a range of applications giving both reliability and performance, as well as cost savings against other technologies such as ISDN and dial-up.

O-bit’s broadband strategy is to continue to grow but also offer more IPVPN’s and MPLS type services rather than just straight broadband. We are going to see a real struggle for companies that stick to the conventional market of just straight broadband which is why O-bit has expanded its portfolio to include ADSL2+, LLU and Annex M.

The current offerings from O-bit include Annex M which is an extension of the capability of ADSL2+ by increasing the number of upstream bits. The downstream speeds can be up to 16Mb and up to 2.5Mb upstream. This increase in upstream is achieved by altering the upstream/downstream frequency split allowing upstream bandwidth to be increased from 1Mb to 2.5Mb, with a corresponding decrease in download bandwidth. Historically, increased upstream speeds have been out of reach for many businesses. The costs were prohibitive for many as the only available options were expensive SDSL or leased line circuits. Now with Annex M and Annex M Enhanced the possibility of higher upstream speeds is a reality for all SMEs as well as larger corporates.

Surfwise Complete is a revolutionising service that uses LLU and ADSL2+ technology plus Next Generation Network (NGN) and is designed with organisations in mind. With downstream speeds up to 24Mb and upstream speeds up to 1MB this caters for many business needs.

The new FTTC offering completes the product portfolio and offers speeds up to 40Mb downstream and a choice of 2Mb or 10Mb upstream making it the most powerful DSL product available on existing infrastructures. O-bit offers a guaranteed throughput of 8Mb or 12Mb to ensure a high level performance even during busy periods.

Other benefits of this product offering are faster surfing from site to site and less time opening pages. There is much faster download capability along with faster and larger uploads. Faster multiple connections, faster online experience for the whole business, faster speeds working from home and faster connection wherever users are. Bandwidth is growing at about 70% year on year so the need for upgrading customers is growing stronger.

Setting the Agenda for 2011

Continued growth is the mantra for O-bit Telecom in 2011. With a whole host of new product launches waiting in the wings, the O-bit team is very positive about the months ahead.

Dave Breith, CEO of O-bit, explains, “Our growth plan is spread across the board so we get our product mix right; we do not just concentrate on highest profit products and services. 2011 will see reseller’s focus change towards data services as the traditional calls and lines business will have to change to keep up. Higher bandwidth usage for applications, VOIP and hosted applications are becoming more and more accessible. O-bit will, as always, be at the forefront of these new services and as usual be adding the extra value that we continually do. We pride ourselves on the wide choice of offerings which help our resellers compete in a crowded arena. Resellers require different services dependant on industry and it is beneficial to have all the tools at hand that can accommodate their customers’ needs.”

Recession – what recession? Breith states that O-bit has yet to see any negative impact brought on by the recession. “As far as O-bit is concerned, if we never saw the news and media I am not sure we would have noticed a recession. Unfortunately during the past year some resellers lost revenue & profit and then struggled to get them back. I believe things will improve in 2011 for those committed to working even harder than usual to get the lost sales back and increase business. However my suggestion is that resellers should prepare for more tough times - just in case. Get your head down in your business and try to rail road through any times that may face us in 2011.”

Work ... that bit harder: Breith partly puts down O-bit’s doubling of gross profit and net profit in 2010 from the previous year to lots of hard work. “All employees at O-bit work very hard and are dedicated to what they do. We constantly try to make ourselves “that bit better” and are continually tweaking our processes so the customer experience is second to none. My advice to resellers would be to increase your sales, work hard on getting this and keep a close eye on your bottom line - remember cash is king.”

O-bit’s “Crazy” Christmas Party

The staff at O-bit Telecom were treated to a lavish Christmas Party at the Crazy Bear in Beaconsfield thanks to the organisational skills of O-bit’s management team.

The evening kicked off with a champagne reception and a magician who surprised guests with his card tricks. The guests were seated for their 3 course Thai feast at their beautifully decorated tables, complete with secret Santa gifts and festive party hats and crackers.

Breith said of the evening, “my staff have worked so hard all year round so it was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves after such a great year of growth for O-bit”.

The evening was rounded off with staff having a flutter on the Roulette and Blackjack table, more drinks and live Hypnotherapy, much to the embarrassment of some O-bit’s staff which brought the evening to a “crazy” end!