Helping SMEs to manage mobile costs

By Megan Nicholas for Telkom Business

Johannesburg, 04 Feb 2014

The ability to work remotely via mobile communication is a necessary requirement for conducting business in South Africa, especially for SMEs. The challenge, therefore, for small business owners, is to ensure their employees' ability to be mobile, while managing the costs thereof.

"Our mission at Telkom Business mobile solutions is to provide our customers with incomparable offers that will enhance their productivity and benefit their bottom line," says Megan Nicholas, managing executive at Telkom Business mobile solutions.

"We have pinpointed areas that are cost drivers and have developed various product offerings to help counter the effects of those specific drivers."

The following points highlight how SMEs can save on mobile costs and manage their communication expenditure:

* Typically, customers pay for each mobile call made, with the cost varying based on a number of factors. This makes it difficult to budget. "We have packaged a host of smart voice offerings so that when customers use the Telkom Mobile network, those mobile-to-mobile calls between each other are completely free," explains Nicholas.

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* Mobile network operators generally structure their packages with rates varying based on what network they call. When customers call mobile-to-mobile during working hours, primarily in peak time, for example, the costs are higher. "We have devised a specific package that bills at flat rates for voice calls, data and SMSes, at any time of the day."

* Most businesses allow their employees to connect to their WiFi hotspot; however, WiFi connectivity outside of the office is limited. "We offer our mobile subscribers tangible benefit by giving them free WiFi access at over 1 500 hotspots in SA. A 10GB cap applies."

* According to Nicholas: "Some operators offer an unlimited free voice calling plan for a fixed fee. While messaging and data plays a large role in our communication, it is still a cost. Telkom Business launched a product that offers free, unlimited calls, data and SMSes for a nominal monthly flat rate. Let's face it; peace of mind is an important component of doing business profitably."

Nicholas concludes: "We give our customers connectivity anywhere and at any time, without expecting them to spend unreasonable amounts to do business."

Telkom

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa and on the African continent. It had consolidated operating revenue of R16.2 billion and profit after tax of R773 million for the year ended 31 March 2013, excluding the net curtailment gain. Total assets amounted to R39.6 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R21.5 billion as of 30 September 2013. The group generated free cash flow of R33 million for the period ended 30 September 2013.

As of 30 September 2013, Telkom had approximately 3.7 million telephone access lines in service and 183 880 ports connected via MSAN access. Telkom offers business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including:

* Fixed-line retail voice services using PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, including ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, and the sale of subscription-based value-added voice services and calling plans;
* Fixed-line customer premises equipment rental and sales services both voice and data needs and these include PABX, computers, routers, modems, telephone handsets and other ancillary equipment;
* Interconnection services, including terminating and transiting traffic from South African mobile operators, as well as from international operators and transiting traffic from mobile to international destinations;
* Fixed-line data services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point-to-point leased lines, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services, packet-based services, managed data networking services and Internet access and related information technology services;
* Data centre operations includes e-commerce, application service provider, hosting, data storage, e-mail and security services;
* W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next-generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services;
* Mobile communication services, including voice services, data services and handset sales through Telkom's mobile brand called Telkom Mobile; and
* Convergence is one of Telkom's key strategic initiatives in building a sustainable future for Telkom. The company will lead the provision of converged services in South Africa in support of its mission statement: Seamlessly connecting people to a better life.

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Helping SMEs to manage mobile costs

SMEs can save on mobile costs and manage their communication expenditure with new offerings from Telkom, says Megan Nicholas, managing executive at Telkom Business.