Foskor Limited announced at a high-level function here today that Vodacom Service Provider Company (Pty) Ltd had won a tender to provide comprehensive cellular solutions to the biggest producer of phosphoric acid-based products in the southern hemisphere.
Speaking at the function, Mr Michael Allschwang, Executive Head at Vodacom Service Provider Company, announced Vodacom Service Provider Company`s commercial relationship with Foskor Limited, following the formers` request for tenders for mobile solutions in August 2001.
"We are very happy to have secured this significant tender. Corporate customers like Foskor are significant users of our network and are therefore very important to our overall business strategy," said Mr Allschwang.
Mr Johan Pistorius, Manager: Information Systems, Foskor Limited, Phalaborwa, said that the tender for mobile solutions was in line with Foskor`s Participative Results Orientated Process (PROP), an initiative launched in March 2001 to reduce costs by approximately 20 - 25%.
He added: "Foskor Limited has been one of the biggest contributors to the economy of this province since 1951 and employs more than 3 200 people in Phalabrowa, Richards Bay and Johannesburg. The cellular solutions provided by the Corporate Solutions team at Vodacom Service Provider Company will help make Foskor more efficient by cutting unnecessary costs. This will enable us to plough resources back into Foskor`s core business, thereby benefiting the regional economy as a whole."
Mr Anthon Muller (Manager Corporate Accounts, Vodacom) gave an example of how Vodacom Service Provider Company`s cellular solutions can reduce costs: "We assessed all the cellular calls going through the Foskor switchboard, determined that there were a large number of them and now route these calls through Vodacom`s cellular network to make this more cost effective. We also replaced Foskor`s two-way radio system, supplying cellular handsets at no charge."
Innovative cellular solutions provided to Foskor include the installation of cellular routers on site, the installation of SMS software and hardware options to facilitate seamless communication between Foskor and its staff and the replacement of the current paging and two-way radio system with GSM cellular handsets.
Mr Pistorius added that SMS solutions provided by Vodacom Service Provider Company would alert management and operational staff to any potential dangers on the mine, thereby improving mine safety and proficiency.
Vodacom Service Provider Company ("VSP") is South Africa`s leading cellular service provider. The company`s customers represent over 70% of Vodacom`s customer base of some 7 million people. VSP is wholly-owned by Vodacom Group (Pty) Ltd, which is in turn 31.5% owned by Vodafone Group Plc, the world`s largest wireless company with some 100 million proportionate customers globally.
Foskor`s core business is the mining and processing of phosphate rock, which is the raw material used in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer, animal feed supplements and industrial chemicals. Three million tons of phosphate rock are produced per annum. Foskor Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Industrial Development Corporation.
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