MWEB Business has introduced OfficeCall ADSL, its first voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) offering that utilises a broadband Internet connection, which is aimed at small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Gary Hart, GM of marketing and products at MWEB Business, says the product is suitable for companies that do not have existing private branch exchanges or telecommunication systems.
"The growth in broadband adoption in the SME sector has necessitated us to develop a telephony solution that complements the benefits of having an always-on Internet connection."
Hart explains that within the OfficeCall ADSL product portfolio, customers are given the choice of three hardware options: OfficeCall Telephone Adapter, OfficeCall Telephone Handset and OfficeCall Voice Router.
"Existing ADSL subscribers can utilise the OfficeCall Telephone Adapter offering to place VOIP and regular telephone calls by using the same handset. Customers place calls as they normally would, as the adapter automatically determines the lowest cost route for the call to reach its end destination."
ADSL router
The OfficeCall Telephone Handset, he notes, is a standalone desktop VOIP telephone that connects to an ADSL router, enabling customers to place calls over the MWEB Business VOIP network.
Businesses that require a VOIP service, but either do not have an existing ADSL router or wish to upgrade their current router, can select the OfficeCall VoIP Router option, Hart adds. The OfficeCall VOIP Router is a converged voice and data ADSL router that has a built-in telephone adapter, enabling users to place normal and VOIP telephone calls over a single analogue handset. In the event of the ADSL router being unavailable, calls are automatically routed over the customer`s fixed line.
Hart comments that the product is designed to create cost savings, through least-cost routing. The system, he says, has built-in intelligence that will route a call either through ADSL or through Telkom, depending on the cheaper option.
"Most of the savings are thus made through international calls and calls to cellular phones," says Hart.
He adds that users will incur a once-off set-up fee from R99, and a monthly rent-to-own fee from R49 per month for a 24-month period. A minimum ADSL speed of 512Kb is recommended for OfficeCall products.
Cutting costs
MyADSL founder Rudolph Muller says it is encouraging that service providers are using broadband to lower the costs of voice services.
However, he adds, most SMEs still find the cost of ADSL inhibitive. Only 35% of SA`s ADSL users are SMEs, which means that offerings such as that from MWEB Business are targeting a small market.
"Cost is a problem for ADSL voice solutions. The cost for a 512 or 1 024 ADSL line ranges between R800 and R1 000 per month. In some cases, depending on a company`s phone habits, the savings gained on a voice service are not enough to offset the costs of ADSL," Muller states.
In addition, a recent Internet connectivity survey done on behalf of the SMME Forum, among 400 SMEs in Soweto, Tembisa and Mamelodi, found that Wireless Business Solutions` iBurst broadband solution was the preferred mode of connection by all Internet cafes polled in those areas. None have installed Telkom`s ADSL in their premises.
Most of the respondents cited iBurst`s ease and speed of acquisition as the major factor behind their decisions.
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