INTERNET
Smart Telcom becomes latest Irish telco
04-12-2000
by Aoidin Scully
A new company has joined the ever-expanding group of Irish telcos with the launch of Smart Telecom PLC's telephone services throughout the country.
The Dublin-based company claims to offer a 30 percent reduction on Eircom's prices and offers a range of value-added services aimed at SMEs and high-end residential users.
Peak-time and off-peak rates ex VAT for SMEs are IEP.033 as a minimum charge, with local and national calls both costing IEP.04 per minute. Calls to mobiles are IEP.155 per minute peak time.
"We see the value-added services as the key area in which we can differentiate ourselves from other telcos," said Oisin Fanning, Smart Telecom's newly appointed Chief Executive Officer.
These include Network based interactive voice response (IVR), Unified Messaging, advertising telephony, fax on demand and Web-based administration.
"We aim to give SMEs all the functionality of a PABX system, at a fraction of the cost. For instance, our personal numbering service means that you can get one fixed line number to follow you through seven different numbers before it goes to voicemail. So you only need to have one number on your business card. With our fax on demand service, you can receive faxes no matter where you are in the world. We give you a special number and your faxes are downloaded to that number automatically. Then all you have you do is approach a fax machine, key in that number and you get your faxes," said Fanning.
Companies can also avail of Smart Telecom's pre-paid services and Web-based administration, which will allow disparate accounts to be co-ordinated and managed over the Internet.
Formed in late 1999 by a group of entrepreneurs with an interest in technological investment, the company subsequently strengthened its positions through a reverse take-over of Granuaile Logistics Technology, and was awarded a General Telecommunications Licence on 24 August 2000.
Shipping entrepreneur Atle Jebsen is a 20 percent shareholder in the company and has provided IEP4 million in funding.
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