Feisty little player makes its Vox heard
It has also become a fine example of the chameleon-like qualities a company needs as technologies and the regulatory landscapes rapidly evolve.
It has made nine acquisitions in the past year, quadrupled its revenue and profits, raised R1bn in cash through share issues and loans and struck deals to take its black ownership to 41,5%.
Now it is melding all its new divisions together to create an enticing package of voice and data services that will enable corporate clients to buy all their communications services from one player and pay one bill.
A couple of bits are missing, so it is about to absorb Amvia, which provides corporate faxing services. Faxes may sound old- fashioned but they still soak up 3-billion minutes of airtime a year in SA, and Amvia serves 90% of SA’s top 100 companies.
CEO Douglas Reed says mobile services are the main missing piece in the puzzle. Ideally Vox would like to operate as a virtual mobile network operator over one of the existing networks, much as Virgin Mobile runs over Cell C’s network.
Although Vox is a rival, the cellular operators would be wise to work with it and increase the traffic on their own networks, rather than oppose it and see Vox take that extra potential income elsewhere.
Also in the offing is expansion into neighbouring countries, where its new and well connected black shareholder Mvelaphanda should help to generate new leads.
On the go-to-market side, Vox wants to persuade more resellers to promote its internet brand, @tlantic, and to let 50000 dealers share its profits if they help it win more customers.
Sadly not every telecoms player is as nippy and customer friendly as Vox. But if they were, it would never have carved out such a role for itself.
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