You have been providing a whole range of services. Which is the main focus area in your service?
We provide a range of IP communications services including Web Presence Services, Enterprise Internet Bandwidth, VoIP Solutions, and Networking and IT hardware to businesses. These services are packaged appropriately to cater to the needs of both the SOHO segment and medium sized enterprises. We do focus on all categories of services equally. In fact, we have a solutions-based sales approach.

What is the focus area for your VoIP services, and what is the business model for retail, SOHO, and business consumers?
While we have significant presence in the retail segment through our over 3000 “Phonewala” IP PCOs/Call Shops, we serve end customers via our franchisee outlets. Our focus is on VoIP services for businesses. We market these services via some limited advertising through online and print medium. The main drive is from our enterprise sales team. Channel community caters to the needs of the SOHO segment and our enterprise sales team caters to the needs of enterprises. Call Shops were the only realistic option to the growing volume of retail calling on our VoIP platform as the regulation limits the use of VoIP from a PC or a VoIP adapter/device. We initiated the Call Shop model in 2003. Now with broadband becoming more and more universally available and the decline in the cost of VoIP adapters, usage is increasingly moving to SOHO also.

Jasjit Sawhney, CEO, Net4 India

Which are the cities where you provide bandwidth services, and what is the extent of WiMax rollout presently?
We provide Internet bandwidth services in seven cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkota, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. We are adding four more cities to our network very soon. WiMax is fully operational in Delhi and NCR. Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore are partially covered and the network is under implementation. The strategy for us is to be in control of the last mile and not be dependent on the telcos for connectivity to customers. While there is strong demand for Internet bandwidth from enterprises, there is also a significant market for redundant links on a wireless media for enterprises who have terrestrial connectivity.

What are your plans to improve your brand value and brand recall especially in services other than VoIP?
As our services are targeted at businesses, you will never see us involved in mass media activities that consumer telecom brands indulge in. We shall be kicking off a targeted campaign lasting for 3-4 months to message the breadth of our services to a wider business audience in the near future.

What is your USP in your business?
Our biggest USP is actually the range of services, especially the range of packages on Web hosting/data center services and corporate email and messaging. On the business VoIP side, we have the expertise to implement solutions on a multitude of different equipments, ranging from single port devices to multiple E1 solutions. We also often bundle bandwidth and VoIP services to give blended packages.

We plan to be a complete enterprise network and application service provider and shall be launching specific Network and Application services in a few months.

Nilabh Jha
nilabhj@cybermedia.co.in