John Linton
.....or is it?
We have had another record billing month for October and the recurrent revenue billing for November was also a record with a larger than usual increase. New ADSL applications were also at a record and, as I said yesterday, business Ethernet and SHDSL new customers were a new record . All in all a very satisfying set of results in what continues to look like a harder than average year. (Arsenal also beat Tottenham which is always a bonus). So, as usual, billing day provides a pleasant start to the day with another step along the way accomplished and another month 'to make happen'.
We have completed almost all of the changes to the new ADSL plans in place now and the overall reaction to them seems to be very positive (from both our current customers and new applying customers). The move back to an uncounted 12 hour period of 12 midnight to 12 noon is good to be able to do again and we will continue to work on bringing that option to all ADSL2 plan users over the next month or so should our abilities to find a suitable carrier at suitable rates prove to be successful - we have refused to compromise on exactly what we need and have rejected a variety of 'offers' from several potential providers.So I think there are things to do to make sure the ADSL2 plans we offer become more attractive than they are now but we are certainly not going to do that unless we get exactly what we need to make that happen.
So - everything bright and beautiful? Yes it is - right at this moment and four the first four months of this financial year so far. I really have nothing at all to worry or 'complain' about....except....and I share this view with several acquaintances and friends......none of have been affected by the "GFC" (it simply didn't happen to us or anyone in business we know in other parts of the world) but at least I attribute that to the massive amount of borrowed dollars used by governments around the world to replace real spending (of earned money) with indiscriminate 'government hand out' money. No government of any country can continue to borrow to try and give real earned money time to pick up to 'normal' levels and it seems, based on the media I read/watch/listen to that there is now no more money for either the US or the UK government to borrow and the Chinese and India governments are also reaching the limits of what they are prepared to spend domestically to prop up their own manufacturers. Quite possibly pointless speculation by people with absolutely no economic knowledge (me and some ignorant acquaintances) but all of us are at least 'uneasy' and some of (not me at this time) are putting in place more conservative plans than they did last when Krudd was 'elected'.
Although everything looks 'rosy' from our own sales and revenue results I do get a distinct impression that the same is not the case for more than one of our major suppliers. Also, why I am absolutely delighted with the progress we are making in the business market I also get the impression that more businesses than at any over the past two years are more receptive to reducing their costs even in the sensitive area of data communications. I understand that this 'feeling' is simply a 'feeling' but it isn't just me that is cautious about how much more money Krudd and co will borrow to hide the fact that there is no real confidence anywhere in the Australian economy and maybe what is being touted as increasing optimism is simply relief that, so far, the damage has been limited.
Whatever turns out to be the actual situation it would seem to me that caution in terms of assuming that business is back to 'normal' and that the economy will return to a sensible level of growth is still the right approach to take in most things our business is involved in. I don't think it is the time to be stamping on the accelerator....though we are already fairly heavily committed to doing that in two areas of our business. I think that it will become clearer after Christmas as to whether Australia generally is going to be a better place in which to do business with whatever is really happening in the Australian economy over November - January hidden by the strangeness of these three months in the Australian economy.
Irrespective of all that I'm going to enjoy the rest of this beautiful late Spring day.