John Linton We have been having some discussions, protracted and not really getting anywhere, with three companies over the past three months about some sort of collaborations. We have had similar, much briefer, discussions in the past 24 months on similar or related subjects but they, too, came to nothing. The problem was always the same - two companies can seldom find enough trust with each other for either of them to 'give up' their total control of what they do. I, of course, am dreadfully 'scarred' by our Lorraine Rose experience - so badly that I would never consider giving up even the slightest control of how Exetel's key services are provided or even influenced. One of the reasons for transferring our Pipe circuits to Nextgen, AAPT et alia as soon as they are out of contract is because the thought of TPG having any influence over even minor parts of our network is something I view with horror.
However one of the companies involved in the most recent discussions may prove to be a much more realistic possible 'joint venturer' in that their needs and our ability to meet those needs provide a much more logical fit and could benefit both companies without the normally inherent loss of 'sovereignty' - by either company. We will see what happens but there is some sort of sensible basis of proceeding further which we have never reached in previous discussions. Whether or not this particular set of discussions does eventuate in a positive outcome or not - I think I am more confident than I have been in the past that Exetel has some things of very real value to offer in some sorts of joint venture arrangements that deliver both benefits to both parties without compromising 'sovereignty' issues. Then again I am obviously biased in my view points so we will see what happens in this instance and see if one or more of the other 'opportunities' can be revived on a similar basis.
We continue to make progress in our nascent out bound sales program in Sri Lanka with yesterday being the most successful day in the first five days in terms of actual sign ups. The people involved in Colombo continue to identify things that we need to do with the software to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the early processes we have put in place and that will almost certainly be an ongoing requirement. Fortunately that is one of Exetel's key strengths - the ability to identify how software can improve any aspect of business and the people skills to actually get new processes implemented in the shortest possible times. Training additional people will now begin and we see no reason not to reach the objective of two fully functioning out bound sales teams by early in 2011.....assuming progress continues to be made at the current rate.
We still have not managed to work out a sensible solution for offering 'naked' ADSL2 plans despite putting in more hours to try and do so than we have for any other service. The stark fact is that there is now no rational reason to have 'naked' ADSL2 (from Exetel's point of view - nor I suspect from any other provider's view point). The fact that 'naked' ADSL is anything but 'naked' - given that it requires a standard PSTN telephone line that has to be 'disabled' in terms of dial tone makes a mockery of cost saving attempts and really is a perverse way of providing a 'telephoneless' service. We need a thinking breakthrough. Meanwhile the 'onslaught' on wire line continues:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/vodafone-tempts-phone-customers-to-hang-up-on-landline-20101116-17vvr.html
though, of course, this sort of effort does not address the households with a need for ADSL. It fits with the concept of wireless broadband of course.
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