OPTUS GETS BROADBAND TALKING FOR WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS

Optus today announced availability of its Voice over IP (VoIP) application, ipPhone Express for wholesale customers.

A simple and efficient way to deliver a voice solution over the Internet, ipPhone Express can be accessed either via a traditional telephone handset*, a soft-phone set-up** on your PC or an IP phone.

This is the first time the product has been offered through Optus Wholesale and will create new revenue opportunities for Optus’ existing resellers as well as new and emerging cloud-resellers. The product will allow them to:

• Target and transfer customers from competitive service providers without them having to give-up their landline number; and
• Build and deliver new products, services and bundles that include VoIP which can be offered over-the-top of any broadband service.

More ways to keep customers talking

Robert Parcell, Managing Director, Optus Wholesale and Satellite said, “An over-the-top cloud-based voice solution that allows resellers to transfer customers from competitors and keep their ‘all important’ landline number is a key differentiator for Optus and a very exciting proposition for our wholesale partners.

“As consumer and business confidence in VoIP continues to climb and fixed revenues stagnate, our resellers have been looking for new ways to capitalise on this trend, capture new customers and claim a competitive advantage.

“Optus ipPhone Express allows them to do that. It delivers a new revenue stream for new customers with the added advantage of being backed by Optus service and support teams. This means resellers can be assured their customers will receive the highest quality of care when needed – a stark differentiator from other free and global VoIP providers in the market.

“We also anticipate strong interest in this product as resellers begin to explore the new opportunities an NBN world will offer. As their customers’ migrate from traditional copper-based phone lines to an NBN connection, a wealth of opportunity unfolds,” Mr Parcell said.

All the bells and whistles included

Optus Wholesale ipPhone Express offers extra bells and whistles too, that allow partners to deliver their customers:

• Local, national, fixed to mobile and international calls at more competitive rates and with reduced line rental fees;
• The ability to make service changes and manage call forwarding, phone contact lists and diversions on the fly through a simple personal web agent;
• Standard and premium packages for customers that require either a single line and simple set-up or more enhanced features such as the ability to establish ‘hunt groups’ (to distribute phone calls from a single telephone number to a group of phones); and
• The convenience of being able to retain and use their landline number over any internet connection.

How do I get it?

Optus resellers should contact their Optus Wholesale Account Manager for further information.

* To use a standard telephone handset, end users need to connect the handset to an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) or Integrated Access Device (IAD) which is connected to their modem/router.
** The ipPhone Soft Client is software that allows end users to make/receive calls with their computer using the internal microphone and speakers or a connected headset/handset

Media contact
Derek Lau
Optus Corporate Affairs
(02) 8082 7850
media@optus.com.au