Callplus, the brand behind ISP Slingshot, has its eyes on convergence and is currently talking about a possible partnership with Linksys, adding hardware to its ISP capacity and WiMax distributor.
Marketing director at Callplus and its subsidiary Slingshot, Mark Callander, says although primarily focused on a direct sales model, the company is partnering up with other players.
“We are currently partnered with Call a Geek, a company with a good profile in the market. Rolling out the WiMax system in Whangarei, it made sense for us to work closely with a company like Linksys. We would be interested in providing a total solution. We have also been looking at managed security. We know many of our customers would want this.”
WiMax was introduced in Whangarei a few weeks ago and Callplus is aiming to have a few hundred customers by the end of the year.
“We could have rolled out six months ago,” says Callander. “But we wanted to make sure we had everything in perfect working order before we did.”
Callander says the market is tough for ISPs at the moment.
“It can be difficult with the price squeeze in the current market. It is no secret that we are selling at a loss. Everyone is grabbing land to gain market share, there is a scramble in the market.”
The company is currently looking at deploying another WiMax network on its spectrum. It is also about to resell Telecom’s landlines, targeting densely populated areas.
“We want to take Telecom out of the equation for the customers,” says Callander.
