Right call on communications

Operators of small businesses are looking increasingly to vital communications solutions outside of the big telcos, Telstra and Optus.

The perception among SMEs is that, like the major banks, the big two control the communications business, but this is changing.

Management education company, Carepoint, which employs about 70 people, recently dumped both Telstra and Optus for a small supplier offering a novel VoIP (Voice over internet protocol) solution.

VoIP allows telephone calls using a computer network over a data network like the internet.

“We found Telstra and Optus were pretty inflexible and very expensive, so we went to a smaller supplier offering a VoIP option that is responsive and within our budget,” Carepoint education and training manager Margaret Weaver said.

She said the supplier was prepared to go the extra mile, tailor things and make them work the way the business wanted them to work, which wasn’t possible with Optus, Telstra or the other big providers.

Ms Weaver said it was not an easy decision for Carepoint as it took the company out of its comfort zone.

“We almost went the way of Optus, but in going over the final figures, there was a ‘oh whoops, sorry, we didn’t put that in’ hiccup, which made us just throw up our hands and go back to the smaller provider,” she told the SME forum.

“Maybe we are taking a risk and the lines will ultimately be rented from Telstra, but we have decided to go down that path.”

Relocations West Pty Ltd’s Pauline Pietersen recommended businesses get professional communications advice.

“Telephone companies are a big problem. You should get an expert to look at your business to get the most appropriate system and plan for your business,” Ms Pietersen said.

“People in the know won’t put you with certain telephone companies, which are known to give you headaches and not deliver on service.”

Doust Plumbing Products founder Philip Doust complained that calls to and from his Malaga premises regularly dropped out because the local exchange was out of date.

FX Digital Pty Ltd co-founder Steve Cartwright said Telstra’s Ballajura exchange was the only one in the metropolitan area. It had not been upgraded to ADSL 2 and there were no plans to do so, he said.

Despite the dropouts, Mr Doust said he continued to use Telstra: “They’re a joke, but you would be crazy to deal with anyone else.”

Compendium’s Michael Ratner agreed. “Telstra controls the lines.”