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| Paul White, Managing Director of NTA |
This month Comms Business gets close up and personal with Paul White, Managing Director of NTA.
NTA is a privately owned UK Telecoms Carrier, utilising the BT IPX service to route calls via its own VoIP network. The Company was formed in 2001 launching its first VoIP solution in 2005.
NTA provides hosted solutions with a key differentiator of offering line pools rather than ‘per user’ extension-based licensing. This means that dealers and resellers are able to sell hosted VoIP on the same basis as a traditional phone system. For example, 8 lines by 16 extensions. Consequently the dealer or white labeller becomes the aggregator and provides its customers with a cost-effective way of having a VoIP telephone system at a fraction of the cost of other hosted solutions.
I clearly believe that the future of telecoms has to be hosted VoIP and indeed this is where NTA has been headed for a while. VoIP is here today and businesses are starting to dip their toe in the water. As the world gets connected with extended and reliable bandwidth, voice just becomes another application and should be expected to be portable, just like your personal laptop. I see hosted VoIP as being a key driver in giving staff a better work/life balance by allowing them the flexibility of ‘taking their office with them’, no matter where they are.
Traditional telephony companies need to get on board with VoIP or get left behind by the fast moving smaller businesses like NTA. For resellers and white label partners, hosted VoIP allows the revenue streams to be maintained as they not only are providing the equipment, the solution and the calls but they are also hosting their telephone numbers. This makes the customer become very ‘sticky’.
Hosted VoIP provides features that would be beyond the reach of a traditional solution. I remember quoting for multiple offices using AC15 and DC5 cards and then getting quotes from BT for the circuits – making the whole solution a costly and complex affair. Back then, could you imagine ever being able to say to a customer, ‘we don’t care where you are, just plug your handset into an internet connection and off you go!’
Close up & personal
Married? Yes – to Carol for 12 years.
Lives where? Upminster, Essex.
Kids? 4.
What is your favourite car? Range Rover.
What do you drive? Range Rover. 4x4s
Chelsea tractors? See above.
What really gets your goat in business? People not paying for services received.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Always be honest.
And the worst? Always be honest!!
Favourite Film? Notting Hill.
Who is/was the best James Bond? Sean Connery.
Last CD/DVD bought? ‘Now that’s what I call music-12’.
Sport? Gym, especially this year as I have lost 5 stone!
Favourite team? Arsenal.
What’s the best thing you’ve bought this year? Helicopter lessons.
What have you wasted money on? Buying XXL clothes – lost 5 stone since Jan so have had to buy a new wardrobe.
If you could pick anyone to go to dinner with who would it be and why? The Beatles – I grew up listening to them and would love to hear their stories and of course get a private concert!
What could you not live without? My mobile phone. Convergence of this technology means I really can have a mobile desk with me wherever I go (I am an iPhone user).
Who’s been your greatest inspiration/ hero? My father – even at 70 he is still climbing ladders and showing me life goes on no matter what age you are, and that there are always new challenges and goals to be accomplished. This attitude has served me well in business.
If it all went belly up tomorrow, what would you do? I’d do it all again. I’ve loved every minute of it and whilst it seems fun then why wouldn’t I try again?
What would you do if you were invisible? I can't say – but I’d definitely end up getting arrested!
If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be? Richard Branson – to get in the mind of a true entrepreneur and figure out what makes him tick.
Your best blag ever? Selling sellotape at school to dinner ladies at the age of 8. I knew then that I was destined to run my own business!
What is on your iPod? ‘Now that’s what I call music’ albums 1 to 11!!