The move means Nimans Connect can now provide resellers with competitive rates for their SME-customers’ outbound call plans, offering savings of up to 70 per cent on domestic and 90 per cent on international calls compared with BT’s retail base rates.
“Following hard on the heels of our business broadband offering this is a further natural progression as we continue to complement our hardware offering with telephony services” commented Nimans Connect’s Business Manager, John Betton. “We want to give resellers every opportunity to sell a range of products that suit business customers’ needs. By enabling them to offer both standalone and integrated hardware and service solutions they can enjoy the comfort zone that Nimans’ backing and reputation provides.”
The choice of Uniworld as Nimans Connect’s CPS partner was influenced by its position as one of the leading providers to the SME market, its high service standards and commitment to the channel. The company’s client base spans over 7,000 small and medium sized business each of whom benefits from a single point of contact for service management issues, including fault reports, accessible via direct lines rather than automated response systems. In addition it provides a single monthly bill for all services to make it easier for clients to manage costs and a single point of contact for fault and other service management issues. Crucially Uniworld also markets exclusively through the channel.
Kim Robinson, managing director of Uniworld, said the deal with Nimans would provide resellers with an excellent route into the CPS market. “Both Uniworld and Nimans are committed to the channel and devote considerable resources to supporting dealers. In particular both companies enjoy enviable reputations for service excellence. That’s important because what this partnership means is that dealers can target a fast-growing market in which they may not yet be experienced, gaining comfort and confidence by knowing they have all the expertise and support they need behind them. The substantial call savings they will be able to offer will also greatly assist them in fostering client loyalty and retention.”
The Ofcom inspired liberalisation of the wholesale market has seen CPS become an important growth sector, with over 5.5 million customers switching to alternative suppliers by the end of 2005. Industry sources also reported that around one million business lines had transferred to WLR providers by May 2006.