August 3, 2011 iNum provider profile: Svanto.net
Today’s iNum provider profile is Svanto.net, a new member of the iNum community. Svanto was founded by Sven Antonissen, who we had the opportunity to chat with via Email:
How did Svanto.net get started?
I’m into VoIP since 2003, starting with the Alcatel-Lucent PBXs. We have implemented site to site VoIP via different MPLS solutions. I also started working at Belgacom (Belgian Telecom Operator) where I had the opportunity to grow and learn how to operator a public network.
Svanto.net evolved out of that job. I found that Belgacom (as a traditional operator) was not giving the full service. There was a need for small operators who give their customers what they want at a low-cost price. Traditional networks (PSTN) are less cost sufficient than the new VoIP networks. There is no longer a need to maintain a large analog network. Sure you still need your cables, but as the technologies evolve, they are becoming less and less expensive. So why not pass on to the consumers the cost savings the operators are experiencing. There is no justification for high prices while the world is in an economic crises.
Where is your headquarters and what markets do you focus on?
My headquarters are in Belgium, Stokrooie (Hasselt). It is located in one of the growth poles in Belgium. We focus mainly on the residential customers (as well prepaid as postpaid) as on the SME customers (with hosted PBX solutions) as on the large enterprises and wholesalers (SIP Trunking to traditional PBXs, A-Z termination, international number porting etc…).
We also deliver cloud based Unified communications to large enterprises.As for country based markets, I mainly focus on the European market.
My customers vary between the residential customer as well as SME’s. But what they all have in common is that they don’t like to overpay their communications.
What are the unique challenges in your market ?
The unique challenges in the market are mainly to offer cloud based communications with the highest flexibility. It doesn’t matter any more if you would be located on this end of the world while your colleague is in the other part (except for the time zones off course). you still need to communicate when and how you’d like it. You shouldn’t be feeling like a slave to your cell phone, while having lunch with your friends. For instance, divert when you’d like it. Take calls when you’d like it.
When did your company first start to offer VoIP?
The company started offering VoIP in 2010.
What are your predictions for the future of VoIP?
VoIP is the next level of communication where communication is on an Internet basis. VoIP together with Video will be the future as broadband access is becoming more and more a right instead of a privilege.
Concerning iNum, when did you start to offer it to your clients and what kind of feedback have you been getting?
The first reaction of the customers is that they don’t know what it is. I started offering iNum just recently. But when you’d explain them that they could be reachable from an external access, they are all willing to take the number.
Why do you want to offer iNums and tell us about how you think your customers will use it.
I want to offer the iNums to the customer as they all should be reachable from any classic phone. I think my customers will use it as a social (like Skype) number. Where there is one network (social) where they all can reach each other without having to think what the cost will be. So they can focus on the main goal of communication, to achieve their objectives and reach their partners.
Are there any unique services you enable with the iNum numbers?
I will enable Unified Communications with the iNum numbers. So they can be dial-able as like a social network would do. This with their own domain name and iNum number.
Do you plan to work with the incumbent phone companies in your home market to enable iNum calling?
The main operators in Belgium are already working with the iNum, so I think I will work with them in order to achieve the bigger international picture.
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