Category: Product News

Vox has finalised and lit up the first three precincts in Richards Bay, the first non-metropolitan town in its National Long Distance Fibre Project which was launched in October 2016. 

With a thriving industrial and mining sector, combined with the harbour, Richards Bay met the key criteria required to build a business case for fibre infrastructure investment, one that becomes the starting point of the long- distance fibre initiative.

“It is one thing creating the infrastructure and another connecting Richards Bay to other cities.  We evaluated our options and could easily have gone via Durban or Ballito.  But the route along the eastern leg of the country, along the N4 seemed like the best option, enabling us to deliver a better connectivity experience to the smaller towns along the route,” says Jacques du Toit, CEO of Vox.

Vox has engaged with over 440 customers over the last few months and in the process signed up over R662 000.00 in fibre sales.

Adds du Toit, “Our efforts at the moment are centred around delivering the remaining 15 precincts in Richards Bay and we are aiming to having this completed in the next 18 months.  We did unfortunately experience some delays which were beyond our control such as issues with soil conditions and received way leaves from council which was later than originally expected, but despite these challenges we are on track with the completion of the communications network.  Thereafter, we anticipate that the next viable town will be Middelburg”

The company has previously stated that economic factors need to be considered and while it isn’t immediately possible to deploy fibre in every single town, Vox is looking at ways of deploying wireless links via a high capacity backhaul to the towns along the eastbound leg of the country.

“Partnership with the WISPS will be a critical enabler for better connectivity in the small towns and we are looking forward to advancing these as we make our way back along the N4 route towards Gauteng,” concludes Du Toit.

 

 

 

While local companies are increasingly turning to Telephone Management Systems (TMS) to better manage their communication costs and better allocate budgets, advancements in this technology means that currently available features are just the start of what is possible.

A TMS traditionally comprises on-premise hardware and software that keeps track of incoming and outgoing calls, extensions used, numbers called, call duration and cost. With reporting from a TMS, businesses can manage employees’ usage, providing increased control over telephony costs, and avoiding bill shock at the end of the month.

Even in instances where companies subscribe to an uncapped Voice over IP (VoIP) service for a fixed fee, using a TMS helps ensure that there is no abuse of company resources, and that employees’ productivity levels are not being impacted due to time spent on unnecessary or personal calls.

However, as TMS moves toward being a cloud-based, per-user subscription service, there is huge potential for the system to evolve with the ability to accept data from a wide variety of devices. This allows companies to analyse and make sense of more than just their fixed-line and mobile telephony usage and costs.

Networked printers are already being linked in such systems: this goes beyond merely identifying which employees are using printers. By monitoring information collected about which printers are being used and how often, companies know when to order ink or toner in advance, or even actively engage in predictive maintenance.

Incorporation of video conferencing (VC) data can further allow companies to gauge usage by participants from different branches or sites, identify savings – what would have previously been spent on travel and accommodation costs – and more accurately calculate a return on their VC investment, be it for endpoints or monthly subscription fees.

Many companies already get detailed internet usage reports from their connectivity providers; adding this information to the system can give complete transparency into how employees are using company resources.

This opens up a host of new opportunities: as long as a device – or sensor of any sort – is connected to a network, a flexible cloud-based system can be updated with the ability to import that data.

Collecting data from multiple sources and displaying it in a manner that gives companies a holistic view of how their business operations allows them to put in place and enforce well-informed resource usage policies and forecast more accurate budgets.

By harnessing the full potential applications of such technology, businesses no longer merely have a simple telephony management system, but a complete expense management tool for their connectivity, communication and collaboration requirements.

Frogfoot Networks (Pty) Ltd, a licensed open access fibre network provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of integrated ICT and connectivity provider Vox, has recently secured funding to deploy fibre to the home (FTTH) to 15,000 homes in Gauteng and the Western Cape as part of a 24-month roll-out programme.

 “At the beginning of 2016, we embarked on an aggressive FTTH expansion programme and committed to deploy FTTH to 85,000 homes. We are currently in the process of building the infrastructure to over 16,000 homes, and with the additional funding are now able to fast-track the deployment to 15,100 homes in 2017,” says Abraham van der Merwe, Co-founder and Managing Director of Frogfoot.

 “2018 will see the deployment of the remaining 53,300 homes, although it is likely that this figure will grow substantially as the demand for FTTH continues. There is a massive appetite for fibre in South Africa, which is mainly driven by the current state of the existing cabled network that is simply not meeting the needs of the consumer. Today, users want high speed, uninterrupted connectivity at work and home, and it is this frustration that is driving fervent demand.”

As a result of this demand, there is still huge growth potential in the FTTH sector. As traditional content consumption habits evolve to become increasingly push based, the bandwidth requirements can only realistically be delivered over fibre.

“Viewing push content using a DSL link is challenging and while switching to high-speed LTE is the obvious option, it is a pricey alternative. Also, LTE – fixed or Wi-Fi – will never give the bandwidth capacity that fibre offers and simply won’t meet demand.”

Van der Merwe explains that the addressable FTTH market is between three million and six million homes, which means that Frogfoot currently have two per cent market saturation and reaffirms its growth strategy.

“Although deployment is driven by the commercial viability of the project and consumer demand, there remains huge untapped possibility,” concludes van der Merwe.

By Mauritz van Wyk, Senior Product Manager: Visual Communications at Vox

While there has been a steady increase in the use of video conferencing (VC) by larger South African corporates to enable workforce mobility and cut down on travel costs, new solutions are reducing the barrier to entry for small business.

With a requirement for substantial investment into infrastructure, traditional VC solutions have long remained the domain of enterprises – or exclusively C-Suite level executives at smaller companies. Even hosted business-grade solutions often require licensing fees to be paid per user, making it unaffordable for smaller companies with multiple branches and employees that need to be connected.

Service providers have recognised this latent demand and are moving to expand access by providing solutions that lower the cost of video conferencing. With Vox Air, a cloud-based solution, small business users can get enterprise quality audio, video and content sharing at a fraction of the cost.

The vendor independent solution acts as a VC technology integrator, meaning that all participants are not required to use the same hardware or install a common application, freeing up small business from having to invest in costly VC bridging equipment.

Instead, participants can use a wide range of devices, ranging from traditional VC endpoints to laptops and mobile devices to join a virtual meeting room as easily as making a phone call. The addition of a browser-based interface means that participants using a laptop, desktop or using the Vox Vobi application for IOS and Android devices.

Content sharing functionality allows participants to share documents or presentations, while tight integration with Microsoft Skype for Business means that even contents of the chat window can be easily shared across platforms to enable a fully collaborative environment. Participants from outside the organisation can also join in, while those without access to devices or a data network can join a conference by dialling in by using a local landline number.

A three-step security process is used to ensure that company information is safe: a PIN code and conference locking ability prevent unauthorised access, while 128 bit encryption is used to protect against more malicious threats.

Despite the continued improvements in internet speed and bandwidth availability in South Africa, having multiple users connecting to video conferences can put strain on a company’s network – Vox Air negates this by allowing for high definition video, audio and content sharing at just 768 kbps of bandwidth.

Customers are charged on a per number basis, with between 4 and 12 devices being able to participate in a video conference concurrently, depending on the package chosen, with 24/7 support available locally.

By replacing investment in expensive equipment or licensing fees with an affordable monthly subscription, South African small businesses can easily connect their branches, cut down on costs, and drive communication and collaboration within the organisation.

Frogfoot Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of integrated Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and connectivity provider, Vox, has been appointed as the exclusive partner for fibre network and connectivity infrastructure for the property portfolio of Safari Investments RSA Ltd. The company is listed as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) on the JSE with over R2,4 billion in property assets.

Installation will commence with the retrofitting of the urban retail nodes within the Safari Investments group with high speed, reliable fibre infrastructure. Consumers and tenants alike are demanding access to high speed, reliable connectivity and wi-fi.

“The decision to move away from Telkom was an easy one, and we welcomed the input and partnership approach we received from Vox and Frogfoot. Aside from offering us an infrastructure solution, the team has worked to find cost effective alternatives to ensure a seamless switch over process for us,” says Francois Marais, CEO of Safari.

Safari will own all the passive infrastructure that is installed for its portfolio and this will be maintained and managed by Frogfoot Networks as the exclusive Open Access Provider. The open access approach enables end users to have a choice of the internet service provider with whom they would like to partner.

“There is an increased pressure on landlords and property developers to equip premises with flexible connectivity – and fibre provides the most versatile solution.  Having an open access fibre network differentiates their properties and provides the platform for SMART buildings, offices and cities,” says Jacques du Toit, CEO of Vox.

Vox has to date always endeavored to provide compelling, value driven packages for customers who want to be connected from day one. Vox will offer bundled packages that include uncapped voice, uncapped internet at speeds up to 1Gps, mobile data, patron analytics and an electronic advertising platform that will assist tenants in promoting their products.

“Internet infrastructure is a vital inclusion in our investment in the building of commercial centres and other facilities. There is significant value not only to our tenants who see connectivity as a utility, but also to us.  Our ability to do real time market research directly impacts the services and solutions we can integrate into our offering of future investments,” adds Marais.

 Concludes du Toit, “Access to fibre will change the way retailers do business with their customers.  High speed wi-fi, offered in-mall with access to tenant and retailer information is an increasingly important value add that renders a facility so much more attractive.

For tenants, access to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) services hosted in the cloud, that would otherwise not be accessible over traditional ADSL because of slow speeds and high latency, are not only possible, but increasingly critical in the new arena of an always connected environment.”

 

 

 

 

As a business grows, providing affordable and seamless communication for employees becomes a priority. While on-premise PBX systems have been the mainstay for years, businesses now have the option of turning to hosted or cloud-based solutions.

However, when selecting a solution, it is vital for businesses to critically assess their communications requirements – present and future – and find a solution that matches these.

Hosted PBX solutions

Hosted PBX solutions work for small and medium enterprises (SMEs and although they can support up to 100 users, the ideal usage is between 20 and 30 extensions.

A major benefit is that there is no large initial capital expenditure for on-site equipment. Instead, a monthly subscription is paid based on the number of extensions needed. It is also easily scalable – a business can add and remove extensions as required, and only pay for what they use.

In addition, with a hosted solution, businesses no longer need to worry about managing and maintaining on-site equipment, or even redundancy – everything is in the cloud and can be easily restored in case of a system failure.

Hosted solutions can also help SMEs with multiple sites to simplify their communications by integrating all branches into a single platform, and enable enterprise mobility through easier Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) integration. They can also use softphone applications to forward business calls directly to employees’ mobile devices.

While these benefits are significant, the user experience of hosted PBX systems is highly dependent on the quality of connectivity and local area network (LAN) infrastructure. Businesses need to reserve a portion of bandwidth for voice services and ensure equipment such as switches are capable of handling multiple voice calls concurrently.

Features offered by hosted PBX solutions are however limited when compared to on-site alternatives and might not meet a business’s requirements.

On-site PBX solutions

On-site PBX systems, of which there are proprietary and open-source options available, are ideal for bigger companies that prefer system administration and maintenance to remain within their control. These companies will often require advanced features such as, contact centre, voice logging or recording, and need to provide line extensions to a sizable workforce.

They usually have the budget, and thus opt for a single upfront capital expenditure rather than taking on a recurring cost. In addition, Vox offers such systems as part of a managed service, so businesses don’t incur costs for technology upgrades for the duration of their contract.

One of the biggest drawbacks to an on-site system is that businesses need the appropriate resources to manage and maintain the PBX system, and to ensure the company is adequately equipped for disaster recovery.

Furthermore, proprietary systems need to be installed by engineers who are certified by the equipment manufacturer and given that we have a national footprint, Vox is able to easily and efficiently install and support systems for customers with nationwide branches.

As local businesses come to accept the benefits of the cloud, they are becoming more open to using hosted PBX – usually the most cost-effective option for SMEs. However, as a business scales and requires more extensions and features, switching to an on-site PBX could be more economically feasible. As such, they need to carefully monitor costs and identify where this tipping point lies.

For larger enterprises requiring a feature-rich solution that can cater for hundreds – or even thousands – of employees, on-site PBX still has a place. These customers have both the budget and internal skills to manage and maintain on-site equipment, which makes it the best fit for their business.

South African businesses that are feeling the pinch from rising telecommunications costs could realise substantial savings by switching to Voice over IP (VoIP) for their offices and SIP softphone applications for employees’ mobile devices.

Traditional fixed line calls are primarily charged on a per minute basis, with a breakage rate where the customer pays a flat rate per 60 or 30 second chunks of time. This means that even if your call lasts for only 40 seconds, you could still be billed for an entire minute.

In a business with multiple extensions, this all adds up to wasteful spending on services not used. VoIP services, on the other hand, are usually charged on a per second basis, meaning that companies only pay for the call time used. Geographic number porting further lets businesses keep their number, while consolidating services into a single central IP network.

Service providers such as Vox also offer uncapped local calling, further increasing the cost savings for local business.

Businesses that don’t use uncapped voice products still stand to benefit from low outbound call rates, as well as earn rebates on inbound calls. Under this method, customers receive a share of revenue from inbound voice traffic, as interconnect savings are passed on, further reducing the businesses’ overall telecommunications costs.

Reducing cellular voice bills

Local companies can also cut down on cellular allowances needed for employees by turning to softphone applications that use data – whether through the company’s WiFi network or cellular connectivity – to make voice calls.

While such calls can be made through popular consumer applications such as WhatsApp, there are limitations – in this case, both the caller and the receiver of the call need to be registered on the platform.

With applications such as Vobi, individuals and business users can tap into the Vox network to make and receive calls to local numbers across all networks, as well as to international destinations.

The service is billed on a month-to-month basis so users are not locked into lengthy contracts, while call charges are highly competitive, even when taking into account both the cost of the call and data used. There is even an uncapped option available at a fixed monthly cost for heavy users.

In addition to helping businesses cut costs, SIP softphone applications are also an enabler of mobility – depending on their PBX system in use, companies can easily forward office extensions to respective employees’ mobile devices, making them available regardless of their physical location.

In all, making the switch could help save up to 40% in telecommunications costs, and local businesses should critically re-evaluate their use of more traditional technologies such as landlines and cellular networks for voice calls.

By Abraham van der Merwe, co-founder and Managing Director, Frogfoot Networks (Pty) a wholly owned subsidiary of integrated Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and connectivity provider, Vox. 

Creating competition in the buoyant Internet service provider (ISP) space plays a crucial role in driving customer choice. Consumers can go anywhere to get their home or business connected, but the costs are still very much dependent on whether their service provider uses an open or closed access business model.

Competition is the main defence for open access: by not competing, you become the de facto service provider for the area. This approach lowers the cost of the infrastructure build to such an extent that it does not make financial sense for another business to build over an existing network.

In Sweden, the City of Stockholm municipality has built the entire infrastructure for the city, which is leased by the service providers. The network is over 14 years old – it was one of the first open access networks ever built – and because it is the only network available in the city, competition is fierce. So much so that the average revenue a service provider receives per customer is a mere US$1. The ecosystem has become so intensely competitive that it has driven the cost down.

An open access business model works particularly well for infrastructure. It dictates that an infrastructure provider can build a fibre network accessible to all wholesale service providers. A key aspect to this model, however, is to specialise in one area – network infrastructure – without being drawn into providing bolt-on services. The more services you provide, the more you compete with other businesses and the less inclusive you become.

A good analogy is a property developer who builds an office complex and leases out the office space to individual businesses. What he typically doesn’t do is become a one-stop-shop for office supplies and equipment. Instead, he provides only the space, because if he were to offer furniture – as an example – it would limit the businesses that choose to rent office space from him: a competing furniture supplier would not want to be co-located with a competitor.

When building a fibre network in a suburb, it does not matter if there is one or a thousand customers: the build cost remains the same. However, it is in the business’s best interest to increase penetration: the higher the penetration, the lower the subscription rate.

Another element to the open access business model is to provide products and services on an equitable basis. A fair price book – applicable to all customers – will increase customer retention and lead to greater market penetration. It also attracts wholesalers who are now no longer regarded as the competition, but have instead been given the foundation to deliver their services to customers.

A closed access business model is the opposite side of the spectrum: the service provider leases access to its infrastructure to the customer, who is then also required to purchase any bolt-on products and services directly from service providers.

One of the biggest pitfalls of this model is that the moment the customer is told that they have to deal with a particular provider – without choice – problems start to occur. This in turn becomes more of a hazard when the customer becomes dissatisfied with the level of service.

A business is also operating under a closed access model when the customer is given the option to deal with a host of businesses, including the service provider. This means that the service provider is now competing with its customers for their business, which will ultimately lead to lower penetration and a price hike is passed on to the customer.

For us it’s clear to see why the closed access model doesn’t work and you have to question why anyone would follow this route. However, in the telecoms industry of the past – as with most service providers today too – they never actually defined a business model. The “model” was very much about trying to connect customers who wanted connectivity and making the assumption of the overall penetration. This plays a huge role in the costing model, which is why the incumbent – is regarded as the inefficient giant of the telcos market: spend billions before fully understanding the customer reach.

A more efficient way to do business – in support of open access – would be to first determine what the underlying costs will be to build a network with 100 per cent penetration. Thereafter, use a downward scale to calculate the costs should only a percentage of customers sign up: increasing penetration to lower the price point

Now that is where we want to end up: choice and lower costs for the end user is what we need in South Africa!

The recent Reignite GP 2017 conference hosted by Braintree, a subsidiary of Vox, revealed a platform that is neither dated nor dying. Instead, the relevance and agility of Microsoft Dynamics GP (Formerly Great Plains) was showcased across partner, platform and industry. While GP may be an industry stalwart, it continues to deliver what organisations need as they face shifting trends and mercurial markets.

“There is a myth that has been circulating – GP is dead – and it is a myth that can be easily debunked,” says Heath Huxtable, Executive Head of Braintree at Vox. “Microsoft has continued to invest significant research and development into GP, ensuring that it remains relevant, that its technology is up to date and that its customers receive exceptional value. GP is alive and well with more than 47,000 global customers and a thriving international community.”

Microsoft Dynamics GP is currently being used by organisations in South Africa, Australia, Middle East, UAE, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, to name a few. It is one of the most feature-rich and capable systems on the market, allowing for users to harness its agility and flexibility to maintain their own market relevance in the face of disruption and digital evolution.

“Not only has GP received significant R&D, but it is also capable of integration into incredibly successful cloud platforms such as Azure and PowerBI, allowing for even richer functionality and capability,” adds Huxtable. “In a cloud-first, mobile- driven world, it provides the adaptability that the organisation needs to meet these challenges head first.”

For most organisations, the customer has become the focal point across all forms of investment, communication and development. This focus is no different for those invested in the development of Microsoft Dynamics GP. The community that has grown up alongside the solution is motivated by customer passion and collaboration.

“Our community is a testament to the popularity of GP and the loyalty it inspires in its users,” says Huxtable. “It provides immeasurable support as customers share insights that drive business success and greater understanding of GP as a whole.”

In addition to its ubiquity as a resource, GP is designed to ensure adoption and integration is as seamless as possible. The interface uses familiar design elements to break down the barrier to entry, and allows for employees to instantly engage with the benefits it provides. In addition, GP boasts a new web client that is fast and incredibly easy to use.

“GP delivers tangible efficiencies around business insights and intelligence while ensuring a superb user experience,” says Huxtable. “We have worked with organisations that have adopted GP with only five users and today they have more than 400, all on the back of using a good ERP solution. GP gives users the answers they need whether they are dealing with a customer, handling payments, managing inventory and so much more. It completely streamlines life and business.”

Braintree, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vox, has been working with GP for more than 20 years. The company is as passionate about its capability today as it was when it first engaged with it. As the largest Microsoft Dynamics GP partner in Africa, the company is committed to providing African organisations with a solution that is not only globally recognised and supported, but that taps into the expertise and excellence of Microsoft and its extensive R&D.

“Our objective is to make people’s lives and businesses more efficient, supporting them in working better through technology,” concludes Huxtable. “We have been Microsoft partners since 1996, and our consultants have worked with the Dynamics range for more than 20 years. If nothing else shows our belief in GP, that does.”

Vox has launched Eyeris Lite which is aimed at providing an affordable, easy-to-use, business-grade video conferencing solution for local, small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Companies with multiple branches are increasingly taking advantage of improved broadband connectivity and advancements in hardware and software technology by turning to video conferencing (VC) to enable communication and collaboration, rather than having employees physically travel around.

“A small business with branches across the country can end up spending a lot of money for business executives to travel to their headquarters for meetings – costs that they can save by rather using Eyeris Lite,” says Mauritz van Wyk, senior product manager for visual communications at Vox.

Eyeris Lite – which can connect to any existing VC device – includes features such as an embedded dual-band WiFi module, auto bandwidth detection, audio echo cancellation, and advanced error correction for crystal clear HD communication at just 600Kbps.

It is also backed by a service level agreement and therefore small business can finally say goodbye to pixelated video and garbled voices during video calls.

Van Wyk adds that despite its affordability and compact form factor, the solution offers an unparalleled immersive experience for up to eight participants in small meetings. As such, it can also be used by bigger companies who are looking for a cost-effective VC solution for linking their huddle rooms.

Call participants can connect to meetings easily with a simplified remote and user interface, while seamless sharing of documents and presentations enables them to focus on knowledge sharing and achieving the objectives of their meetings – rather than have to worry about technical issues.

The Vox Eyeris Lite solution is available in two options: the Basic bundle which includes the PTZ camera , codec, configuration and installation; and the Complete bundle which adds on a 48” screen and Vox Air cloud video conferencing for four participants. The devices are configured ahead of time with IP information sourced from the customer, while on premise installation can be done in less than an hour.

The Basic bundle is available for R999 per month on a two-year contract and the complete bundle is available for R2199 per month over a two-year contract.

“Eyeris Lite is for the business that wants something better than having to make use of consumer VC applications, but doesn’t have the budget or the technical requirement for sophisticated products that are expensive and primarily aimed at enterprise users,” concludes Van Wyk.