Sonus keen to provide VoIP services
By HO SIEW YEE
August 11 2005
btimes.com.my
SONUS Networks Inc, the world’s number two seller of computer services, aims to create a significant presence in Malaysia within the next two to three years with its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) products.
Founded in 1997 in Westford, Massachusetts, Sonus sells directly to its customer base of carriers and service providers in the US market.
Sonus reported fiscal 2004 revenue of US$170.7 million (US$1 = RM3.75), with an annual revenue growth of 83 per cent; a current market capitalisation of over US$1 billion and has essentially no debt.
Internationally, Sonus sells through a direct sales force in cooperation with local partners. Sonus has distribution agreements with IBIL (M) Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.
It was a recipient of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Award for technology innovation in recognition of its IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture.
Chairman and chief executive officer Hassan M. Ahmed said Malaysia currently contributes a small portion to the overall revenue but he believes the market could grow bigger.
“The VoIP adoption here is still in an early stage, but I believe we will see more companies adopting this technology and Sonus will be there to provide the services,” he told Business Times in Kuala Lumpur following his two-day trip in the country recently.
He said more VoIP rollouts would be seen in Malaysia in two to three years’ time and by then, he is confident that Malaysia would contribute significantly to Sonus.
“VoIP is like integrating all your communication devices into one device; be it instant messaging or phone calls.
“With VoIP, cost can be reduced because you only need to purchase one product rather than several devices,” he said.
Chief executive officer of IBIL, Muhammad Azhan Hamid, said some of the major customers using Sonus products are tier-1 telecommunications operators.
To Hassan, he believes that many favour Sonus than its competitors because Sonus makes its products from scratch.
“Most of our giant competitors need to take many approaches to migrate to a different technology and hence, the cost is higher.
“For a relatively smaller company like Sonus, we can begin with a clean sheet and design different renditions to meet the customers’ requirements,” he added. |
