Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2011/05/03/telstra_sme/

Telstra cozies up to small end of town

Invests $600m prepping SMB services

By Natalie Apostolou

Posted in Networks, 3rd May 2011 03:53 GMT

Telstra is investing AUD$600 million over the next five years to upgrade its network for the delivery of advanced business services.

The carrier commissioned a study by IDC into the small business sector which found that the move to digital services in the sector was being held back by outdated technology.

Telstra CEO David Thodey and Federal Small Business Minister Nick Sherry launched the targeted SME initiative, Digital Business, to assist businesses to make the switch to integrated communications.

“We’re offering some of the world’s most sophisticated call features and complete integration between fixed and mobile, allowing small business people to work in a way that has up until now only been possible by people working in large corporations,” Thodey said.

He added that Telstra recognised it had to make the ‘digital switch’ easy and affordable for small businesses to enable them to enjoy business grade communications technology.

The carrier claims that it has re-designed its customer ordering and service processes to make it easy for small businesses to order and install the Digital Business package.” Digital Business is designed for businesses with up to 10 employees initially and will be available in capital cities from late May, expanding nationally to 1600 exchanges covering 90% of Australian small business by September. It will also expand to cover businesses with up to 25 staff.

Services from the Digital Business package include unified communications combining high-speed fixed broadband and telephony integrated with remote working solutions, mobile telephones and cloud software.

Australia's major carriers have struggled with the small business sector. Telstra abandoned its dominance of the segment when it divested its Commander brand, and has struggled to recapture that market. ®