Vodafone Essar, India’s second biggest GSM operator, seems to be shifting its focus to the enterprise segement — one which it has largely ignored so far.
The firm today announced the starting of a “audio conferencing service” targeted purely at companies.
Vodafone, due to its traditional focus on mobile services, has always been a consumer player in India. In comparison, its biggest competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications, have always had a dual strategy of consumer services supplemented by the more lucrative enterprise services such as point-to-point connectivity, Internet and landline products.
Most of Vodafone’s current enterprise offerings hovered around its mobile business — such as bulk billing, blackberry services etc., but the firm has been broadening its enterprise services of late. Though behind the others, it too offers solutions such as dedicated connectivity and even application deployment.
The audio conferencing market is currently dominated by players like Cisco and Reliance and to some extent by Airtel.
“Business stakeholders can hold conferences in different styles suitable to thier convenience either through mobile phones or landlines. Some of the salient features of this service are 24 X 7 reservationless service, automated and operator assistance services,” Vodafone said in its statement announcing its move.
Naveen Chopra, Vodfone’s enterprise head seemed to indicate bigger designs for the operator in the business segment.
“The introduction of Audio Conferencing is a part of Vodafone’s plan to enhance its product portfolio as well as establish Vodafone as a Total communications provider,” he pointed out.