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Tag: subscribers

  • VoIP Solutions Provider Codima Expands Operations Into France


    Codima has announced the launch of operations in the French market.

    The VoIP software tools provider is to offer sales, marketing and support to new and existing resellers throughout France from offices in Paris.

    Codima, a Microsoft Certified Partner, delivers an end-to-end solution that helps organizations manage their VoIP and data networks cost efficiently.

    Codima’s CEO, Christer Mattsson, said the solution reduces IT costs while improving the end user quality experience.

    He said this encourages organizations urgently looking to reduce IT costs to invest in the software based solution.

    Commenting on the opening of the new Paris office, he said: "Our strategy is to always act locally, which enables us to adapt to new markets quickly and benefit from local relationships."

    Mattsson said Codima develops and markets a solution that is built from the ground up to be VoIP specific, in comparison to other products on the market developed from existing platforms.

    According to ARPEC, the French regulator, France had 11.9 million subscribers to a VoIP service in Q1 2008.

    This represented 30 per cent of all fixed telephony services and was growing at the rate of 1 million new subscribers per quarter.

    The rapidly increasing usage of VoIP technology by French end users indicates an uptake in the market for products managing VoIP networks.

    Gheorghe Moga, who will lead the Codima operation in France, said VoIP technology is driving IP communications growth in the French market.

    He said the Codima offering responds to the growing demand for ensuring and improving VoIP call quality.

    "With in-depth local knowledge and strong channeling support to partners, we are ideally positioned to take advantage of the uptake in VoIP technology usage," he said.

  • TeleGeography Survey Shows VoIP Surge in Europe












    VoIP telephone services in Western Europe leapt to just under 30 million consumer lines by mid-2008 – up from 20 million only a year earlier.

    That figure has continued to climb and totalled 35 million lines at the end of the year, according to a survey by researchers TeleGeography.

    The study into fixed-line VoIP usage also found that while the aggregate pace of growth across Europe remains rapid, fixed line market trends in each country are surprisingly unique.

    Household penetration of VoIP telephony at mid-2008 ranged from slightly less than 50 per cent in France to less than 3 per cent in Spain.

    In terms of annual subscriber growth rates ranged from 544 per cent in Portugal to a comparatively anemic 13 per cent in Norway.

    TeleGeography analyst Patrick Christian said VoIP services are reshaping the fixed line market in Europe.

    But he said regional market differences were were much in evidence.

    "Europe may have a single market, but it’s far from common," he said.

    "However, while the uptake of IP telephony services varies widely, VoIP has been a powerful spur to innovation, even in some countries with relatively modest numbers of VoIP subscribers."

    This has taken the form of "incumbents" having to slash the price of traditional telephone services, to deploy higher-speed broadband networks and to introduce new video-over-IP services in the face of the challenge presented by IP-based competitors.

    TeleGeography projects that the number of VoIP subscribers will continue to grow strongly, increasing from 35 million at end-2008 to 45 million by the end of 2009.



  • Vonage Confident of Growth Despite Subscriber Loss


    VoIP provider Vonage had a revenue increase of 9 per cent to USD $900 million in 2008.

    However, reporting on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2008 earnings report, the company said it had lost a net of 14,700 subscribers in Q4.

    Net loss excluding debt extinguishment costs narrowed to USD $34 million from USD $93 million excluding certain charges.

    GAAP net loss was USD $65 million or $0.41 per share in 2008.

    Marc Lefar, Vonage’s CEO, said the company had improved its financial position throughout 2008 – to the extent that it delivered adjusted operating profit and positive cash from operations for a full year for the first time.

    Noting the loss of subscribers, he was optimistic about Vonage’s business model, which he said was solid and the market opportunity for digital voice remains robust.

    "While our financial performance was sound, we fell short in our ability to substantially grow our subscriber base," he said.

    "However, we are confident Vonage has significant opportunities to create future value for shareholders."

    Lefar said a range of initiatives were being lined up for launch, including:

    • improving the customer experience
    • enhancing distribution and marketing
    • improving quality and reliability
    • initiating new products and features
    • optimizing our cost structure
    • improving talent management

    Lefar said he was confident these will drive Vonage forward as a business model poised to achieve significant new growth.