Telstra partner Calibre One enjoys steady stream of wins

Calibre One has carved out a comfortable spot in central Australia, racking up a steady stream of customer wins from Darwin down to Adelaide. 

The current incarnation of the company was born out of a merger between South Australia’s Calibre One and Northern Territory Telstra partner Nexus Tel in October last year.

Chief executive Steve Wemyss said the merger stemmed from both companies wanting to expand their capabilities to become a fully fledged technology partner, not just a managed service provider or a telco.

“Before the merger, as two separate entities, we both saw the need to become technology partners that understand the whole picture,” Wemyss said. “That’s why a merger became a no-brainer, really, because they saw they needed IT and we saw that we needed data and telephony to form a complete technology package.”

Calibre One’s success is thanks in part to its relationship with its key supplier, Telstra. The partnership isn’t just about telecommunications, though. Calibre One is lock-step with Telstra’s vision of becoming a national technology company, not just a telco.

The partnership between Calibre One and Telstra impressed the judges in the inaugural CRN Impact Awards this year, earning a commendation for their work with Northern Territory company Halkitis, and a nomination for another project with Telstra for the Northern Territory Primary Health Networks.

“Even though we are independent, we focus on being a good partner and doing the right thing by our partners. It is a challenge, because we’re small and they’re big, but they try hard as well,” Wemyss said. “If you’ve got the right contacts and you communicate the issues that you’re having, they can also bring a lot to the party as well, so it’s not a one-sided arrangement.”

Chief financial officer Darren Gore said customers in northern Australia have their own way of doing business.

“Even though customers are more laid back, they do tend to make decisions quicker around trying to get onto new technology platforms or to make changes within their business,” he said. “Let me put it this way: we tend to have very close relationships with our customers and the Telstra account managers up in Darwin. 

“People don’t quite understand that we’re all friends. We all hang out; it’s very easygoing and people are probably a lot more about hanging out and getting to know each other, versus some of the bigger cities, where it’s more about the business outcomes and the relationships don’t become that personal.”

Looking ahead, Calibre One expects that 2017 will be another big year of growth, with more announcements to come. 

The company has already set its sights on Cairns as the next northern market, and has also begun to dabble in a security offering for existing customers.