Comparisons with utilities are inevitable; renting storage or processing power could become as simple as turning on a tap for water or switching on a light.
Telcos and vendors like NEC are the most obvious IT suppliers on a utility scale, and they are pulling out all the stops to gain market share and fulfil this expectation. But where in this analogy is there room for smaller players?
Although Brennan sells similar products to Telstra, smaller providers offer much better service, says Dave Stevens, managing director. "The mid market has always wanted to buy off people" rather than large telcos, says Stevens. "Our customers get a lot of attention. When they want something we customise it for them."
The convergence of data and voice also means managed service providers are moving upwards into the telco space themselves. Over 50 percent of Brennan's revenue is from WAN services including voice and unified communications, network and bandwidth management.
However, Stevens draws the line at adding mobile voice to the portfolio because he says it is a volume business with low margins and no room for differentiation.
For more on the NBN, read this month's feature in the latest issue of CRN magazine.
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