Vic office bears fruit for Israeli firm

Israeli vendor RAD Data Communications has marked the end of a promising first year in Oceania, with Australian sales revenue rising 15 percent to about $8 million since the company’s regional office opened in Melbourne November 2003.

RAD Australia, the local subsidiary of RAD Data Communications, is a manufacturer and vendor of access equipment for voice and data applications. Locally, it works through channel partners PacLink, PCS and, more recently, wireless distributor Integrity Data Systems.

Udi Furman, general manager at RAD Data Communications, said times had been tough so the first year’s result from had been pleasing.

“Budgets are still constrained, but we saw a positive move with carriers starting to invest,” he said.

Despite continuing tight economic conditions, prices for some offerings – such as broadband – had dropped, encouraging uptake in some new telecommunications offerings, Furman said.

RAD Australia highlights for the 2003-04 fiscal year had included sales of its Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) over IP product to Melbourne CityLink’s emergency services department.

The company also sold gear to several local utility companies, and to NSW’s Department of Education and Training. Sales in other parts of Oceania were even stronger, with New Zealand sales jumping 25 percent and overall South Pacific sales 20 percent since November 2003.

“Next year, we expect additional growth. But more than that, we want to penetrate the big telcos, Telstra and Optus,” Furman said.

Negotiations were already underway with one of those major players, he said.

The company had proved successful with the “alternative” carriers and believed it was ready for a bite at the big guys, he added.

Specialist distributor Integrity Data Systems was hired during the year. Wireless and IP products and services would also be increasingly targeted as areas of RAD growth, Furman added.

Globally, RAD Data Communications already had partnerships with French telecommunications provider Alcatel -- a company with a strong customer base in Australia – and Chinese IT giant Huawei, he said.

RAD Australia’s year-old Melbourne office has two staff, including Furman. Support was handled from the company’s headquarters in Israel and by channel partners, he said.

Privately owned RAD Data Communications was founded in 1981. It claims a global installed base of some eight million units, serving some 150 customers from 18 offices and via 200 distributors in some 105 countries.