Vodafone opens new channel for SMB services push

The new division was established by former Vodafone national sales managers, Bruce Goldsmith and Craig McMillan and has been dubbed, ‘Bizfone’.

In an interview with CRN, Darren Lonsdale, general manager at Bizfone said both Goldsmith and McMillan identified an opportunity for local communications consultants to sell Vodafone mobile services directly to SMB businesses.

“Vodafone hasn’t had a major impact in the business–to–business market,” he said.

“It wants to be able to be able to match its consumer success, in that area.”

According to Lonsdale there is opportunity in the SMB space as mobility for that market is an important business strategy.

“SMB workers aren’t tied to a desk and with the increase in mobile communication it obviously becomes important to be able to provide services for the market,” he claimed.

According to Lonsdale, Bizfone licensees will be granted unique territories and will focus their attention on selling mobile voice and mobile data services from Vodafone to companies with up to 250 employees.

“Those licensees will also be permitted to resell other small business IT and T solutions, such as Blackberry mobile email services from Vodafone and fixed broadband,” Lonsdale said.

“In the current economic environment, SMBs are looking for new ways to consolidate their communications costs and implement mobile solutions that enable employees to work smarter.”

Lonsdale said the idea will be for licensees to sell to companies anywhere in Australia, based on their own business connections.

“Essentially it will be a small business selling services to another small business, so there will be a better understanding of what a customer wants,” he said.

Bizfone has already signed up 15 independent communications consultants and has identified more than 50 high-growth business areas throughout Australia where it is keen to appoint new licensees, said Lonsdale.

In addition to providing induction training to all new licensees, Bizfone will provide free start-up kits, which will include; business card templates; sales literature; administrative access to online catalogues; and product inventories.