Freshtel gains access to major retail outlets

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 15 August 2006 18:53

IT Industry - Strategy

VoIP technology and services company, Freshtel (ASX: FRE) has been appointed as the preferred provider of Internet telephony products for the Narta Group, one of the largest electrical buying groups in Australia.
Narta has 29 members and a claimed 21 percent of the market. Members include Clive Peeters, David Jones, JB HI-FI, Clive Anthonys, Radio Rentals, Bing Lee and Downtown Duty Free.

Freshtel will supply internet telephony hardware, all of which will be pre-configured with the Freshtel VoIP service. The company says its products are already available in Clive Peeters NSW stores, that it has firm orders from David Jones and that it is in final negotiations with several other Narta members.

Freshtel CEO, Michael Carew said that the company's core business remained white labelling of its VoIP service to wholesale customers, but "Consumer demand has dictated that we supply our product to the retail market in Australia. The company's intention, however, is that the retail business will complement the launch of a service in conjunction with an Australian wholesale white label partner."