RomTelecom bets on integrated IT&C services for business customers

Romtelecom, the largest fixed telephony operator on the domestic market, intends to expand its range of IT&C services provided to business customers, therefore seizing the opportunity created by the large number of SMEs on the market that cannot afford to hire an IT manager.
“Our goal is no longer to sell just voice and Internet access lines, but become a full provider of IT&C services for companies, to create new streams of revenue, and expand our customer base,” said George Makowski, commercial manager of the business segment of Romtelecom.
He added that the operator had been forced to take these steps towards the system integrator status because of fierce competition on the market. “Unless we make such efforts, we will be out of the market in five years at the most. We are fighting to boost revenues, not to maintain them as they are.”
Romtelecom officials say they rely especially on small and medium-sized companies that do not have enough resources to hire an IT manager, considering how much IT expert salaries have increased over the last few years. At the same time, competition for recruiting IT managers is still high, after giants like HP, IBM, Oracle or Genpact have opened service and support centres in Romania, where they hired thousands of people.
Romtelecom now offers such services, whereby SMEs can buy computers, Internet access and IT services from the operator for prices starting from 29.5 euros per month. Customer support is available over the phone for any problems in the operation of the voice line, the Internet service, the PC, or the pre-installed software.
“We are also looking to acquire a local player to provide us with a series of competencies in integrated services,” Makowski added.
Romtelecom had set aside 190 million euros for investments this year, slightly down from last year when the budget amounted to 200 million euros, stated Makowski.
Romtelecom’s official explained that the exact amount of investments would be set depending on the projects carried out by the company. “We will invest 170 to 190 million euros by the end of the year, with the upper limit of the budget depending on the progress of some projects.”
The investments estimated by Romtelecom are approximately equal to those announced by the top two players on the local telecom market, Orange and Vodafone, 200 million euros.
Romtelecom set out to attain significant growth on the segment of data services for corporate clients, and its goal is to be the number one on the market, explained George Makowski.
He added that Romtelecom was the second leading provider of data services for companies, behind Vodafone Romania.