Smartinfo support new media and tech startups in Shoreditch (Ec2)
Smartinfo the telecoms system and service provider based in Shoreditch, east London.
Smartinfo have developed a scalable comms solution in answer to the growing Tech hub silicon roundabout and the governments encouragement to encourage start ups in the area.
Even for Internet start-ups the telephone is a key form of communication, and startups need to demonstrate credibility with a landline number. Every one has mobiles but to take that important first client enquiry – you don’t want to be stuck on the tube and out of signal! Many suppliers and bank won’t let you set up an account without a landline number.
The silicon startup pack from Smartinfo includes:
1. Softer credit terms to get you up and running
2. An affordable progressive solution that grows with you fledgling business
3. Plenty of advice and free consultancy on how to manage today’s and tomorrow’s technology
So what does this mean in practice ? To illustrate we will outline a case study of a software firm we helped when they grew from 4 employees to 60. Operating in the mobile apps marketplace and well aware of technology they were not scared of new technology, but needed a scalable and flexible solution that they did not need to manage.
We started them off with a single hosted ip phone, 2 mobiles, and a 20 meg Internet connection. Within 2 months this went to 3 hosted phones.
A hosted solution is a business phone that connects to our server over the Internet, it provides voicemail, ddi numbers, auto attendant (press one for sales, 2 for accounts, giving the impression of being bigger) With a hosted solution you pay a monthly line rental per phone plus the cost of the business phone.
The company moved 4 times over the next 4 years. Even when they moved to different exchange areas their numbers moved with them. The office was even split over two locations at one point, the hosted system acted as one system.
As both a hosted and a pbx system provider Smartinfo was able to scale the solution to the changing business needs. We can port hosted customers over to sip trunks. When they got to 5-8 users it made more sense to move to an ip based pbx, with sip trunks, digital phones, cordless phones, conference phones, and windows based operator functionality.
Even as a now 60 user system costs are still under control and no more than companies a quarter of their size.
