T-Mobile targets SMEs with new business tariff
Telecoms giant unveils plans for small businesses with the release of Business 1-Plan
Mobile network operator T-Mobile is targeting the UK SME market after arming its channel with a new business tariff.
Business 1-Plan enables firms to have mobility costs under one plan which will see employees sharing the allowance of voice, text and data.
Additional benefits include free calls between plan users, and a 25 per cent discount for both 18- and 24-month contracts.
T-Mobile hope the plan will coax users on to its network when the tariff is launched next month.
Simon Ainslie, director of business sales at T-Mobile UK, said the new tariff is intended to provide a simpler plan in a complex tariff market.
“We think this is the most competitive business plan in the UK business market. The packaging is tailored to customers’ needs,” Ainslie claimed.
He said the tariff is part of T-Mobile’s aggressive onslaught in the UK business market, where the channel will play a key role.
“It will be sold primarily through resellers. It is a huge opportunity because VARs have an established relationship with the SME market.
“The reseller relationship with the end-user is the most important piece as they can provide the 24-hour services and the day-to-day support,” Ainslie added.
Pierre Lams, co-founder at reseller Handheld PCs, said: “More tariffs on the market potentially add to customers’ confusion because many are too similar.
“Tarrifs don’t deliver value to customers; devices are what get customers interested in the first place.”
Lams added that T-Mobile has not been as active in the channel as O2 and Orange, but may be looking to remedy this in 2006.
Lucy Sheasby-Preston, senior consultant at analyst Decision Tree Consulting, said T-Mobile has been working to raise its channel profile.
“We estimated high smartphone shipments into the channel in 2005. T-Mobile has done well with a big push in general last year,” Sheasby-Preston added.