GOTALK BOOSTS CUSTOMERS

AROUND 100,000 new customers have jumped onto the Gold Coast’s biggest telco as it continues to reinvest back into the company to launch updated products and improve services.

The sale of its consumer division in September 2010 has cut total revenues back, but managing director Steve Picton says the company is setting itself up for ‘long-term prosperity’.

Now focusing entirely on the pre-paid market and with a big chunk coming in from ethnic communities, Picton says gotalk’s bolstered wireless mobile broadband offerings reflect the changing needs of the market.

“The move from ADSL internet to wireless broadband is becoming increasingly important to gotalk,” he says.

“Being tethered down by fibre cables simply doesn’t fit into the way we live anymore. The iPad and competing Tablet products are perfect examples of the demands of the modern consumer market. Our competitors are still largely placing their wireless customers into their own segment, but we’ve recognised the wireless demand across multi-services.”

Telstra’s bold claims of ‘4G mobile data’ doesn’t worry Picton, nor does the advent of the National Broadband Network (NBN). He says any technology development provides opportunity for better services to gotalk customers. He views Pivotel’s heavy investment in satellite technology much the same way.

“We’re an end-user focused company that provides multiple options for our customers. Telstra’s ‘4G’ is a good marketing catchphrase, but really all of our service partners will have the same speed available to them,” he says.

“As a taxpayer I’m a little worried about (the government) spending $40 billion on fibre-based technology, but as the CEO of gotalk, it’s just another way we can increase our value proposition to the consumer.”

Top Companies Profile: gotalk
CEO: Steve Picton
Revenue ’10: $130 million
Staff: 300
Established: 2000