From the top: An update from Brian

Happy New Year!

Thank goodness for the Government’s UFB initiative! CityLink has never been so busy responding to new customer orders. I put it down to all the free advertising ultra-fast broadband is getting - which, of course, CityLink has been delivering for the last 15 years.

Seriously, though, this is what it is really all about, meeting our customers’ broadband needs with competitive solutions that help their business grow. The Government’s UFB project is about significantly increasing the fibre infrastructure in New Zealand – which is good for the country and good for our industry.

Regardless of whether CityLink is involved in the UFB project, we will definitely still be focused on delivering innovative broadband solutions to our customers, like the unconstrained  Ultra 1G service we announced just before Christmas. As we head into 2011, and the Rugby World Cup, we are very optimistic about the year ahead and a number of other new services we are planning to launch.

We have also made some recent changes to the management team, with Rhys Speirs appointed Manager of Customer Services – a new role here at CityLink. Patrick Sharp has been appointed Marketing Manager, an activity shared with his other role of Auckland Business Manager, and John Heard was appointed Chief Technical Officer responsible for product development, the CityLink network and a myriad of other technical activities.

CityLink is well positioned for an exciting 2011!

Customer profile: Tomizone is even hotter with Ultra 1G!

Tomizone is a New Zealand-owned business offering low-cost Wi-Fi Internet access through ‘hotspots’ across Australasia and the company has experienced explosive growth since its inception in 2006.

The business came about when the founders, Steve Simms and Phillip Joe, identified a need for affordable, easy-to-use Internet access using Wi-Fi hotspots supported by a world-class management platform.

So they built it from scratch!

“We are already the leading provider of Wi-Fi Internet solutions in Australasia, with a focus on business and enterprise installations,” says Andrew Somervell, Product Development Manager. “We have over 20,000 hotspots installed across Australasia and that number is growing fast.”

Tomizone is proud of the gains the company has made both here and overseas.

“Our ability to scale and innovate is owed largely to our cloud-hosted SaaS platform that means hotspots are part of a global network,” says Andrew. “Customers can buy a pass at one hotspot and use it at (or roam to) another.”

Tomizone works on any Internet connection including DSL, 3G, WiMax and LTE. But for large installations that require a robust, high-speed network Tomizone prefers CityLink’s Ultra 1G.

Before Ultra 1G was available, Tomizone was using a CityLink 30Mbps circuit.

“We offered Tomizone an upgrade to Ultra 1G,” says Patrick Sharp, Marketing Manager at CityLink. “It cost about the same, and is 30 times faster!”

“The fibre offering from CityLink gives us the ability to offer a robust network to our business and enterprise installations where there is high volume and high traffic,” says Andrew.

It’s not just the hotspots where CityLink’s Ultra 1G adds value.

“We have recently moved the phones at our Auckland head office to VoIP, which relies on our Internet connection,” says Andrew. “You’re starting to see business grade copper solutions out there, but you can’t beat fibre. Our office phones are mission critical and we need a stable environment for that.”

Tomizone has been on the Ultra 1G service for three months and Andrew sees the service gaining momentum in the future.

“I see us working hand in hand in the areas where CityLink is available and they will be our preferred supplier for business and enterprise installations,” he says.

Team member profile: Rhys Speirs

Project management is a fiddly task suited to those among us who can keep their eye on the goal as well as on the details. Thankfully for CityLink, we have Rhys Speirs to keep it all in line – but this isn’t the only thing Rhys has been helping us out with.

"I started out with CityLink 15 months ago as Project Manager with the Technical Team, which developed into my new position as Manager of Customer Services," explains Rhys. "This involves me reviewing, refining and in some cases building structure and processes around existing CityLink activity that relates to customer experience."

Before joining the CityLink team, Rhys worked for Vodafone as an independent project manager, helping Vodafone roll out their 3G services in the South Island.

“I’ve been involved in both project management and management positions in the telecommunications industry for the last 13 years,” says Rhys.

Rhys’ breadth of experience, coupled with his tertiary education in science, means he brings a broad understanding of the telecommunications field and its varying technologies and how they function.

“The fibre optic industry is one that never fails to surprise me,” explains Rhys. “Fibre optic infrastructure is the enabler for an enormous number of applications and services, and is one of the foundations for successful business growth.”

Outside of work, Rhys is a very keen swimmer and devotes a lot of time both to training and to teaching kids how to swim.

“I am currently involved in surf life saving and swimming. I coach kids in swimming with Maranui swim club and I coach surf life saving at ‘Nippers’ (6yrs to 13yrs) level. Just recently I have started to try and get fit again (it’s harder now I am older) to re-certify as a Surf Lifeguard.”