Fixed-mobile convergence set to take off in SA

the overlapping of cellular and fixed-line telephony - is set to take off in South Africa as companies look to the innovation to help them save money and boost efficiency.

Consistent set of telecom services wherever they are

Van der Merwe says FMC is about providing end-users with a consistent set of telecom services wherever they are and irrespective of whether they are using the mobile or fixed-line network. The end-user will be reachable through a single phone number and may even be using a single smartphone to take calls, whether he or she is in the office or out on the road.

With this one number, one phone approach, companies can make their employees easier for colleagues and clients to reach. “Clients simply need to remember one number to reach their contact at your organisation, without needing to leave multiple messages on PBX (Private -Automatic- Branch Exchange) and cellular voicemail,” says Van der Merwe.

“Users no longer need to worry about checking two voicemail boxes or missing important calls on their landline, since they'll be accessible through a single number at all times.” Van der Merwe says FMC offers companies potentially vast cost-savings since they no longer need to outfit every single employee with a desktop phone. Instead, users will be able to use a single a dual-mode smartphone with WiFi and GSM to make all of their calls.

These devices are becoming increasingly affordable, especially when the cost-savings on cellular calls is taken into account. One drawback lies in the relatively short battery life that most smartphones offer, however this problem will be solved over time, says Van der Merwe.

The office or a WiFi hotspot

While users are in the office or a WiFi hotspot, they'll be able to make low-cost voice over IP calls from their handsets. When they're not nearly a WiFi network, they'll be able to make use of their cellular network.

Eventually, they'll be able to seamlessly roam between WiFi and cellular networks using devices that support the Session Initiation Protocol. “That is, you'll be able to initiate a call in a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) hot-spot, which is seamlessly handed over to the cellular network when you move out of the coverage area,” says Van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe says many users depend on their smartphones to make even internal phone calls, as they walk around the office building or campus. With FMC, they'll be able to move around freely, but benefit from the lower VOIP tariffs during they're covered by the office WiFi network.

“The benefits may be especially significant for end-users that travel overseas extensively,” he adds. “In other words than paying exorbitant international roaming costs, they could make cheap VOIP calls from hotspots.”

Concludes Van der Merwe: “The innovation for FMC is maturing at a rapid rate and we expect to see strong adoption in the months to come. FMC is a powerful tool in a world where clients expect immediate response to their calls, and workers want to have flexible tools that allow them to work the same way, whether they're at their desks or not.”

Itec is Southern Africa's fastest growing and third largest office automation, production printing and telecommunications solutions provider - with annual revenue of near one billion rand. Through its 47 South African branches and an international footprint that includes the United Kingdom, the company implements total office solutions based on imported, industry-leading, and award-winning products.

Itec serves medium-sized and large businesses in sectors as diverse as financial services and retail - supporting its innovative solutions with proactive service delivery. Some of its 18 000 clients include Value Logistics, Implats, Department of Housing, Business Connexion, ADT, Rand Refinery, First National Bank, Anglogold Ashanti, National Health Laboratory Services and Advtech.

The company in 2004

Itec management rebranded the company in 2004, following a merger of the separate copier, printer, and fax business units at first established in 1987.