PBX and call centre provider Connection Telecom has acquired FatBudgie, a cloud PBX provider for business and a market leader in the small to medium enterprise and home office segment.
David Meintjes, Connection Telecom MD, says the transaction increases the number of extensions serviced by the Telviva and FatBudgie PBX brands, to 34 000 users in over 2 000 sites. The combined growth rate of the brands is expected to continue to exceed 50% year-on-year, as both entities are well placed to service market demand.
Both will continue to trade under their respective service brands and maintain their own customer bases.
Meintjes says the move is part of Connection Telecom’s growth strategy, involving expansion of its market focus into new segments.
“The Telviva brand is primarily focused on medium to large business customers with a requirement for managed network access, whereas the FatBudgie brand is primarily geared to the provision of voice services over unmanaged, less expensive connectivity, largely utilised in the small business environment,” he says.
Sacha Matulovich, FatBudgie MD, says the company has already outsourced its voice platform to Connection Telecom (CTEL), to take advantage of its’s more sophisticated core environment, multiple carrier agreements and network redundancy.
“What’s more, our customers can now call thousands of Connection Telecom customers for free,” says Matulovich, describing the concept of the Free Calling Community being steered by Connection Telecom.
The move will enable FatBudgie to continue to use its existing access networks, while expanding and improving its product set with cloud-based videoconferencing, hosted contact centre and business intelligence products.
The Connection Telecom core infrastructure is provided from two data centres, to ensure higher service levels. FatBudgie now also has the benefit of Connection Telecom’s engineering resources, which will aid it in its technical customer support and new product innovation.