Case Studies

In the field of competitive telecommunications, few providers can boast a successful track record of more than a few years. Big River Telephone, however, has been providing industry leading services to its local community, and beyond, for over 20 years.

Now one of the largest providers serving the Missouri/Illinois/Kentucky region, and growing rapidly, Big River's CEO Jerry Howe attributes the company's success to its focus on its customers' business needs, together with the deep industry experience the company's management team has built up over the years.

Bresnan Communications: CATV Pioneers

Using Metaswitch technology, the incumbent UK telephone service provider, BT, has become one of the first major European operators to offer emulated PSTN services using Voice over IP technology. BT's broadband voice service, which is targeted at customers of the UK's cable operators as well as BT's own DSL subscribers, offers low-cost national and international calling over any broadband Internet connection. In addition, BT's Business Broadband Voice service brings the same Voice over IP technology to small businesses.

Organizations with 100 or fewer employees account for about 98 percent of U.S. and Canadian businesses, so successfully marketing new, IP-based communications services to these organizations is a strategic imperative for many service providers and can be an important source of new revenue growth.

New Mexico's largest telephone cooperative, ENMR Plateau, has over 11,000 Cooperative members serving 13,000 wireline accounts in 24 counties in New Mexico and western Texas. Founded in 1949, the company has expanded service to include long distance, Internet, operator services, wireless mobile communications and business services.

With over 5,000 quick service restaurant locations, featuring internationally recognized brands such as Cold Stone Creamery, Blimpie Subs and America’s Taco Shop, Kahala is one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world. Dedicated to helping franchisees achieve all their entrepreneurial goals, Kahala turned to re-invent telecom, a leading provider of enhanced hosted telephony services that is built on Metaswitch, to help deliver a unique small business communications package.

Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. (MATI) is a full-service telecommunications company serving the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in New Mexico. The Tribal Corporation is 100% owned by the Tribe and, in addition to providing leading edge services to its own subscribers, is dedicated to helping other Tribes purchase and operate their own telecommunications infrastructure. In 2003, MATI was honored as the Tribal Enterprise of the Year for all Indian Country from NCAIED.

A Case Study of the SIMPLE Solution by Metaswitch and Cisco Systems, Inc.

Summary

Northwest Communications, originally known as Amery Telephone Company, was founded in 1897 and now serves approximately 10,000 access lines and provides DSL, cable modem, and dial-up internet service to over 3,000 customers in Iowa. Northwest has made several major marketing advances since installing its Metaswitch platforms: it now can sell services with recurring revenue instead of one-time equipment sales, and has found that small business customers really appreciate the mobility features.

Orckit-Corrigent has been supplying networking infrastructure solutions for metro aggregation networks since 2000. In 2001 the company integrated DC-MPLS from Metaswitch which as kicked off a 10-year partnership resulting in a decade of innovation, growth and success.

Telephone Electronics Corporation (TEC) headquartered in Jackson, Miss., serves nearly 50,000 subscribers in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Founded in 1923, it employs over 250 people.

TEC recently "rebranded its independent subsidiaries and CLECs to unify the company's marketing," says Lisa Wigington, TEC director of LEC and video operations. "The rebranding is directly related to the introduction of MetaSwitch powered services and our fiber-build."

In the fiercely demanding world of telecommunications, it is sometimes better to form partnerships in order to more effectively compete and serve customers' emerging communications needs than to attempt to do it alone. Such is the case in Montana, when a group of independent telephone companies joined forces to form Vision Net in 1995. Not only does Vision Net centralize technical and operations expertise and the wide area network on behalf of its owners, but it has been able to negotiate better terms from their suppliers by aggregating their collective needs.