Paul Harper, Fontech’s sales representative in Europe, CIS, Russia

What’s your role at Fontech?

Based in Slovakia, I represent Fontech for Europe, Russia, and CIS. Historically, Fontech has had a strong presence in Western Europe, but I’m happy to be able to help the company move east so that we can reach customers across the entire continent. I bring over a decade of experience in the local carrier space to this role.

What can you tell us about the current WiFi ecosystem in Europe, Russia, and CIS?

There’s certainly a lot to say, but arguably, the most notable feature is that we have a very mature, mostly converged telco market in which unlimited data plans are making a comeback. In this context, high market penetration and competition mean that operators are looking for ways to lower costs and stand out from the crowd, so to say.

And since converging services isn’t cheap, operators need to make sure they are returning on investments. This is tough when the revenue they’re collecting from customers isn’t growing, and it’s getting harder to hold on to customer loyalty. This means WiFi strategies that help operators offer value-added services in the eyes of customers, as well as those that enable them to lower infrastructural investments, are very attractive.

What can Fontech offer Europe, Russia, and CIS?

First and foremost, WiFi is crucial because it can help operators offer value-added services and lower infrastructural investments. Achieving this leads to stronger customer loyalty and ROI.

Our Carrier WiFi Solution lets operators roll out WiFi networks and provide WiFi services that are managed just like traditional fixed and cellular services. This way operators can implement cost saving strategies like WiFi offload, which is key in mature, converged, and highly developed markets. And apart from cost savings, WiFi connectivity has also a proven positive impact for operators in terms of loyalty and churn. Our Carrier Wii Solution can be further enriched with our Connectivity Experience Solution, which is based on a connectivity SDK that connects users to the best available network at all times (WiFi or cellular), and helps operator move traffic seamlessly from WiFi to cellular and vice versa.

Operators in this market are not only looking for ways to reduce costs and churn: They must also generate new revenue sources. Our Guest WiFi Solution is key for operators wanting to create more value in the SMB sector. This solution is based on our WiFi Service Management Platform (WSMP), allows operators to offer tailored Guest WiFi services to businesses of all shapes and sizes, under the desired business model. And since service in centrally managed, operators deliver these services at a fraction of the cost.

If you’re based within the region and want to understand more about how our solutions can empower you to maximize your WiFi strategy, get in touch! And make sure you follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to be the first to know about exciting future announcements!