Quiconnect was a UK systems integrator who worked with telcos and network operators to facilitate easy public Wi-Fi/WiMAX access.
Scope
- We launched Quiconnect in 2005 in conjunction with its first major customer, Sprint Nextel, organising a series of press and analyst interviews at Europe’s biggest public Wi-Fi conference, The WLAN conference.
- The initial strategy was to educate the market about Quiconnect’s value proposition as a provider of interconnectivity solutions for telecommunications carriers in the wireless broadband sector.
- The launch hook capitalised on Sprint Nextel’s partnership with Quiconnect which established a virtual network allowing Sprint to extend the provision of wireless LAN connectivity in new international markets; basically easy public Wi-Fi access for its customers as they used infrastructure owned by others.
- After the launch, we focused on drafting by-line articles – to continue to educate the market about Quiconnect – whilst running a proactive customer endorsement programme to ‘prove’ that Quiconnect was a ‘safe buy’. This involved drafting contract wins, case studies and entering the firm into industry awards.
- We worked for Quiconnect for three years prior to the business running out of funding.
Results
- The launch work involved setting up 12 interviews – over the target agreed with the marketing team – which started the process of generating solid coverage for the company over the next three years.
- We promoted various new deals working with both telcos and network operators including: ADP Telecom, BT, VSNL, Internet Solutions, Kubi Wireless, Naxos, Meteor, SFR and VEX.
- Other work involved trade show support and the organisation of press appointments. We drafted and placed two by-line articles in Media Planet supplements distributed via The Times – one on Internet Telephony, another on wireless communications.
- Quiconnect received considerable coverage from a deal we publicised with Truphone in October 2007. Truphone uses the Internet to deliver voice calls for customers without requiring a separate handset as mass market mobile phones can be used. Just like Skype did with PC-based VoIP calling, Truphone made mobile VoIP a reality worldwide. We arranged briefings over a three day period with 11 interviews set up, including a whole group from Gartner – the first time Quiconnect had ever been able to access the leading analyst group. A new deal with USA-based DeFi was signed as a direct response to the Truphone project.