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IN THE ERA OF cloud computing fads and the reliance on connected technologies, the Internet – and how we use it – has become a core part of strategy conversations at companies of all sizes. Previously, things worked in silos and software was something you (often begrudgingly) installed on the computers at your office. Now the world of integrated software is increasingly becoming something you rent online and a new breed of companies is emerging in this sector, displacing conventional service providers. Echo Service Provider is one such next-generation company and the focus of an industry stalwart that’s lived the change.
Internet Solutions (IS) has become one of the more interesting subsidiaries of Dimension Data in terms of the growth it’s shown over recent years and the potential prospects it represents for the group post-acquisition by Japanese NTT. The man responsible for much of the building undertaken at IS is former CEO Angus MacRobert, who departed in 2009 to be replaced by Derek Wilcocks. MacRobert may have left IS behind but he’s kept his hat in the Internet ring and is addressing the shift to more neutral service providers.
Months after leaving IS, MacRobert invested in South African ADSL Internet service provider Axxess. He’s also joined a foundational connectivity company called Three6five Network Solutions as a shareholder and director. Most recently, MacRobert invested in Echo Service Provider – an independent ISP that offers aggregated connectivity, managed services and offerings in the cloud computing and content sectors.
Says MacRobert: “The great advantage of the approach Echo takes is that it’s neutral in terms of connectivity, with infrastructure hosted at the Teraco data centre, which means customers connect from a neutral hub and Echo offers them end-to-end service level agreements across the best selection of networks.”
Anthony Southgate, another former IS veteran who is a partner in the new venture, says Echo’s independence in the connectivity sector allows it to benefit from the battle between telecoms providers without having to fight. “Since we’re a virtual ISP we can cherry pick the best available connectivity for our clients and deliver them as one service,” says Southgate. “For example, there’s a war in the deployment of fibre optics at the moment: we let the companies doing that focus on how it gets done and then we choose the best of them for our clients.”
That plays to the modern customer tired of hearing about specific technologies and why one is better than the other. Southgate says clients want to be guaranteed a service and don’t want to be laboured with details about the bits and pieces.
MacRobert is excited about the new business and says it already has overwhelmingly positive prospects. “It’s been about three months since opening doors and already deals have been done. There’s a massive interest in what we’re doing and business incoming from the financial services sector. Customers clearly want change and are looking for something different. They also want solutions that can be set up quickly, and that’s one of the advantages of Echo’s approach – it’s quick to deploy.”
And part of why MacRobert believes Echo will be profitable is because it’s providing more than just connectivity, with numerous services built on top of its neutral position.
Southgate explains: “We own and manage a switching platform between networks with associated services, a virtualised cloud computing platform and a virtual network. The latter provides a tangible value proposition. Echo routes carrier services, hosting, Internet access, direct connects, voice over IP and other services.
“The switching service has been specifically designed to allow multiple virtual private networks (VPNs) to interact and allow traffic to flow safely between one another in a controlled, managed and secure manner. Clients who need to interact with other suppliers, clients or partners of theirs on a different VPN with a different supplier can now do so without requiring additional, unnecessary connectivity and complexity.”
Clients like hearing about reduced complexity and MacRobert believes that will be one of Echo’s major drawing cards.
Internet Solutions (IS) has become one of the more interesting subsidiaries of Dimension Data in terms of the growth it’s shown over recent years and the potential prospects it represents for the group post-acquisition by Japanese NTT. The man responsible for much of the building undertaken at IS is former CEO Angus MacRobert, who departed in 2009 to be replaced by Derek Wilcocks. MacRobert may have left IS behind but he’s kept his hat in the Internet ring and is addressing the shift to more neutral service providers.
Months after leaving IS, MacRobert invested in South African ADSL Internet service provider Axxess. He’s also joined a foundational connectivity company called Three6five Network Solutions as a shareholder and director. Most recently, MacRobert invested in Echo Service Provider – an independent ISP that offers aggregated connectivity, managed services and offerings in the cloud computing and content sectors.
Says MacRobert: “The great advantage of the approach Echo takes is that it’s neutral in terms of connectivity, with infrastructure hosted at the Teraco data centre, which means customers connect from a neutral hub and Echo offers them end-to-end service level agreements across the best selection of networks.”
Anthony Southgate, another former IS veteran who is a partner in the new venture, says Echo’s independence in the connectivity sector allows it to benefit from the battle between telecoms providers without having to fight. “Since we’re a virtual ISP we can cherry pick the best available connectivity for our clients and deliver them as one service,” says Southgate. “For example, there’s a war in the deployment of fibre optics at the moment: we let the companies doing that focus on how it gets done and then we choose the best of them for our clients.”
That plays to the modern customer tired of hearing about specific technologies and why one is better than the other. Southgate says clients want to be guaranteed a service and don’t want to be laboured with details about the bits and pieces.
MacRobert is excited about the new business and says it already has overwhelmingly positive prospects. “It’s been about three months since opening doors and already deals have been done. There’s a massive interest in what we’re doing and business incoming from the financial services sector. Customers clearly want change and are looking for something different. They also want solutions that can be set up quickly, and that’s one of the advantages of Echo’s approach – it’s quick to deploy.”
And part of why MacRobert believes Echo will be profitable is because it’s providing more than just connectivity, with numerous services built on top of its neutral position.
Southgate explains: “We own and manage a switching platform between networks with associated services, a virtualised cloud computing platform and a virtual network. The latter provides a tangible value proposition. Echo routes carrier services, hosting, Internet access, direct connects, voice over IP and other services.
“The switching service has been specifically designed to allow multiple virtual private networks (VPNs) to interact and allow traffic to flow safely between one another in a controlled, managed and secure manner. Clients who need to interact with other suppliers, clients or partners of theirs on a different VPN with a different supplier can now do so without requiring additional, unnecessary connectivity and complexity.”
Clients like hearing about reduced complexity and MacRobert believes that will be one of Echo’s major drawing cards.
