Telphin USA

Business in Russia

In Russia the Layftelekom (Telfin) company promotes services of Telphin USA.

On August 12, 2010 Telphin started service, allowing to get direct landline numbers for Skype on which it is possible to call from the stationary and mobile phone (an analog of service of SkypeIn provided in some countries by Skype). The subscribers making a call on such number will pay as for a call on stationary phone on local rates, and incoming calls for owners city Skype numbers will be free.

The company says that demand for such service directly depends on distribution of broadband access in regions of Russia and therefore so far it is available only to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. "Our research showed that in many regions want to have this service, but they insufficiently develop the Internet for work with the SIP protocol", - Alice Kireeva, the representative of Telfin company told CNews.

The cost of service will be for Moscow 850 rub and 350 rub a month for numbers with codes 495 and 499 respectively, and 350 rub a month for landline numbers of St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. The service is provided on prepayment, and with the first account the subscriber should enter a payment in three months at once. At the same time if it used service less than this term and decided to break off the agreement with provider, balance on the account does not return.

The technology of readdressing of incoming calls from the direct landline number is the cornerstone of the Telphin project. The company works according to the agency agreement with one of the largest Russian telephone operators whose name the company management does not disclose, referring to a trade secret.

Competitors

It should be noted that Telphin not the first operator giving an opportunity to get the Russian number Skype. So, for example, in 2008 the similar service was started by JetNumbers Communications where now the Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tyumen numbers are available. However, the cost of the Russian numbers the highest of all other presented in the list - $52 (for other countries it costs from $4.95 to $19).

"Such price for Russia says that the company did not conduct a research of the Russian market, as affected pricing – in the cost of service put risks", - Alice Kireeva considers. By the main competitor of Telphin in Russia considers Mango Telecom which also renders services of readdressing on Skype.

Mango Telecom provides in one packet service of readdressing from phone numbers on Skype and the SIP telephone. Its cost, depending on a rate, is from 870 to 6970 rub a month, besides, the payment for connection of number – 1470 rub for St. Petersburg and 2200 rub for Moscow for number in code 495 is levied (990 rub for number in code 499). According to Yury Ziguli, the CEO of Mango Telecom, demand for this service limited: "in Mango Telecom it exists more than a year and no more than 5% of revenue of the company fall to its share".

Denis Kuskov, the CEO of the analytical agency TelecomDaily, notes that they so far the companies advancing similar services for the SIP protocol did not achieve success owing to their small scale and lack of due advertizing support.

"In a case from Skype as it seems to me, it is more opportunities. In it there are both pluses, and minuses. On the one hand - contradictory communication quality, with another - cheap cost, - Kuskov says. – I think that this service will have niche character and to be in demand for those who used this service constantly in the work or the personal purposes".