[asterisk-biz] Starting a VOIP Business

[Nitzan Kon]

--- Mike Hammett <asterisk-biz at ics-il.net> wrote:

> Wireless + VoIP is really the only way to be an ISP or an ITSP.  
> Any other combination results in too  much dependence on someone 
> else and not enough profit.

Dunno about that... as a WISP with VoIP you're pretty much restricted
to your WISP user base. I'd much rather provide services to anyone who
wants it, anywhere, than be restricted to only my WISP users. It's a
solid business logic (you WILL make more revenue at a very low
investment) - but it's certainly not the only way nor the best way to
operate as a ITSP.

As far as not making enough profit- it all depends on your spending
habits. If you go about it the Vonage way, spending millions in
advertising, packaging, giving your customers bad service at inflated
prices - then sure, you won't make profit. But if you control your
costs and invest only in what you REALLY need to (infrastructure,
necessary personnel only, little/cheap advertising) then sure- you
won't grow as fast as Vonage.. but you'll actually be here in a few
years. Vonage won't be. (actually, the name will probably still be
there, but some other company will buy just the name and customer base
and leave the rest of the company to go bankrupt as it's already
doing.)

I wonder if they'll call it "The VoIP bubble" when it happens? ;)

  -- Nitzan