SBC Communications Inc. is now aggressively targeting small businesses within its 13-state region. The strategy is part of a company-wide effort to introduce a bundled package to customers of all sizes.
The company is focused on retaining small business customers, and luring back customers the company has lost to competitors, says Karolyn Fritz, executive director of voice services, data & E-services. SBC, with 2 million small business customers, is offering small businesses packages of local and long-distance phone service, wireless, and Internet access among other products such as Web hosting. SBC can provide long-distance service to small businesses in the seven states within its region, and the company is awaiting federal approval to expand throughout its territory.
SBC says small businesses using the services will save an average of 25 percent on a bundle vs. what it would pay for the services if they were purchased individually, and up to 40 percent savings for some service options.
Wireless also is expected to play a big part. The company is working on a plan that would allow small businesses to apply a block of minutes to their wireless and wireline phones. SBC also is working to offer small businesses a unified mailbox where customers could retrieve messages from both wireless and wireline phones.
