Unity Communications Inc. of Jackson, Miss., is in the process of taking its one-stop shopping idea nationally.
Having offered cellular, paging, long-distance and Internet services on one bill in Jackson since mid-1997, the company said it now will use its national scale billing and back office systems to support an aggressive expansion strategy.
“We have definitive proof of the market’s strong desire for Unity’s multiproduct, single-source telecom solution,” said Glynn Ingram, president and chief executive officer of Unity. “Results from the first eight months of operation in Jackson have exceeded expectations in every area. Subscriber and revenue growth are better than projected, and margins have been very strong.”
The company is executing a company-owned market expansion into second-tier markets across the Southeast. Birmingham, Ala., is the first expansion market, with operations beginning this month.
In addition, to further expand its business, the company is actively seeking partners to form joint venture and franchise agreements. One such joint venture is with paging provider Snider Communication Corp., based in Little Rock, Ark. Unity said the combined strength of Snider’s paging customers base and the multiproduct billing, operating and marketing systems of Unity will provide existing customers up to four new services marketed under the Unity name.
“We found a new opportunity, and that is joint venturing with single-product companies,” said Ingram. “Forming a joint venture allows you to introduce new products, and the revenue goes up with little marginal expense. We see that as a very exciting expansion trend … We are seeking strategic partners in other markets and fully expect to announce additional expansion plans soon.”
Unity already has expanded its business through franchising in Colorado Springs, Colo. Having launched there in February, the franchise company will expand to other Colorado markets this year. Unity plans to offer competitive local exchange service in select markets by the end of this year.
