Broadband Communities

MAR-APR 2015

BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.

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"There's a lot of pull to try and get us to deploy in their com- munities," said Schoeman. "So we needed a platform to enable those communities and residents to be self-service and to understand the offer without us having to individu- ally go to each and every one and each and every resi- dents' association." COS Service Zones ™ allows commu- nities and residents to educate themselves effectively and advocate for the services they need the most. To replicate what COS Service Zones ™ does automati- cally – interacting with residents, and understanding and mapping their needs – Schoeman estimates Vumatel would need to employ at least four experienced professionals. Once residents have expressed interest, the COS Service Zones ™ out-of-the-box reporting capabilities reveals "pock- ets with the strongest business case. We can see revenue, break-even, and payback rate," Schoeman said. "In a nut- shell, it's a whole view of the community from a fnancial perspective, based on the types of services desired." How does COS Service Zones ™ achieve all this? every Day, Trusted neighborhood volunteers Become fiber Champions Nearly every day since launch, a volunteer steps forward via the cloud-based, self-service interface as a "champi- on," an unpaid volunteer-community liaison who rallies neighbors to "compete for fber." "It's remarkable. We don't pay them," Schoeman said of the champions. "They are purely doing it out of their and their communities' interest. They are advocating our prod- uct as a trusted person in their community – seeing the residents, answering questions. And their only reward is to get their community connected. It works very well." Thousands of South Africans have already request- ed service via the COS Service Zones ™ "out-of-the- box" custom website; Vumatel has already engaged 42 gated communities and suburbs throughout Johannesburg and Cape Town using COS Service Zones ™ . By knowing what subscribers want, Schoeman said, "we can also engage service providers with marketing data that enables them to formulate their offerings accordingly." And the more specifcally those interests are expressed, the more customized and targeted the services offered can be. "In reality you can see the community's true desire for services." COS Service Zones ™ makes it easy not just to prove a business case but also to document uptake demand in a user-friendly way that keeps Vumatel's team focused on deployment rather than rallying for customers. "Take it out of The Box And Make it Work on Day one." "We weren't complete guinea pigs for the solution," the serial entrepreneur said. Schoeman's prior company was acquired by an incumbent after fbering-up South Africa's commercial centers and offce parks. In his quest to bring fiber-to-the-home, Schoeman said, "We could take it [Service Zones ™ ] out of the box and make it work on day one. And all we needed to do is add data, and we were off and running." "Build it, and they will come?" Now, there's a better way to roll out fber – with committed customers. No more deploying from one end of town to the other – then chasing customers. 1. Draw multiple competing zones across your city or town. 2. See demand build in real-time as customers sign up using your branded website. 3. Deploy once the target take rate is reached to accelerate proftability. The COS mission: Subscriber backed, successful fber – and no more failed projects. COS Service Zones ™ brings broadband to homes all across the U.S. Let's discover the demand in your community. About vumatel VUMA (Pty) Ltd. of Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, installs fber optic cables in neighborhoods across South Africa in partnership with communities and with their support. Vumatel will connect every home with high-speed open access fber, enabling choice of providers and services for data, IPTV, and VOIP. Learn more at vumatel.co.za. About CoS Systems COS SYSTEMS is a leading provider of software to plan, deploy, and manage modern broads- band networks that support services from one or more pro- viders, using a powerful yet simple self-service interface. COS Systems takes customer needs and delivers innova- tive software solutions that streamline operations, acceler- ate revenue, and deliver more satisfed subscribers. Learn more about COS Service Zones ™ at www.servicezones.net For additional information, please contact: Bjorn Wannman • info@cossystems.com

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