FreshTel strikes partnership with Siemens

Australian VoIP provider, FreshTel, has struck a new partnership with Siemens to provide consumers with an out-of-the-box IP telephony pack.

The package sees Siemens' recently launched Gigaset C740IP handset configured for use over FreshTel's IP-based Voicedot network. The phone and service combo will be sold through FreshTel's exclusive local channel partner, JB Hi-Fi, as well as through Siemens' Australian channel partners.

The Gigaset C470 IP phone gives users the ability to switch between Internet and fixed-line calls without connecting to a PC.

In a statement, Siemens Home and Office Communication general manager, Dean Verberne, said the deal allowed it to strengthen its position in the local home market.

FreshTel national reseller manager, Scott Conley, said its service would also be embedded into Siemens' broader product VoIP range, including its forthcoming gateway products.

Having a well established brand like Siemens on-board would help FreshTel grow its reach in Australia as well as the Asian region and Europe, which were target markets for 2008, he said.

FreshTel will look to develop relationships with other handset vendors in the local market to target both consumer and SMB users, Conley said.

"We've recently launched a converged mobility and VoIP solution which we will rollout next year, so we will look to work with the most popular mobile devices out there, as Siemens aren't as prevalent in that space," he said.