Telecom Lead America: AirTouch Communications, a supplier
of wireless telecommunications devices, has received an initial order for sale
of the new AirTouch SmartLinX (U250) to Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex).
The product is expected to ship in the second quarter
first in Mexico and ultimately throughout Telmex locations in Latin America.
The roll out is expected to include 400 Mexico Telmex
retail stores, Telmex online stores and on the SNS that Telmex uses to sell
their communication equipment at the retail level.
Telmex is expected to use the U250 as a telephone line
customer retention tool, as well as ADSL upgrades and for new customer
acquisition purposes.
2,000 units are expected to be shipped to selected retail
outlets where Telmex marketing programs will be tested for effectiveness and
sales associates will be trained on product use. Once the marketing programs
are refined and determined to be successful, Telmex expects 18,000 units to be
released.
“AirTouch is very excited to be supplying Telmex with
the SmartLinX U250. This product was specifically requested by and designed for
Telmex, the largest landline carrier in Latin America,” said Hide
Kanakubo, CEO of AirTouch.
The SmartLinX U250 device connects most smart phones to
Telmex landline services including PSTN, ADSL, VoIP or Fiber base VoIP.
“Telmex has businesses in 19 countries throughout
Latin America. Following the introduction of the SmartLinX U250 device in
Mexico, our intent is to bring this product into each of those markets. Telmex
currently sells hundreds of thousands of cordless telephones each year. U250
may lead to replacing cordless phones among a large portion of our broadband
and Wi-Fi network customers,” said Vázquez del Mercado, executive vice
president for Corporate Development of Telmex.
The SmartLinX device connects a smartphone to a landline,
combining the clarity of a landline with the features of a smartphone, such as
using the contact list for making phone calls. SmartLinX will allow the user to
benefit from receiving landline and cellular calls on the same device and using
fewer mobile minutes at home or in the office where the wireless signal is
challenged.
“Though landline use is declining worldwide, the
signal quality has yet to be matched by wireless technologies. Additionally,
landlines are more secure than a broadband connection for tele-banking and
other applications requiring the highest level of security. For these reasons,
we are confident that landlines will remain an important piece of our business
in the coming years. Allowing mobile phones to work using these landlines will
help Telmex find new opportunities for services and revenue,” Vazquez del
Mercado added.
