FROM THE INDUSTRY
Do you want to tell me a little bit about the background to this announcement and how long you’ve been working on this together? Rhys Brine: We’re a distributor operating across the UK and we’ve been working in this field since 2003. For the last few years we’ve been getting a lot of requests from our customers about different ways they could test their networks, ways they can save money or improve testing. We had a good few customers actually come to us and say, “Are you offering VIAVI?” That’s where we started our research. The extensive range of product portfolio that VIAVI offer, the pricing, the whole package was appealing. VIAVI’s pricing is very well-placed and well-structured that for us as a third party, we felt we could give a customer everything they needed AND save them money. It also allowed us to continue to improve our offering to our customers. We’re now the first service centre in the UK that offers the fibre range.
How much would the standard measuring OTDR tools cost to buy? Rhys Brine: You could be looking at £3,000 - £30,000, though the average is in the £5,000 - £15,000 range. Is there a secondhand market for this kit? Rhys Brine: There is. There is a big secondhand market for those looking for low-cost testing alternatives, and unfortunately, a black market exists as well. Customers get caught out purchasing a tester they think is a good deal but sometimes it is too good to be true. Is there any tracking device on them or something like that so you can see what’s happened to it? Brianna Grant: There are some procedures in place. VIAVI have a smart password. And you can lock the device in, but that doesn’t stop the kit from getting stolen necessarily. What we do at least is we keep track on our side. We have a full list of all the kit that we’ve had and we’ve had it happen before where
another customer sends something in for service and we’re like, “Hey, this was actually stolen about a year ago.” We do try our best to track. If it’s that expensive to buy new, I’m surprised such kit doesn’t embed a tracking device of some description. Rhys Brine: Apple tags are available, but come with their own roadblocks for tracking when it comes to loaned and hired units. Not ideal. There needs to be a different solution. Rhys, what’s your company’s ethos? How do you work? Rhys Brine: I’m a very strong believer that people buy from people, so we make sure we look after our customers and treat them as friends and family. I try to say that without it sounding corny, but it’s genuinely why we’ve built the business and structured it in the way that we have. We started off as a training provider and people on our courses were asking us, “Well, I’m new into the industry, I’ve now got my qualification, where do I get my equipment from?”
DECEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.4
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