Savvytel
Encyclopedia
Savvytel is a mobile phone
company based in St Leonards, New South Wales
, Australia
.
product launched in August of 2006. As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator
, the company buys airtime from Vodafone Australia
.
The parent company, Savvy Direct, began operations in Australia as a telecommunications broker
in 1992 after the deregulation of the Australian telecommunications market in 1991.
On 15 July 2010 the business (known by this time as Mobile Services Only Pty. Ltd) was taken into liquidation. The liquidators sold the business to Savvy Communications Pty. Ltd. on 3 August 2010 and the purchaser began porting the customer base from the Vodafone network to the Optus network.
s (including over 200 international destinations), mobiles, SMS (national and international), voicemail
and 13, 1-300 and 1-800 Numbers.
for prepaid calling to international destinations at a reduced rate.
s, who sell their starter kits.
In 2007 Savvytel $20 starter kits were given away as runner-up prizes on the late-night Channel Nine
quiz show, Quizmania
.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
company based in St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove, North Sydney Council and the City of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
Savvytel began in 2005 with its prepaid mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
product launched in August of 2006. As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
, the company buys airtime from Vodafone Australia
Vodafone Australia
Vodafone Australia is a mobile telephone company, a subsidiary of Vodafone Hutchison Australia. Vodafone Australia was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Plc ....
.
The parent company, Savvy Direct, began operations in Australia as a telecommunications broker
Broker
A broker is a party that arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller, and gets a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal...
in 1992 after the deregulation of the Australian telecommunications market in 1991.
On 15 July 2010 the business (known by this time as Mobile Services Only Pty. Ltd) was taken into liquidation. The liquidators sold the business to Savvy Communications Pty. Ltd. on 3 August 2010 and the purchaser began porting the customer base from the Vodafone network to the Optus network.
Prepaid mobile
Savvytel began offering prepaid mobile phone access at rates lower than traditional carriers because, under the Telecommunications Act 1997, Savvytel are able to obtain a licence to purchase airtime at a rate lower than the carrier while still able to make a profit. Further, Savvytel was the first mobile phone company in the world to offer call credits that never expire.Cap plans
In 2007, Savvytel introduced a range of cap plans that include calls to landlineLandline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
s (including over 200 international destinations), mobiles, SMS (national and international), voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
and 13, 1-300 and 1-800 Numbers.
Other products
Savvytel also sells phone cardsTelephone card
A telephone card, calling card or phone card for short, is a small plastic card, sized and shaped like a credit card, used to pay for telephone services. It is not necessary to have the physical card except with a stored-value system; knowledge of the access telephone number to dial and the PIN is...
for prepaid calling to international destinations at a reduced rate.
Marketing
Savvytel's product marketing has mostly been through the Internet and newsagentNewsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
s, who sell their starter kits.
In 2007 Savvytel $20 starter kits were given away as runner-up prizes on the late-night Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
quiz show, Quizmania
Quizmania (Australia)
Quizmania was an Australian phone-in quiz show, based on the British program of the same name, and broadcast on the Nine Network in the late night time slot . The show was produced from Nine's Richmond studios in Melbourne. Its main Director was Rick Maslan.Quizmania was first broadcast on GTV-9,...
.