RequestSoHo will be a true "business grade" service delivering higher reliability, performance and throughput than those offered by ISPs targeting the residential market, claimed Request CEO Philip Sykes. It will also be subject to a service level agreement that recognises business needs, he said.
"For the home office, RequestSoHo not only provides cost effective broadband Internet access but also a more reliable network which is becoming a competitive advantage," claimed Sykes.
With a choice of 256/64kbps or 512/128kbps, RequestSoHo will be sold through the company's existing channel partners. These partners are responsible for setting prices, but according to Sykes the monthly fee will be in the region of AU$100, including around 500M of data.
Some partners may choose to amortise the cost of the modem and installation over a contract period, while other may charge an upfront fee.
RequestSoHo users can upgrade to RequestXpress, which offers features including higher speeds, symmetric services, fixed IP addresses and VoIP. "We can now deliver products into the entry level of the business market as well as the top end," said Sykes. As small businesses grow, "we can be their long term partner" he added.
What is "Service Level Agreement" supposed to mean or provide?
I looked at Request for business use, enticed by their claims. All I found (for much higher fees) was a promise that if they went down badly, they would refund up to a month rent. This was considered irrelevant when compared to the business cost of being disconnected.
The provider that won made no meaningless marketing claims - they provided a real and useful backup plan for the almost guaranteed times of failure.