Virgin Media is gunning for rival BT’s business customers, after rebranding its enterprise services division Virgin Media Business.
The rebranded unit, formerly ntl:Telewest Business, currently has nearly 60,000 SME and public sector clients, and expected annual revenues of £600 million (€688.5 million).
Virgin said It currently owns Britain's only UK-wide next-generation fibre network, and that this will help the unit differentiate its services.
The company has pledged to offer each customer their own account team to manage their individual needs.
Indicating its plan to go after BT customers, Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett said, “Virgin Media Business will take our strong customer-centric approach to a growing and under-served market in which there is a need for a compelling and distinctive alternative to BT.”
Ovum analysts David Molony and Pauline Trotter said the company is targeting growth from three areas - the broader corporate market, wholesale and SMEs.
It has a particular emphasis on SMEs, particularly the mid-sized company, and this is where the operator may have the resources to be most successful, they added.
Many rivals had interpreted the fact that Virgin Media had retained the division's former brand as a sign that the division was going to be sold, The Independent said.
Virgin Media COO Andrew Barron added that the branding was also causing internal confusion, and the renaming sent a clear signal that the unit was here to stay.
BT recently announced plans to build its own fibre network to rival Virgin's. The BT Infinity service will be available in 4 million homes by the end of the year, BT said.