Posted on 04. Nov, 2010 by Brent in NetworkIP Blog
Before I can answer that question, i should probably make sure you know what a PRP is. It’s an acronym for Pinless Retail Portal. So now you know what it stands for, but you still don’t know what it means. At it’s core, it’s a pinless distribution system for prepaid wholesale calling card providers. Wholesale providers can set up their distributors in a web interface that allows distributors to go out and sign up locations, or retail outlets, that are already selling the wholesaler’s brand. The retail outlets then use a web interface to sell pinless accounts to consumers. Wholesalers advertise in stores like they already do for their hard card products, and when consumers approach store clerks about buying a new pinless account or recharging an existing one, it only takes a few seconds to process the sale.
Everyone in the transaction benefits from this distribution method starting with the consumer through to the wholesale provider. Consumers love pinless products because they are easy to use. When they dial a toll free number to make long distance calls, their phone number is recognized and they no longer have to enter a pin. When consumers run out of money on their account, they can return to any store selling the wholesaler’s brand to recharge their account. Consumers can also add additional phone numbers to their account so multiple people can use one pinless account.
Stores love this distribution method because they no longer have to stock physical hard cards on shelves. There’s no inventory to manage and stock, and they have access to everything they need in a simple to use web interface. Store owners can view sales history and commission reports so they can track real time how much they are making from product sales. There’s even a credit card prepayment option that allows stores to get paid their commission immediately when accounts are sold, and through their credit card company, they’ll receive 30 day repayment terms.
Pinless distribution appeals to distributors for some of the same reasons as it does for store owners. Distributors don’t have to move physical inventory from the wholesaler to the retail location. Distributors don’t have to check back weekly to make sure retail locations are continually stocked with hard card product. They simply set up a retail location in the web interface, provide a quick training on how the system works, and that’s it. Once a store is set up, it pretty much runs itself. Distributors also have access to reports so they can track sales at all of their retail locations and have real time visibility into their commissions.
Wholesalers are adopting this distribution method because it’s easy to manage long term. They don’t have to manage the process of hard card printing and absorb the costs associated to that activity into their retail rating structure. They don’t have to ship or receive physical inventory and keep staff on hand to manage the inventory shuffle. Additionally, when pinless accounts are sold, since they’re sold through a web interface, there are no transaction or processing fees. Wholesalers can do all of this with their brand too. The PRP is a enterprise level white label solution that allows for brand customization. Wholesalers maintain brand recognition through their distribution chain, all the way to retail outlets.
So what can PRP do for you? It can drive product sales through ease of use for everyone involved, consumer adoption and loyalty, and does so while allowing wholesalers to promote their brand.
Posted on 17. Sep, 2010 by NetworkIP in NetworkIP Blog
This month’s ad focuses on NetworkIP’s newly upgraded Pinless Retail Portal. This ad reads:
Get Off the Sidelines. Get in the Game.
Harness the power of the internet to expand your product offering, stay ahead of your competition and defend your brand with NetworkIP’s Pinless Retail Portal.
NetworkIP has developed an easy-to-use web portal for branding, distributing, managing and selling pinless prepaid accounts at the retail level.
- Control and secure your distribution network before your competitors do.
- Reduce overhead costs with the elimination of expenses associated with
physical inventory and POSA transaction fees. - Brand as you please with a white label portal. It’s your distribution and
your reputation — shouldn’t it also be your brand? - Rely on NetworkIP’s enterprise level technology and support.
To learn more about how NetworkIP’s Pinless Retail Portal can help you succeed
call 800-241-5186 to schedule a demo.
We Take You Higher.
Posted on 16. Sep, 2010 by NetworkIP in Events, NetworkIP Blog
The Prepaid Press Expo was a hit for our third consecutive year as Emperor Sponsor. This year’s turnout was unprecedented. We had a 16% increase in attendance and a 14% increase in exhibitors over last year, so we were bursting at the seams with prepaid industry professionals. We’re incredibly grateful for the interest and enthusiasm this event has been given over the years. It’s the people and conversations that keep this show going strong.
It’s time to look forward to next year’s Prepaid Press Expo. The venue is changing, and everyone is excited to go to Paris – Paris, Las Vegas that is. We hope to see you there!
Posted on 08. Sep, 2010 by NetworkIP in NetworkIP Blog, Press Release
Longview, Texas (September 1st, 2010) – NetworkIP®, a leading provider of innovative telephony and stored value services, today announced the successful deployment of enhanced IBM® architecture and database software to its Hosted Services Telephony Platform within a real-time telephony environment. In response to increased demand and a commitment to evolving its solution, NetworkIP implemented new IBM System x servers and upgraded its database architecture to IBM Informix® 11.5.
IBM recognized this commitment to innovation by publishing its case study, “NetworkIP supports expansion with IBM Informix and System x,” which showcases NetworkIP’s innovative use of their best-in-class solutions. The innovation resulted in end-user account management and call processing transactions running over five times faster, and while NetworkIP is already known for its reliability, the implementation further enhanced the platform’s stability. NetworkIP is open for business 24/7, so a seamless upgrade was paramount. By utilizing IBM’s Informix Enterprise Replication (ER) technology, there is almost zero downtime.
“The NetworkIP database architecture was designed with 100% uptime in mind. We know that hardware can fail, and it is our job to ensure that these failures can be recovered from instantaneously, with minimal or no impact to our platform,” said Andrew Ford, Senior DBA, NetworkIP. “We accomplish this through multiple levels of redundancy. If you are looking at a server, a disk drive, a network cable or any other piece of hardware in our data center, you can be guaranteed that it has a backup that can be brought into service automatically and without human intervention.”
NetworkIP has a long-standing relationship with IBM. NetworkIP has won the IBM Information on Demand Innovation Award for Best Database Solution, which recognizes organizations using IBM-based solutions to significantly improve efficiencies and gain a competitive advantage for their organizations.
Since 1998, Network Enhanced Telecom, LLP dba NetworkIP, has been a leading provider of patented and best-in-class telephony and stored value technologies, systems and integrated services incorporating long distance, mobile, conferencing and customer service. NetworkIP customers run their entire business — from facilities and billing to back-office — on the industry’s most innovative Hosted Services Platform, ensuring the best combination of usage-based pricing and call quality, innovation, reliability and increased profitability. For more information, please visit: www.NetworkIP.net.
Posted on 08. Aug, 2010 by NetworkIP in NetworkIP Blog, Press Release
Longview, Texas (August 27, 2010) – NetworkIP®, a leading provider of innovative telephony and stored value services, today announced the official launch and distribution of the NetworkIP Pinless Retail Portal (PRP), a white-label online application to setup, brand, distribute, manage and sell pinless prepaid accounts at the retail level.
PRP enables Wholesale Prepaid Calling Card Providers to offer their distributors a way to sell retail-level products under their current brand name offerings. Those retail outlets, in turn, are able to instantly sell pinless prepaid accounts to consumers via a web-based interface. Pinless prepaid accounts conveniently let consumers dial long-distance numbers without having to enter pin.
“Everyone in the transaction process benefits from this distribution method.” said Brent Hetherington, Product Manager, NetworkIP. “Consumers love pinless products because they are easy to use, retail outlets no longer have to stock physical inventory, distributors gain real-time visibility into their commissions and wholesalers simply reduce overhead costs, increase brand awareness and increase their revenue opportunities. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved in the pinless prepaid distribution process.”
The underlying enterprise-level technology that powers the Pinless Retail Portal consists of the same innovations that power other NetworkIP services.
Since 1998, Network Enhanced Telecom, LLP dba NetworkIP, has been a leading provider of patented, best-in-class telephony and stored value technologies, systems and integrated services incorporating long distance, mobile, conferencing and customer service. NetworkIP customers run their entire business, from facilities and billing to back-office, on the industry’s most innovative Hosted Services Platform, ensuring the best combination of usage-based pricing and call quality, innovation, reliability and increased profitability. For more information, please visit: www.NetworkIP.net.
Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by NetworkIP in Events, NetworkIP Blog
The countdown has started; just 118 days until the 2010 Prepaid Press Expo opens at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The Prepaid Press Expo 2010 Conference agenda has been revised and is completely new, with the hottest topics and the most important issues in prepaid.
Our very own Pete Pattullo, NetworkIP’s CEO will be participating in two sessions on day 1 to share his experience and knowledge with you. Pete will be focusing on two topics including: “Virtual Switch vs. Facilities Based, How to Make the Right Decision” and “New Technologies = New Opportunities”. Both sessions are on Tuesday, August 24. For more information, visit the Prepaid Press Expo website here.
Posted on 05. Apr, 2010 by NetworkIP in NetworkIP Blog
We’ve recently published an email marketing campaign focusing on prepaid distributors that are ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow. Our goal is to communicate that we are positioned to help those that have outgrown their current business model and ready to make a change.
Below is an excerpt from the email campaign with a full link at the end of the article.
Are you ready to make a change for the challenges of tomorrow?
- Control your own products with usage versus discount minutes
- Outsource your facilities to eliminate the cost and management of running your own switch
- Gain access to the tools that will enable you to create competitive products
- Get the carrier quality that is needed to retain your customers
- Take advantage of 24/7 support
NetworkIP gives distributors the flexibility to quickly offer new prepaid products and services with the industry’s most evolved and proven Hosted Services Platform. Additionally, NetworkIP is a usage-based provider, meaning you ONLY pay for minutes used and you keep the breakage. No more guessing what your true rate is or how your products are performing. All of this is done online from anywhere in the world.
Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by Eryn in NetworkIP Blog
Every month, NetworkIP publishes a new ad in the Prepaid Press Magazine. As part of our new Blog format, we’ve decided to share each ad with our site visitors. This month, we focus on a very important element that a service provider needs to succeed in this industry – The Right People and Skills. This ad reads:
W
e’re with you…every step of the way
NetworkIP has assembled one of the most experienced support teams in the industry. Partner with us, and you can not only trust that we’ll ensure the ease of transition but you can also count on us to deliver:
- your own dedicated Solutions Manager
- 24/7 support that’s just a phone call away
- one-on-one training (transition and new releases)
- superior level of customer service
- lifelong partnership to help you succeed
On your path to profitability, we’ll be there to help you along the way – your success is our success.
We Take You Higher.
Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by Eryn in NetworkIP Blog
Welcome to the new NetworkIP corporate website. Chances are you’ve already navigated your way through many of these pages and if you’ve been here before, noticed several changes.
Our goal was simple: make it easier for our site visitors to understand who we are and what we do. We started by separating our services from technology and showcasing them directly on our home page. In our continued commitment to help our customers succeed, we’ve also developed a Resources center. Here we provide access to the tools that make running a prepaid business more effectively along with informational videos, downloads and other resources – expect more soon! Additionally, we’ve enhanced our Blog to include any and all news we post along with being able to access the latest directly from the home page. And, don’t be surprised to see posts written by a variety of authors including Pete Pattullo, NetworkIP Chief Executive Officer.
We hope you enjoy the new website and be sure to stay connected and sign up for our quarterly newsletter launching spring 2010.