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ISP Vispa Internet Relishes Success

Posted: 21st Feb, 2004 By: MarkJ

Despite not winning any ISPA awards this year, UK ISP Vispa Internet has still felt the need to tout its successes and conduct a little self promotion with this rather personal outlook on its past, present and future:

Vispa Continues To Thrive In 2004 UK ISP Market

With the announcement of the Internet Services Providers' Association nominations (ISPA) in early 2004, Vispa Internet sprung its second surprise in the little space of three years. In 2001, Vispa was the eventual runner-up in the industry pacesetter category of 'Best National Consumer ISP'. On that occasion Vispa was nominated against two of the UK's most financially supported ISP's, backed by one of the largest national supermarkets, and third most read daily newspaper respectively. The 2004 award nominees once again provided familiar territory for Vispa, short-listed against the household names of Freeserve and Tiscali. However, it was the little known Vispa that caught the eye of the judges and the imagination of consumers.

Vispa is generally different to other consumer ISP's in two ways. Vispa's Cofounders Martin Pitt & James Ormerod from the outset firmly believed that it is not enough just too simply provide some of the lowest prices in the industry. As internet users firstly and foremost, Martin and James aimed to provide a level of assistance that they failed to obtain with their previous ISP's.

Vispa has been able to grow through developing one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry. Through an emphasis upon unique customer service; Vispa has been providing everything customer support should entail.

Vispa Director James Ormerod believes that Vispa's ".natural small size allows the company to be personal yet effective. To provide 24 hour service is not enough, customers want quality not quantity. We don't claim this is a groundbreaking theory, however, more often than not ISP's have failed at the first hurdle."

Martin was naturally only too happy to expand upon this, explaining that "ISP's have failed to recognize the complexities of customer problems. The ISP market is a high usage market, yet remains technically frightening to the majority of end users. At Vispa we have intended to bridge the gap through providing a customer service that people can relate to, whilst our easy to understand 2004 'Simpology' prices have added the final piece of this complicated jigsaw, through easy to understand price tariffs."

Secondly, Vispa remains a small company, enabling the foresight of her Cofounders to be met. This is no publicity catchphrase as Martin explains "I and James had common grievances with the industry, we met over the internet and thought, we can do better than this. It was a hobby that turned into something much greater, a friendship and secondly, a business."

A friendship of employees and consumers, through Vispa's unique mission statement firstly and foremost not to make money, but, friends has allowed for her unique growth. Its small operating budget can't compete with larger ISP's; competitors however, fail continually to match Vispa for price and service. How refreshing in this day and age to see a successful ISP being true to its small beginnings.

Only time will tell where Vispa will go from here, though eventually coming runner-up at last nights award ceremony in London, the good omens seemingly continue. Of the three ISP's nominated in 2001, Vispa remains the only one in operation today.

This story continues.

For more information about Vispa Internet (UK) Ltd please contact:
Website: http://www.vispa.net
Enquiries telephone: 08701 624 888
e-mail: info@vispa.net