Whirlpool

Can anyone confirm that Amnet are plumping ready for a sell-off? I've noticed them renewing contracts like crazy lately, and the return of the refer-a-friend is also a good go at getting numbers...

Why the hell would you speculate that? You'd want to look at the stock market more than what they're doing with their residential customers, if you wanted to predict a sell-off...

I believe that Westnet did something similar with renewing customer contracts – makes them look more attractive to a potential purchaser.

However, refer a friend could be just a marketing exercise to build to customer base using the existing customers and renewing contracts makes good business sense as you now have a better view on the income for the next 12 – 24 months.

The question is – why would they want to do this?

Presumably Amnet is a profitable part of the Amcom business, and therefore they wouldn't want to sell it. I guess corporate Fibre customers would need Internet access too – so why sell the ISP?

andrew.a writes...

I've noticed them renewing contracts like crazy lately

lol...on a sample size of...?

Sounds more like you're trying to jack their stock price yourself by starting takeover rumours than anything.

Contracts?
Never had to be in a contract with them so I wouldn't know about that.. o.o

andrew.a writes...

Can anyone confirm that Amnet are plumping ready for a sell-off? I've noticed them renewing contracts like crazy lately, and the return of the refer-a-friend is also a good go at getting numbers...

Wow. Its that time again :). I hear this rumour about once every two months.

Its also been the end of the Financial year. One of the best times to go client hunting. People look at thier costs about this time every year and if you can offer a better deal people will move.

Also. Depending on the purchase of assets and saying " contracts will remain in place for 12/24 months" means lots of people can be hitting renewal status at the same time.

Kels

Telecom New Zealand was today suggested as a possible buyer of the 50 per cent stake in Perth telco Amcom being sold by Australian agribusiness and car parts supplier Futuris Corporation.

The sale, expected to be completed by the end of the financial year, created an opportunity for Telecom to gain a controlling stake not only in Amcom but also in Australia's third-largest internet service provider, iiNet.

Telecom already has an 18 per cent stake in iiNet and control of Amcom would effectively give it another 22 per cent in the Perth-based company.

Analysts believe Paul Broad, the head of Telecom's Australian operations, who also sits on iiNet's board, is very interested in increasing the stake in iiNet.

"They are the logical player but ... that doesn't mean it's going to happen," a BBY analyst, Mark McDonnell, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I would think Telecom is probably only there at a bargain basement price."

Source pls?

Also... I know that Futuris is in trouble right now, so that *kinda* makes sense, but I don't think it would change the ISP or how it's run, just who owns the damn thing.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Amcom-stake-up-for-sale/0,130061791,339291297,00.htm

Source ^

If Telecom NZ were to purchased Amcom they would have a large amount of fibre under control on both the West and East coast (Once combined with Powertel).

Should be interesting to see what will evolve out of this.

sonic087 writes...

Should be interesting to see what will evolve out of this.

I'm getting the popcorn out and finding a comfy place to sit and watch all this unfold.

Very interesting.

Hopefully not too interesting though ;)

Does that mean we amcom/amnet/fair dinkum sandgroper/ customers will have to proceed to the chicken counter?,

and if our modems overheat we will have to switch them off to give them a rist?

budjeroff writes...

Does that mean we amcom/amnet/fair dinkum sandgroper/ customers

Don't you mean Amcum / Amnit Bro? :P

And hello to all our Kiwi friends

Just another reason to change to iiborg....
The reasons are stacking up now. Seem to be more reasons to leave than stay.
First crap game servers, now this....

*anyone detect the sarcasim there*

Andrew-F writes...

*anyone detect the sarcasm there*

*checks the acme brand sarcasm o'meter* sorry nup nothin here...

hey wait a minute i didnt put any batteries in :S .... Does anyone have any spare 'D' size batteries around i need like 10 to get this thing running :P

Yeah, that *was* a pretty poor attempt at sarcasm.

Should be more like:

Pfft! Amcom? More like AmSUCK, amirite?

They should of put up 20 servers of my favourite obscure military-themed shooter that no-one plays except me and my friends, who I bully into it when they'd rather be playing Team Fortress 2!

My sync speed is crap, and it's all thier fault, even though my Telephone cable's made out of those strings you get on teabags, and the dog drooled on my modem!

And YouTube speeds suck, I can't watch my favourite Hannah Montana videos without any buffering while I simultaneously download six 'Linux ISOs' over bittorrent and talk on TeamSpeak and play WoW at the same time. Speaking of WoW, my pings are crap, too, even though it's been explained to me time and time again about server lag and the international link...

Time to jump ship to the USS iiBorg, even though things probably won't be much different over there!

*phew* I think I busted a sarcasm gland there or something.

In any case, my point stands. I don't think *anything* will change, at least in the short term.

Except, maybe the cable guy will get some Maori tattoos and start bludging the dole from us.

lightguard writes...

Except, maybe the cable guy will get some Maori tattoos and start bludging the dole from us.

Well last time i saw the cable guy 'it' was getting a little big around the middle so it could be an amcom dole bludger.. :)

How does this affect amnet customers? More importantly how does it affect me?!

Capt. Habib writes...

How does this affect amnet customers? More importantly how does it affect me?!

In reality? Probably not one bit, in the short to medium term. Maybe some long-term policy differences, that's it.

Capt. Habib writes...

How does this affect amnet customers? More importantly how does it affect me?!

If a sale occurs you are not going to know the effects it will have until you know who the purchaser is and what their intentions are.

I'm surprised this slipped by everyone's attention...

http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/showAnnouncementPDF.do?idsID=00875905

Well, I didn't see that coming.

Read it, and good for Amcom, but didnt post about it since it's not really that exciting :)

Funny i saw this post, was talking to some one last week, who claimed iinet have been sniffing around amcom as of late...

He said it would make sense considering the current agreements between the borg and amcom.

Ah well, i might have to visit ye olde' broadband choice again, as bundling with phone to get a decent net plan isn't my cup of tea.