Finding The Niches

Long Beach, California-based Genesis Communications International Inc., a CLEC that provides local and long distance services that are targeted at the U.S. Hispanic market, has added a service that offers prepaid long distance calling to Latin America. 

The new service is available through distributors nationwide, and extends Genesis' prepaid program, which already includes prepaid local and domestic long distance calling. Also, the service offers consumers Genesis' competitive international rates, a key part of the company's strategy to differentiate its services in the market. 

Genesis believes distributors, including other CLECs, will like the service because it will let them stock a high-volume inventory while reserving payment until the cards have been activated by end-users. This bill-on-use plan is more attractive than the industry-standard prepaid and credit payment terms. 

The company claims that the prepaid cards - one offers 135 minutes to Mexico City for a retail price of $10 - are extremely competitive. Distributors obtain a 32 percent discount. And, in addition to the 135 minutes to Mexico City, the card offers 160 domestic minutes. 

Genesis says that offering prepaid services required a significant technological investment. The company used its own proprietary enhanced services platform (ESP). This way, the company claims, it gained greater flexibility and control over its prepaid programs. The ESP, which ties directly into Genesis' network, also lets company customer service reps access up-to-the-minute information on what activity has transpired on the card when a customer calls in. 

Genesis provides local and long-distance services to more than 70,000 customers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas.