Telezoo unleashes one-stop telecoms shop

Network professionals will be able to go to a single website from 15 March to undertake comparison shopping for their telecommunications and networking kit.

Elias Shams, who set up Telezoo.com, said: "We've created a database for every possible product in the telecoms industry. There are 4,000 vendors out there and we're going to get them all."

So far he claims the firm has signed up about 30, which include a host of tier-one vendors such as 3Com, Cisco Systems and Cabletron. Shams aims to attract smaller telecoms players next.

Each will be charged for space on the website, which will also sell banner ads in future to generate additional revenues.

When visiting the site, which took about a year to build, business and consumer customers are required to answer a series of questions about what they wish to buy. They are then supplied with a list of choices that compare similar products and provide pictures and images. After making their selection, users fill in a purchase order and send it electronically to the relevant vendor.

The site also has an online 'request for proposal' process to enable vendors to bid for customer deals. If the plan works, Shams hopes Telezoo will be seen as a possible alternative to trade shows such as Comnet, where, he claims, telecoms buyers often walk in confused and walk out more confused.

Over the last year, changes in the business-to-business internet commerce market have created new opportunities.

According to David Alschuler, an e-commerce analyst at the Aberdeen Group, the sweet spot is in online purchasing.

"There is a need for content aggregators and brokers, who can build from multiple suppliers and vendors and standardise IT. If you can build a database of similar suppliers, then you have a valuable database," he said.