Posted on: 26th July 2023, by Magrathea
For those of you who caught the reference from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, our company is indeed named after the world-building planet Magrathea. Similarly our company was the first of its kind when our founder predicted a change in the market of IP telephony back in 2001; Magrathea paved the way for like-minded businesses of our industry.
Today we sit down with our Managing Director, Tracey Wright, to reflect on our journey over the last twenty two years and to discuss what we have to look forward to from Magrathea in the future.
Q: What did Magrathea look like you when you first began working with the company, and in what way has Magrathea evolved since it first launched?
When I first joined Linus and Melanie here at Magrathea Telecommunications Ltd, back in 2003, the business was very young. A key part of my role was to introduce systems and procedures to help us grow from what was a very small team supporting some rapidly growing clients and network, to become the established business we are today.
Technology has obviously evolved over the years and our network has gone from being one of few in the UK that could properly integrate IP technology with traditional PSTN telephony, to being a market leader for IP interconnect.
The biggest change has perhaps been from a regulatory viewpoint. Back when I joined, Ofcom really weren’t sure how to manage us or our requirements in the voice space. Fast forward a few years and now they are fully supporting IP networks as the new standard for UK voice calls.
Clearly we have had to expand the team too and we have been fortunate to build a team of people who have embraced the core values of the founders and without doubt each of them have contributed to the ongoing success of Magrathea.
Q: What are the main technology segments that Magrathea expertise encompasses?
Magrathea’s core business is call origination and termination using TDM and SIP technology (or a combination of the two). This service runs on switching technology developed in-house, meaning we retain full control and flexibility of our service. Having a high degree of in-house expertise to support all areas of the business is, I believe, key to maintaining our reputation for great service, easy to do business with and being ready to tackle the more unusual or complex projects that come along.
Q: What products are the biggest drivers of business growth for Magrathea?
It has been a conscious decision to focus on the core business and so they remain the biggest growth areas, however we are also seeing consistent growth in the areas of number portability and number hosting. Both areas which give our clients maximum control over their customer base and service they provide. Having said that, this year we are working on some exciting new products so watch this space!
Q: What does our portfolio of clients look like now in comparison to when the company was founded?
The profile of our portfolio continues to remain diverse; our ability to flex to different requirements means we are able to support different size clients from start-ups to enterprise, from a variety of verticals and unique use cases. Our wonderful tech team love a challenge. We also have a good proportion of international clients which value the expertise we can offer as they enter the UK market. Some of our clients have been with us since our beginning and over the last 20 years I have been fortunate to develop strong working relationships and friendships with some fantastic people.
Which leads us nicely to the last question for Tracey about the future, having been here for 20 years, her enthusiasm for the business and the industry has not diminished…
“With so much change there is never time to get bored or complacent, quite the opposite, the constant challenge is exciting. We know we all need to keep moving forward in this industry so every-day at Magrathea we work hard to improve what we do and how we do things so that ultimately, we are in the best position to help our clients build success in their worlds’.