Just as a zoo is a place where different species from around the world can peacefully co-mingle, telezoo.com said it is a place where telecommunication buyers and sellers can easily interact.
The Web site is home to telezoo.com’s ZooCommerce platform, which includes a large database that provides business users direct comparisons of products and services.
“We’re like the Yahoo! of telecommunications, but more exact and more precise,” said Elias Shams, president and-as the company refers to him-chief zoo keeper.
The ZooCommerce platform also includes a request for proposal and request for quote feature that enables buyers to initiate RFPs and RFQs and send them directly to suppliers, the company said.
Founded in 1997, the Arlington, Va.-based company officially launched its Web site in March 1999. The site hosts approximately 5,000 buyers and 350 suppliers from 110 countries.
Telezoo.com is free to buyers, but companies wanting to sell products and services through the site must pay a subscription fee.
“Essentially it is an additional sales and marketing channel for the supplier,” Shams said.
Some of the participating suppliers include WorldCom Inc., Global Crossing, Lucent Technologies Inc. and Cable & Wireless plc.
In April, telezoo.com announced it expanded its business-to-business marketplace to include wireless consumer products. The company partnered with Sundial Marketplace Corp. to include a section on the site where consumers can research, configure and purchase wireless devices such as handsets and pagers.
Shams said the company’s main focus, however, still is the business-to-business customer who wants to buy and sell software, circuits, switches and similar hardware.
