ROCPAC managing director Paul Van Dorp and Tyco Electronics’ John Lek: reaching out to Pacific telcos.

ROCPAC International’s small but efficient management team is well tuned to the special needs of the Pacific islands’ telecom industry. Being smaller in size and geographically isolated in comparison to telecom service providers in other parts of the world, Pacific islands telcos often need to be serviced in special ways.

“We’re a one-stop shop for Pacific islands telcos,” says Paul Van Dorp, ROCPAC’s managing director. “We provide total supply chain management solutions for the Pacific islands region’s telecom industry at the lowest price and the shortest possible lead times.” And it is not just equipment supply that Van Dorp is referring to. ROCPAC is geared to provide turnkey solutions like forecasting demand, designing solutions, managing inventory, testing, distribution and training of personnel for the telcos.

Beginning in 1989 as Rocom Communications, the company was renamed ROCPAC International in 2004. Van Dorp has been at the helm since 1996 and has been servicing the Pacific islands since 1999. The company has supplied and helped install equipment in almost all of the islands nations including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tokelau, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and French Polynesia.

 “We have supplied virtually every type of equipment in the Pacific,” says Allan Stowers, ROCPAC’s manager for the Pacific islands region. “Except major exchange equipment.” In certain instances, ROCPAC has even supplied customised equipment like corrosion-proof circuit boards in view of the islands’ heavily salt-laden, humid weather.

ROCPAC is a major distributor of telecom equipment in New Zealand. “A large part of our sales turnover comes from New Zealand but the Pacific islands region is fast catching up,” says Van Dorp.

The International Telecom Union (ITU) estimates the Oceania regional telecom products market to be worth about US$1.8 billion. “The Pacific islands is definitely a growth area,” he adds.
Distributing equipment both in New Zealand and the Pacific islands for global telecom majors like Tyco Electronics, ROCPAC has won the confidence of other large players for distributing their products like cable major General Cable and transnational giant 3M. ROCPAC has recently signed a sizable contract for supply of telecom equipment to Areva. “Pacific islands telcos could successfully ride piggyback on ROCPAC’s bulk buying power to service their own needs,” says Van Dorp.

 “We at Tyco see our relationship with ROCPAC as a great fit,” says John Lek, Tyco Electronics’ Wellington based industry manager for telecommunications. Tyco is one of the world’s largest suppliers of telecom equipment and works closely with ROCPAC for supplies in New Zealand and the islands.

Explaining the benefits of the relationship especially from the point of view of Pacific islands telcos, Lek points out that most islands telcos base their maintenance and technical procedures on New Zealand’s telecom practices rather than Australia’s though Australia has some influence. ROCPAC being New Zealand-based understands these processes better, says Lek, as Tyco ties up with ROCPAC to take its products to the Pacific islands.

Tony Ardelean, ROCPAC’s General Manager explains why ROCPAC is best suited to supply the needs of the islands market. “Our strategic relationship with Exel, one of the world’s best full turnkey freight management and logistics provider ensures procurement and delivery of equipment to the end user in the shortest possible time,” he says.
 
Though ROCPAC and Exel have had a working relationship for many years, their strategic partnership is two years old and is working very well.

 “From procurement, through inventory management, distribution, freight management to the best service at the best price, our partnership with Exel ensures the best possible experience,” adds Van Dorp. “Flexibility and efficiency are the key words here, besides, the islands are best serviced from New Zealand because of proximity.”

Pointing to ROCPAC’s networked office in Auckland, Ardelean says, “We could duplicate this set up anywhere in the world in a matter of weeks, perhaps days, thanks to our management systems and our logistic solutions provider.” 

With a growing list of products and services, ROCPAC is investing in IT solutions for the benefit of its clients. Already it has put up profiles of over 1500 products on its website www.ROCPAC.co.nz. In the coming months, clients will be able to order online cutting down supply times even further. “We would really like to give clients the facility to mine the supply chain,” says Ardelean.

In the meantime, the website is being populated with data. “We are also developing a French version of the website for telcos in the Francophone Pacific,” says Van Dorp.
ROCPAC is sharpening its focus on providing the best, quickest and most cost-efficient services to Pacific islands telcos. “We are looking forward to Tyco’s products reaching the islands with our partnership with ROCPAC,” says Lek.

ROCPAC is also continually adding value to its relationships with islands telcos. Last month, its Pacific man-on-the-spot, Stowers, hosted two technical staff from a Pacific telecommunications company for two weeks. They underwent technical and operational training with ROCPAC and key equipment suppliers. ROCPAC is keen to develop training programmes for islands telcos and welcomes suggestions on their training needs.