re: Ann: Freshtel enables low cost calls glob... Uuh? A total...

re: Ann: Freshtel enables low cost calls glob... Uuh? A total lack of knowledge? Seems harsh and particularly from someone like you has has virtually no posting history on the subject. Seems a lot of others here also have a complete lack of knowledge too judging by the support some of my posts attract. If you have facts, then let's see them. Not that I care frankly as I am judging this company on the basis of where it is right now financially, does anything else actually matter, including the truth?

Actions speak louder than words. Freshtel sat down with Tesco and got distracted. Ok, so maybe there was no beer truck but the rest of it pretty much stacks up and works as an analogy.

Without access to facts that you or I should not have we can only guess at the facts. One fact is pretty clear, Freshtel wasted about 28 million dollars on Operating Expenses and it now nearly broke with a declining revenue that offers no salvation. You can keep you core strengths, show me the money!

How I would specifically grow this company would be the subject of private negotiations between me and who will pay me to do it and not for open discussion here. Suffice to say, it would involve initially somewhat of a corporate enenma to start with, a blood letting if you will.

Out with most existing management & excess staff and in with salespeople. Run it like Onetel used to when they started, no middle mgmt, say 2 exec directors, a sales manager then employees. Marketing would be targeted and efficient. Partnerships would feature prominently. Overheads would be cut massively, leases paid out or renegotiated, etc.

Examine the backend system and sell or dump it if it costs too much to serve the companies needs going forward. Buy backend from a wholesale supplier similar to Symbio or simply scale the existing system cost-wise to suit. Capitalise on any deals close to closing, dump the rest.

A thinktank formed to quickly develop an innovative approach to connecting retail users & small business in their thousands every month from the get-go. 1-3 months of this then a cap raising for about $3-$4M with a whole new direction outlined with published targets.

If my anecdotes are a bit below you well excuse me. The analogy seems to fit, should I have substituted lobster & cavier as opposed to beer & champagne?

Directors Fees 08 $690K for 6 Directors (1 was on $250K)
Directors Fees 07 $943K for 5 Directors (1 was on $250K)
Directors Fees 06 $847K for 5 directors (2 were on $250K)

Why does this company need 5-6 highly paid directors? Sure have 4 directors and pay them $30-$50K PA. They do not work fulltime and in this case their advice was clearly not worth 1c.

They are the facts on director fees buddy, taken directly from Freshtel annual reports. Do not get me started on executive wages with Rhonda sucking out $400K PA base salary.

Anyway even $50-$60K is outrageously high for a non-exec director particularly when you consider how many they had and more particularly now in hindsight we can see that they clearly added ZERO value and if anything seriously cost Freshtel money thru misdirection and complacency. Last year I do note that an FRE director received an early payout of $250,000, was that for 5 years of services? Please, do not tell me this does not smack of lobster & champagne for the boys.

Brokers I believe have very little scruples in the matter of cap raising. If the Freshtel wanted lets say 10c then the broker would not be able to help but if FRE simply want another $4M at any price then the broker will step up.

Mate, no one has all the facts unless they are sitting around the boardroom table. We as observers can pass judgement on companies like Freshtel based on the facts we do get access to in announcements and to date their finances have been atrocious and smack of a complete misunderstanding of their core business. The facts don't matter a great deal in this instance because if we really knew what was going on over in that madhouse it would be even more shocking than the stuff that gets posted here.

I mean as an example, FRE wanted a retail presence in Austra, ok so they went out and did 1 deal only with JB then walked away, no other deals and no other means of promting retail sales, that's it. You called that well executed marketing. You could almost think that they signed an exclusive deal with JB based on the fact that virtually no-one has ever heard of Freshtel and does not have a Freshtel VOIP connection.

As for you being shocked with HC, what did you expect in a public forum where we are all posting anonymously with self interest as our number 1 priority? Erosion is a perception, if the stock you love is being attacked then I understand, if a stock you detest is being derided then you would be cheering. One mans erosion is another mans joy.

Join them all together, sounds like a plan. But please, no Freshtel, they really bring nothing to the party other than opex and bad management that I can see. Who knows about their backend and if it can cope with any volume of traffic, they have virtually no customers to stress test it do they? Probably needs another $30M spent on it.

Looks like you speak from some direct involvment with Freshtel and/or Tesco judging by your specific & defensive comments, that part is obvious irrespective of how you portray yourself as a mildly interested newbie. So, how do you defend them going forward? Self interested responses are most welcome and certainly expected.