CroatianVIPnet celebrates its fourth birthday
VIPnet closed the first quarter of 2003 with an 11.1% increase in profits representing US$75 million.
Croatia’s GSM network, VIPnet has celebrated the 4th anniversary of its commercial launch, having exceeded the number of one million customers and at the end of the first quarter of 2003 has 1.1 Million customers. VIPnetís market share has increased to 50.3%.
Considering the last financial year, Josef Vinatzer, VIPnet`s CEO, emphasized: “Croatia has achieved a penetration rate of 50.5 % and it ranks fifth among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Mobile communications are of great importance to economic development and growth. When we started operating, the growth of the number of customers was the most important. Today, an increase in the satisfaction of our customers is far more important to us. Our mission for the forthcoming year is a high level of satisfaction of the customers”.
Last month, mobilkom austria repurchased 19% of the shares in VIPnet from Western Wireless International and increased thereby its shareholding to 99%, with Vecernji List holding a 1% share in VIPnet.
In January, the mobilkom austria group signed the partnership agreement The Best of Two Worlds. This agreement has been entered into with Vodafone. This agreement resulted in the Vodafone EUROCALL service which makes it possible for VIP.smart customers to place calls to 24 countries under more favorable terms. The VIPnet`s CEO presented also a new service – Prepaid roaming Top-up – which makes it possible for the Prepaid customers of Vodafoneís networks to renew their account in Croatia with vouchers purchased at VIPnet.
In the forthcoming period, VIPnet is preparing the construction of a new commercial building in éitnjak, which should be completed by 2005. The business premises will occupy 9,384 sq. m. and 16,630 sq. m. will consist of additional facilities. It has been planned to build a nursery school and an infant nursery school, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a sauna and caft?.
VIPnet is also starting the new financial year with a new CFO – Dino Dogan. Dino Dogan has already been working with VIPnet for six months as Head of Process and System development, and as of this month, he will take the position of CFO. The new CFO presented the business results for the first three months of 2003. VIPnet closed the first quarter of 2003 with an 11.1% increase in profits representing US$75 million.
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