Business prospects in Qatar
Case study Viocorp
For a company that has provided internet broadcasting solutions to the Pope in Vatican City, Microsoft in Europe and Austereo in Australia, the Arabian peninsula may not seem the most obvious next move. But for Viocorp, a successful Australian digital media business, tendering for a contract with Al-Jazeera in the tiny Middle Eastern nation of Qatar might prove a lucrative opportunity.
The eight-year-old company provides digital video solutions for clients at any scale: from simple webcasting to full-scale, real time internet broadcasting. Over the last four years it has developed such an international reputation that when Al-Jazeera sought tenders to develop internet broadcasting infrastructure in Qatar, they approached Viocorp and asked it to respond.
For Ron McCulloch, executive chairman, the opportunity came out of the blue. “We’re based on the internet and accessible globally, so I guess if someone wants to talk to us from Qatar then its one click and they’re connected to us.”
When Al-Jazeera got in touch, McCulloch set out to find out as much as he could, talking to colleagues in Dubai and the Middle East and to the Australian Institute of Export (AIEx).
“The response we got in regard to Al Jazeera was extremely positive, they’re a credible organisation. They’ve obviously made significant process in the last five years, which is exactly why they’re looking at the next stage: internet broadcasting.”
The process so far has been straightforward, with assistance from AIEx and a Qatari bank. “Our experience to date has been answering an extremely detailed and very disciplined document that told us exactly what we had to do.”
McCulloch hopes that, if successful in Qatar, Viocorp will be able to explore other opportunities in the region. “It would be ideal for us to have more than one client in that region, and I would imagine there are other prospects that would be interested to see the implementation we do.
“Certainly it prompted us to think about placing a representative there to supervise, so the next stage for us would be to get a local representative we could use as a base for exploring other opportunities in the region.”
Viocorp are lucky to have a polished product in a defined market that operates across borders. “Our offering is relevant across the board, wherever you are globally. People are interested in solutions that give them additional functionality or scope across the internet.”
—Jennifer Blake
Trade Links
Austrade: www.austrade.gov.au/Doing-business-in-Qatar
Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.austarab.com.au
Australian & New Zealand Business in Qatar: www.anzbiq.org
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: www.dfat.gov.au/geo/qatar
Qatar Airways: www.qatarairways.com
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