MANCHESTER, UK. -- Manchester-based telecom service provider Unicom, which specialises inbusiness-to-business services, is planning to create 100 new jobs in2008 to meet the demand for its services.

Unicom, which has been named several times in the Fast Track 100 list of theUK's fastest growing companies, says it expects the majority of the new jobsto be in Manchester, but some will be in its other nine UK regional offices.

The company now employs 500 people. It pledged to create 300 new jobs whenit moved into its Northenden HQ a year ago, and achieved that figure. Thenew jobs will be in sales, credit control, customer service, IT andadministration teams.

"We seem to have a great affinity with the small business community, and Ithink a great deal of the growth and success is down to nothing more complexthan a no-nonsense personal service, priced highly competitively andoperated from a local base," said Chris Earle, Unicom's Operations Director.

"We have developed a focussed small-business telecoms product and service,and the result has been that business seems to have embraced it.

"We are absolutely clear in our minds about what makes the difference to ourcustomers: a UK call centre with real people answering the telephone, 98% ofcalls answered within six seconds, and managers and directors who arehands-on and accessible", said Chris.

"Our customer retention level is currently running at 86% against a sectoraverage of around 70%. Of the 14% we lose, only a third go to competitors,the remainder being businesses that close or move premises for one reason oranother, which is obviously beyond our control."

Unicom