SLT Publications Private Limited, the publisher of the SLT Rainbow Pages is a fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC. SLT established its own directory publishing unit in the year 2002 and later transformed its entire operations to SLT Publications, which today handles the SLT Directory in house, outsourcing only its printing task. The Sunday Times spoke to Mr. Malraj Balapitiya, CEO of SLT Publications on how the SLT Rainbow pages has expanded its services in order to reach out to a broader market, through the use of electronic mediums.
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| Mr. Malraj Balapitiy |
"We have an obligation, which has been enforced under the Telecommunication Regulatory Act to publish a directory to our customers which currently comprise of a customer base of around 1.5 million. Rather than limiting ourselves to providing a simple directory listing we have made a special effort to include socially valuable information and the rainbow pages in addition to the classified directory, which places our directory in par with the international standards. All SLT customers are entitled to the SLT directory free of charge but we also provide to our directory services to the rest of the general public as well. With the intention of expanding our services to the non-SLT customers, we have increased our outreach through the use of electronic media", says Mr. Balapitiya.
The SLT website has been visited by nearly 100,000 people from over 118 countries around the world within a short period of three months. This is proof that the SLT Rainbow Pages have received significant international exposure thereby allowing the ability to gain access to international contacts. Today the SLT directory is also available on CD, which allows anyone with a PC to gain all island information.
"Currently we are in the process of developing a web-based directory, which allows any telephone user worldwide to gain access to the rainbow pages. With the use of our e-directory individuals now have the convenience of visualizing the entire SLT directory on the web. Through methods such as this we have expanded our horizons to serve a broader segment of customers", further stated Mr. Balapitiya.
At present the SLT directory is the only classified directory publication in the country, making the SLT the only service provider to provide a comprehensive directory service to its customers. The SLT directory is provided free of charge to all SLT subscribers, advertisers and business organizations irrespective of their service providers. The SLT directory distribution is not only restricted to Sri Lanka but is also available in all embassies throughout the world, thus providing a valuable source of information and providing maximum exposure to its valued advertisers.
Commenting on their continuous investment and the advantages provided to their advertisers Mr. Balapitiya said, "No other service provider has such a comprehensive data base, for which we continuously invest in whilst providing information free of charge to our customers. The SLT directory is now open to any business organization with regards to their directory listing."
Distribution of the SLT directory to organizations is handled through the company's appointed courier organization network. Residential customers have the ability to collect their directory copies from any SLT office located in their area.
Going on par with the international publishes the SLT directory has widened its scope of accessibility for the convenience of the public. The SLT Directory has also developed a very powerful search engine for searching information. In addition to this SLT Publications has introduced a free call center service with regards to residential directory information.
The SLT Directory and Rainbow Pages is a classic example of a truly Sri Lankan product that has successfully competed with other international brands. Using technology to the maximum SLT Rainbow Pages can now be accessed through many forms of electronic mediums, providing a quick and efficient service to anyone located anywhere in the world. |
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