Optus has acquired two custom install and tech service Companies, which have been merged into an operation known as the O Team and already custom installers and mass retailers have moved to standardise their operations by using Optus staff over having to employ their own installers.

Among the Companies using the new service is Sydney based Theatre at Home a spinoff business from the Lifestyle store, mass retailers Harvey Norman, is also recommending the new Optus ‘O’ Team to install TVs, and home theatre systems as well as security door cameras and home automation gear.

The business which is carrier agnostic will install gear into homes and businesses who still want to retain their Telstra or Vodafone or third-party communication services.

Vinod David the CEO of Theatre at Home and the Lifestyle store said “We have signed a nationwide contract with Optus to take over our custom install operations for Theatre at Home. We pre-program the Control 4 System and the Optus team install everything else”.
“It’s proving cost effective and quick for us”.

Clive Dickens, Optus VP – TV, Audio, Content and Product Development said” Consumers don’t have to buy their product from an Optus store for us to install it. You can buy a TV from JB Hi Fi or Harvey Norman and we will install the product”.

The business is also offering a $10 a month subscription service that allows the O Team to be on call if anything goes wrong with the gear they have installed.

All a customer has to do is Log into an Optus Smart Spaces account, Call, chat, screen or camera share with an O-Team support technician who will then trouble shoot a problem.

Optus claim the service is available for most your smart devices.

The carrier is also a signed-up member of Matter.

Matter is a new global, open-source standard that aims to simplify the smart home ecosystem by allowing internet-connected devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.

The new O Team will be able to do a complete install including Google Home, Samsung Smart Things, Amazon Alexa and Apple Home kit as well as other systems and then manage these systems going forward.

The acquisition of the two businesses which include the old Tech 2 business has given Optus the ability to work with a multitude of organisations who want to sell product and then hand over the install part of the business.
The O Team is already over 80 people and growing.

“It is a bit like Best Buys Geek Squad or Magento,” said Dickens.

“While we would like consumers to buy goods from us, It’s the service experience that people want and we are working with a multitude of third parties to deliver for consumers the satisfaction of knowing that they are working with an experienced team”.

“We are not talking about sweaty tradies here these are experienced well trained technicians who are skilled in the products they are installing”.

He admitted that “The vision is that we are working to switch over NBN customers. We need to build trust with the customer for this to happen”.