Exclusive interview with TP-LINK’s Eleonora Rocca

With the vast majority of the UK now connected to broadband, a lot of enthusiasts' focus has switched from the cable outside the front door, to the wireless transmission speeds inside their property. One company that claims it is pushing for better/faster transmission standards while keeping costs down, is TP-LINK and we managed to catch up with their Retail Marketing Manager, Eleonora Rocca to ask her a few questions about TP-Link's history and it's future. 

KG: When was TP-LINK established, how big is it and what kind of products do you focus on?

Eleonora: TP-LINK was established in 1996 and entered the international market in 2005.  We are a global provider of SOHO & SMB networking products and the World's No.1 provider of WLAN products, with products available in over 120 countries to tens of millions customers. Committed to intensive R&D, efficient production and strict quality management, we continue to provide award-winning networking products such as Wireless, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters for Global end-users.

With more than 21,000 employees worldwide, TP-LINK is now growing to become one of the most competitive providers of networking products with aspirations to become one of the top 3 networking brands in the world and striving for a larger global market share, while further advancing in the world of networking to better serve our most valued customers with products that make their lives easier. Our overall market share of 39.85% of global WLAN market share & T/O over 1/8bn dollars in 2013.

KG: Does TP-LINK do any unique products/Has it created any patented technologies?

Eleonora: The WiFi Clone technology on our Wi-Fi Powerline TL-WPA4220KIT. The Wi-Fi Clone Button enables a Super Range Extension automatically copying the wireless network name (SSID) and Password of your router at the push of a button. So setting up the device becames one of the easiest things ever!

KG: What is your advantage in the market?

Eleonora: Having our own factory in China allows us to offer products that are often more affordable than our competitors – without sacrificing quality – which makes TP-LINK an extremely good value for money brand. Our unique 24 hours a day, 7 days a week tech support make us stand out from the crowd in terms of delivering an excellent customer service .

We also have a large technical support team based here in the UK, which transforms feedback received from end users into valuable improvement on a product’s performance. All TP-LINK SOHO (Small Office Home Office) products have a 3 year warranty and unlimited lifetime warranty for business products. We spend 8% of our revenue on R&D to ensure we produce products of the highest quality standards.

Having touched on the JetStream L3 Managed Switch (below, right) in the introduction, we then asked Eleonora about her top end product for home use.

Eleonora: That would be the Archer D9 AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router, which retails around £159.

KG: Which trends in the market (if any) are likely to have the biggest impact on TP-LINK over the next two years?

Eleonora: The technology related to Networking is constantly evolving which obviously puts us in a very good position within the market, as our objective is to constantly evolve with it, in order to meet the market demand : router speeds have increased from N300, to Dual Band N600, to the latest, high speed AC, Powerline has evolved from 200Mbps to 500,600, 1,000 (1 gigabit), up to 1,200 Mbps. The widening coverage of 4G across the UK is also a huge area of growth for us. Lastly, the Range Extender growth in the market, is expected to keep a substantial growth (53% YOY at the moment).

KG: Who is the most likely TP-LINK customer? Are all of your sales in the consumer sector?

Eleonora: Our line up has the perfect solution for any type of customer: families who want to extend the range of Wi-Fi in their homes, small and medium sized companies who want to have high quality and reliable networking solutions, or gamers who want to enjoy a fast yet stable network.

KG: Going into Christmas, what is the coolest product in your line up?

Eleonora: Our 10400mAh Power Bank (TL-PB10400 – below, left) to charge your devices on the go for around £20, as well as our 3G Mobile Broadband devices, for example our M5360 (below, right) is a 3G router with a 5,200mAh Power Bank, to charge your Smartphone whilst simultaneously delivering mobile WiFi.

Also, I’d like to mention our Archer C7 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router which provides a super stable connection for more devices at once. From streaming HD films to playing lag-free online games, you can expect the speed required to enjoy your media at its best courtesy of a blisteringly quick 1300 Mbps connection. Three times faster than previous wireless N standard it delivers a combined wireless data transfer rate of up to 1.75Gbps.

KG: On a more personal note, how long have you been with TP-LINK?

Eleonora: 6 Months.

KG: What was your first job out of school/college?

Eleonora: Technical Support Operator after school, Key Account Manager after College.

KG: What was your first computer?

Eleonora: An HP desktop with Windows XP.

KG: Do you game – if so, what is your favourite?

Eleonora: Not really, but I do like League of Legends.

KG: If you want to impress your friends, what do you cook?

Eleonora: Being Italian and from Rome, a Pasta Carbonara is definitely the option.

KG: Lastly, if you could invent anything – what would it be?

Eleonora: A new Fashion Brand, the trendy version of Chanel.

KitGuru says: A big thank you to Eleonora for taking the time to speak with us.

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