From its offices in Miami, Florida and Lima, Peru, NETKROM focuses on complete solutions for a wide range of wireless equipment needs.

by Jeff Goldman [April 11, 2007]

NETKROM Technologies was founded seven years ago in Lima, Peru as a manufacturer and distributor of wireless equipment. Four years ago, the company moved its headquarters to Miami, Florida, with the aim of targeting a broader international customer base. Despite the language barrier, company manager Carlos Torres, speaking through an interpreter, says the company is now solidly focused on the U.S. market. "The main office is now in the United States, and our products are designed for United States norms," he says.

NETKROM Technologies 5930 NW 99th Avenue Suite 14, El Doral, Miami FL 33178 Voice: (305) 418-2232 mailto: sales@netkrom.com

As a manufacturer, Torres says, NETKROM's focus is on long range solutions. "Our products have two to three times more range than other products, because they have more power, and because the designs are better," he says. Still, the company does also offer short range products, as well as a full catalog of complete solutions for everything from wireless automation to rural Internet and telephony.

It's wireless ISPs, Torres says, that make up the bulk of NETKROM's customer base. "We have a complete line of products for wireless ISPs, like base stations and customer equipment, with big range and low cost," he says. Equipment is currently available at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 4.9 GHz, as well as 2.3 GHz to 2.7 GHz and 3.5 GHz.

NETKROM also works with a number of other manufacturers—the company resells products from Aaxeon Technologies, Berkeley Varitronics Systems, and MOXA, among others, in order to offer complete solutions when NETKROM itself doesn't manufacture the product needed. And those partnerships work internationally as well—in February of 2007, Berkeley named NEKTROM as its exclusive WLAN distributor in Peru.

The company markets its solutions through resellers as well as directly through its online store—and on eBay. Pricing for the products, Torres says, is generally relatively cheap—the result, he says, of the fact that the company builds its solutions in countries where production costs are lower.

NETKROM also offers full installation and training services for all of its equipment. Pricing includes round-trip travel costs from Miami, accommodation during the work, and $200 per installer per day. According to the company, three days of work are usually sufficient to install one base station and up to three client sites.

Looking ahead, Torres says, the company is working on new products that combine both Wi-Fi and WiMax in a single unit—with the same priorities as its current solutions (NETKROM is a member of the WiMax Forum). "We design our products thinking of the clients—so the clients have flexibility, more coverage area and less price," he says.

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