Barphone SA, France’s third largest manufacturer of private telephone systems, announced that its first-half 1992 revenues climbed 36% over the first half of 1991, to $36.2m. Its net profit of $2.4m represents a vast improvement over last year’s first-half loss of $586,000. The revenue increase was due largely to growth in French accounts, rather than international business, said Michel Apchin, president-director general: Our growth was particularly significant in France – up 50%, while in exports, up 20%, our new products didn’t experience the same rise because of delays in getting [government] approvals. Barphone said that 15% of its 1991 revenues, $5.7m, came from international sales, and the company hoped to increase that to 20%, or $7m, in 1992. Barphone is present in over 40 countries, including in relative order of importance, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain, eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America. A spokeswoman acknowledged, however, that the international sales target might be difficult to reach this year. There have been problems of payment with some countries in eastern Europe and Africa, and political chaos and changes of government in Africa, which can result in even confirmed orders being cancelled, she said. Barphone is re-evaluating its product line, to see where it can be improved for overseas markets. They seem to sell less well because they’ve not been designed for the export market, but for France, she said. In France, Barphone has 21% of the total PABX market, in units, she said. It holds a larger share of the small PABX market – one to 12 lines – at 23%. A year ago, the company took an 85% stake and control of Hyptek Telecommunications SA, a specialist in building ISDN data networks.
