Servcorp is the world's largest premium serviced office provider and is listed on the Australia Stock Exchange.

Taine Moufarrige, executive director of Servcorp. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The company was founded in 1978 by Alf Moufarrige in Sydney. It quickly expanded to Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur during the 1980s, pioneering the serviced office market in Asia. Servcorp launched its China operations in 1999 in Shanghai. Today, Servcorp has prime office space in the central business districts of the world's major commercial centers.

China Daily spoke with executive director Taine Moufarrige during his recent visit to Shanghai.

CD: What makes Servcorp stand out in the serviced office market?

TM: Servcorp has the strongest IT and telecommunications network in the marketplace. We invested $50 million into a single global network that we control directly. We guarantee up time Internet service and fast bandwidth worldwide. The secure OnePhone Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) service built into our telecommunications network means that anyone with a Servcorp office number can make or receive calls worldwide on his or her laptop. A local rate applies to all calls, regardless of where the calls are made. Not having to deal with local providers saves our clients time and money.

We also have an iPhone meetings application that is the first of its kind. It allows our clients to book meetings in real time on their iPhones. Only Servcorp can do this live.

CD: Why might a business choose your Virtual Office space?

It is flexible, convenient and highly cost-effective. It can also be set up instantly from home. Our Virtual Office clients have their phones answered professionally and receive the same prestigious address as those renting the physical space. They can book meeting space at any of our locations and have free use of the workstations. We are the only provider offering a dedicated service of this nature.

CD: What is the most extraordinary thing Servcorp has done for its clients?

During the recent flooding in Thailand, we rerouted our clients’ calls to our Singapore office and flew a team of secretaries there to work on behalf of our clients in Bangkok. We did similar things during the Tokyo and New Zealand earthquakes. It has been enormously beneficial for our clients’ businesses.

CD: What is your client breakdown?

TM: 70 percent of our Office Suite clients are large international corporations that rent physical space. They include Disney, Bayer, VM Ware, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Bloomberg, among others. Bloomberg uses our office space in Beijing.

Globally now we have more than 30,000 Virtual Office clients, which tend to be smaller businesses.

CD: Which types of Chinese businesses are using your Virtual Office space?

TM: There is strong interest in the small and medium-sized enterprise market, which is quite large here in China. Servcorp exclusively selects office space in prime business districts, for example, the Kerry Center on West Nanjing Road in Shanghai. A prestigious business address like that is highly beneficial to a start-up firm here wanting to project a positive image.

CD: Do you have plans to expand beyond China's first-tier cities?

TM: We are currently in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. We are satisfied with our presence in those cities. Shenzhen may well be the next market we enter, but there is no definite timeframe for that. We will be paying close attention to the property market there in the coming months.

CD: How has Servcorp prepared for new competitors – international or domestic - entering the China market?

We will harness innovation to create the world's best serviced and virtual office products. We will stay ahead of the curve by working harder and smarter than the competition on behalf of our clients. While cutting edge information technology is important, the real key to a company’s success is great people. We will continue to invest in our people. That is a sure way to ensure our clients’ satisfaction in China and worldwide.