Is this a Business?legal etc

4Sheets

I found some great products and I can modify them to work in situations there not designed to e.g the range is 100meters..I can extend to country wide using a gsm device..but in most cases the unmodifed product will work.
So can I buy the device from the company website and market them in Ireland.
I will install and maintain them..
The manufacturer is UK based and I reckon there is an untapped market in Ireland..
Whats the best approach here?..am thinking build a website,advertise and get some customer..maybe at some stage approach the manufacture to cut me a better price.
First off is it legal?whats the tax implications -it will prob be low cash volume unless it kicks off..
Its the kind of the product that people would buy but prob dont know its possible for a few hundred quid.
Thanks folks!

blue4ever

if its gsm - surely there are spectrum issues - comreg issues for 'broadcast'??
Everyone should pay tax! Any legal craic from the manufacturer - patents etc

4Sheets

No its using existing gsm infrastructure...using the gsm mobile broadband to send info from ptA to ptB because a dsl connection would not be feasable..

No the product is freely available from their site..I not going to manufacture it so infringing copyrights...
My question really is can I buy the product,advertise and then install the device even though its quite simple in most cases..and add a premuim to make it worth my while!

blue4ever wrote: »

if its gsm - surely there are spectrum issues - comreg issues for 'broadcast'??
Everyone should pay tax! Any legal craic from the manufacturer - patents etc

antoinolachtnai

If you make mods you will almost certainly need type approval.

You may need type approval for the gsm part, in order to use it on Irish networks. That shouldn't be a big deal though.

seco

You should make direct contact with the owner of the product to see whether there are licencing issues -eg they might have trademark & patent rights to sell exclusively into irish market. Infringe and you may have legal challenges.

mmcm888

From what you are saying, it seems like you have located a 'device' that currently does not use GSM that you can modify to use GSM/3G. You won't be setting up your own GSM network (unless you have a shedload of money!) so you will be piggybacking on a providers network (Vodafone, O2, Meteor or Three).

You need to account for the fact that there is no free lunch with regards to GSM/3G data and that you customer will have to have a subscription with a mobile provider. Customers like to have one neck to choke if something goes wrong so you will need to either get this solution distributed by a mobile operator or get into a MVNO (virtual operator). Either of these approaches is going to be expensive and time consuming to get going.

The USP seems to be a device that can use 3G/GSM data networks rather that fixed line networks (including WiMax etc). This is not very unique as there are a myriad of devices that can connect serial & ethernet over mobile networks. You may not be aware of this but there are specialist M2M (Machine to Machine) companies whose bread and butter business is connecting any device over mobile networks - vending machines, tills, credit card machines, complete networks, utility meters......

While the technical solution/modification may be 'cool' it is quite another thing if you can get this solution to market and make money. From experience, bringing a mobile data solution to market is challenging and needs much more than just a website where people can buy a box.

Feel free to PM me if you need some insights.

m.