5 February 2018
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Opened in Cork in the 1970s as a telephone shop, Conversation Piece has grown into one of the top business phone systems providers in Ireland from its headquarters in Cork and its second site in Dublin. The company is pleased to announce it has been in business for 40 years. Over the past four decades, Conversation Piece has adapted to the advances in technology.
Conversation Piece has evolved from its humble beginnings to keep current with the changing telecommunications landscape. The company offers business phone systems to companies across Ireland and offers the latest in VoIP technology.
Over the past 40 years, the telecommunications industry has undergone substantial changes. There is now a broad range of telecommunications solutions that are available to businesses. When founder Jim Dunne first opened his shop, he recalls that it was a telephone store that was located on Washington Street. “At that time, telephone systems were in their infancy,” he said.
Today, Conversation Piece offers business customers across Ireland with multiple telecommunication solutions such as VoIP technology, a cloud phone system and other phone systems for businesses. With a cloud phone system and VoIP technology solutions, businesses are able to enjoy savings of up to 40 percent on their phone bills and of up to 90 percent on the cost of international calls.
As the years have passed, Jim Dunne and his family have kept current with the latest advances in telecommunications so that they can offer the best solutions to their clients. Unified communications systems help businesses to increase productivity while saving them money.
Conversation Piece is a family owned business that is managed by Jim and Catherine Dunne together with their son, Seamus Dunne. Catherine first met Jim when she got a job working at Conversation Piece. In addition to their son, the couple also has two daughters. Jim attributes the success of his business and it lasting for 40 years to perseverance, hard work and the willingness to keep up with technology. Jim also says that the company was the first in Ireland that offered a rent-to-buy purchasing option for its communications systems. He says, “We have been able to carve a niche for ourselves.”
Conversation Piece has more than 5,000 clients across multiple industries in Ireland. It has 16 full-time employees as well as a fleet of vehicles with which it can provide service across the nation. The company also contracts on a project-by-project basis with around 20 additional professionals. The company’s clients are in the IT, service, manufacturing, food and sporting industries, and it also counts public service bodies among its client base.
