Servcorp unfazed by Melbourne launch of co-working provider WeWork

US co-working provider WeWork’s entry into Melbourne hasn’t fazed Servcorp, which says it is a luxury brand in the flexible office ecosystem.

Servcorp is a co-working, serviced and virtual office provider.

Both Servcorp and WeWork have established themselves internationally - with locations in 54 and 36 cities, respectively, according to a media release.

Earlier this year, WeWork leased into the iconic art deco building at 401 Collins Street owned by fund manager Impact Investment Group, taking the building’s rooftop and the entire nine floors of commercial space.

Its arrival in Melbourne is part of a rising trend of co-working spaces in the city. Last year, Hub Australia opened Victoria’s largest coworking space, Hub Southern Cross, in Melbourne, spread across 3,900sqm and two floors of the historic Mail Exchange building.

Servcorp says it differentiates itself from WeWork’s hot-desking model with “limited technology”, by providing organisations with a dedicated team of in-house administration and IT professionals to ensure a smoother experience, it said.

“At Servcorp, we also recognise that networking can bore opportunities, but we go further than just providing a fun place to network. We provide the platform to make these interactions happen,” it said.

Its new Community platform (servcorpcommunity.com) allows all 35,000+ Servcorp clients across borders to engage, collaborate and network, said Servcorp’s chief operations officer Marcus Moufarrige.

“Servcorp has thrived based on the premise that a prestigious address, the right support network, backed by technology gives new businesses a leg up,” Moufarrige said.

“It’s all about first impressions and accessibility. A recognisable address backed by team and technology creates a great impression of stability, of strength and permanence,” he added.

It has a standardised technology suite including Wi-Fi, printing and telecommunications. Other features include in-house IT support; call-routing technology; global VOiP and cloud hosted services. 

A start-up can access this level of technology via Servcorp’s Virtual Office starting from $50 per month.

For start-ups and SME’s the benefit is to tap into a global infrastructure providing a platform to really compete and for large corporations, it means a seamless transition and integration with Servcorp.

Servcorp has invested USD $100 million on a global communications network and offers “super-fast internet”, “business-class printers”.

Its travelling members have access to over 155+ office buildings and their proprietary technology, with support teams at every location to give clients a seamless experience.

“We have more team members on the ground than anybody else in the industry.

“Every location has at least 2 to 5 team members (depending on size) to help clients run their day-to-day, such as answering all their phone calls so they never miss a lead, administration so they can focus on what matters most, and other secretarial services that improve the quality of their working life”, said Moufarrige.

The two companies contrast in their approach, says Servcorp. 

WeWork is known for its “pop culture”, and caters to venture capital start-up companies, which is risky and more susceptible to market downturns.

Meanwhile, Servcorp supports start-ups as well as global corporates.

Its locations are also “landmark addresses with iconic views… and state-of-the-art communications technologies”, it said.

This has allowed the brand to remain resilient and nimble in the face of a rapid increase in co-working office solutions on the market, it said.

The company welcomed WeWork’s entry into Melbourne. 

“Competition is healthy. In fact, WeWork’s entry into Australia has been great for the entire industry.

“It’s made people aware of other options to traditional real estate,” said Moufarrige.