Randy Berlin couldn't hit a major-league fastball. So after playing nine years in baseball's minor leagues, the retired third baseman has a new goal: hitting it big in telecommunications. Berlin, 31, started discountcall.com in 1997 reselling long-distance service, but the business has shifted to a new area as a broker of telecommunications and Internet service.

Under service agreements with telephone companies and Internet service providers, discountcall.com assembles the most affordable and appropriate package of local, long-distance, Internet, and data services for small and medium-size businesses. The idea of bundling services is not new. Businesses such as BellSouth Corp., MCI WorldCom Inc. and many others are pushing the idea of one bill for all services.

However, Berlin said, discountcall.com serves businesses better by getting the best deal from different telecommunications and Internet carriers that include Eclipse Telecommunications Inc., Intermedia Communications Inc. and PSINet Inc. Businesses pay the carriers directly, and discountcall.com collects all revenues from its contracts with the carriers. "The key to bundling in my opinion is not the one bill but the one point of contact," Berlin said.

discountcall.com now has more than 200 customers in the Atlanta area and is looking to expand its business once it receives venture capital or attracts angel investors. "We are currently seeking first-round seed financing of $1 million, since I couldn't make it hitting fast-balls," he said.

Copyright 1999 Atlanta Business Chronicles