Star offers resellers an extra Advantage

ISP encourages partners to board hosted CRM bandwagon via new mid-market-focused programme

Corbelli: with Advantage, resellers can differentiate themselves

ISP Star is aiming to push partners towards services and hosted technology provision after launching its Advantage channel programme around its hosted CRM offering.

Star’s CRM platform includes automation tools for marketing, sales and customer service. Partners can sell it as a full white-labelled package or just provide add-on services.

Advantage targets the mid-market, and end-user accounts are managed through an online portal. Firms pay on-demand for the required seat numbers.

Marketing director Martino Corbelli said Star’s traditional product wholesale channel engagement would be phased out, to be replaced by a model centred on services.

“Resale margins have eroded,” he said. “Whoever is cheapest gets the deal. With Advantage, resellers can differentiate themselves.”

Corbelli claimed the majority of resellers signing up would be new recruits.

“CRM is a very steep learning curve,” he said. “New partners may have sold CRM on-premise but do not want the financial risks associated with that.”