Telstra has launched the first stage of its T-Suite Software as a Service (SaaS) offering to provide software to businesses on a hosted monthly basis.
Deena Shiff
(Credit: Telstra)
The online services portal, which was first flagged in June, only boasts some of the products that will be available when the company trots out the full version some time next year. However, the telco has already managed to sign on some large firms, with software from MessageLabs, McAfee and Microsoft currently available.
The products have been divided into productivity, security and business continuity streams. Productivity includes tools for professional messaging, team collaboration and sales and marketing management, such as Microsoft Exchange Mail or Dynamics CRM. Security covers desktop, server and network security such as MessageLabs email protection. Continuity involves products for backup and data loss prevention such as Telstra's remote backup product.
These streams will remain the same when the full version arrives next year, with more products simply being added. A spokesperson for Telstra was unable to disclose which companies were waiting in the wings to be brought in, although Telstra Business group MD Deena Schiff said that Telstra was in talks with more than 50 providers and planned to announce new partners soon.
The online software portal was aimed at the small- to medium-sized enterprise sector, according to Shiff, which she said will be looking to reduce costs in the current economic climate.
"Now they have access to the tools previously only available to big businesses, without the licensing, maintenance and associated IT costs," she said in a statement. "Better still, they can pay by the month according to the number of users and upgrade whenever it suits, so they can keep overheads down."
Prices start at $4 per user per month for desktop security, $10.95 for email and $14 for data backup and collaboration. Customers are given a 30-day trial for the initial order of each product.
Telstra is an uninspiring company in so many ways.