GSTI Launches Master Agent in a Box

Posted: 10/2003

GSTI Launches Master Agent in a Box
By Tara Seals

Global Systems Telecom Inc. (GSTI) has launched its Elite Turnkey Master Agency Program targeted for VARs, solution providers and larger agents that have a downstream of subagents. Once they sign up to sell for GSTI, the program gives these sales organizations free access to a back-office system, marketing tools and front-end, customer-facing sales portals, all of which can be private labeled for their particular organizations. The effect, says GSTI, is to put these companies into business as a master agent almost overnight.

We can sign up agents and within a week give them the illusion of being big players, with no investment on their part, explains Mark Solomon, GSTIs president. This also is great for other organizations like VARs and solution providers that want to appear as though they have a complete telephony solution.

IT-focused companies increasingly are offering contact center or IP telephony solutions for which they may need to provision circuits or other telecom-related network services to create full solutions for the customers. Becoming a master agent allows them to do that. GSTI has had success with this aspect of the recruitment effort, it says, including forging a relationship with value-added distributor Tech Data.

The program also is available to enterprises. Human resource departments can offer the services as employee benefits, or companies can add on a new revenue stream without the headache of maintenance.

GSTIs program is based on the Logicware platform, which program participants can use for pricing, order processing and entry, and commissions, among other things.

We are actively looking for organizations that have sales reps underneath them, says Susan Kinney- Mantione, director of sales and marketing at GSTI. These are companies that are in growth mode but dont have the resources or dont wish to spend the resources to build the back-office infrastructure necessary to becoming a master agent.

Participants also receive their own e-commerce Web sites for business-to-business and businessto- consumer sales, where they can offer any of GSTIs products and services, from residential plans and cell phones to enterprise connectivity.

Other benefits include office automation, training, Internet marketing and targeted lead-generation tools, newsletters and residual commission and bonuses.

We are trying to expand our distribution channel beyond the independent telecom agent, says Solomon. This is taking it to the next level for us.