Aimed at small to medium sized businesses low on cash reserves, T-Suite will offer a range of software-as-a-service (SAAS) products, such as email, customer relationship management, collaboration, financial applications and security products, as well as online storage, for a subscription fee starting from $4 a month.
Telstra has been trialling T-Suite since late last year with select customers but is now ready with the full launch which will see the telco offer nine online applications including Microsoft's Exchange Mail and Sharepoint programs, security products from MessageLabs and McAfee and Workforce Guardian , an industrial relations tool to help manage human resources.
Although SaaS-style software has been around for a while in Australia from outlets such as Salesforce.com, SAP and local operators such as PK Business Advantage, it has yet achieved mass penetration.
But as the global financial crisis continues to wreak havoc on financial markets, the tide for SaaS has started to turn as businesses look to cut capital costs in favour of relying more on outsourced computer and telecommunications services.
Leading the charge in SaaS popularity has been Salesforce.com which was surprisingly absent from Telstra's raft of T-Suite launch partners.
Although Telstra has been in discussions with Salesforce since October last year, but no deal has yet emerged from the talks.
A Telstra spokesperson said there was no plan to include Salesforce products into T-Suite but that discussions were continuing with the company.
Telstra Business group managing director Deena Shiff also said Telstra was in discussions with more than 50 local and multinational software developers who could offer their technology through T-Suite.
Ms Shiff said Telstra was positioning T-Suite as an affordable service for businesses eager to avoid laying down big investments for new hardware and upfront software licensing fees.
"It's something that can help you stay in front without burning your balance sheet ," Ms Shiff said.
"In the current economic climate, those small businesses are looking for ways to improve cash flow and better manage risks and compliance obligations and we believe the T-Suite service provides a cost effective answer at the right time.
"We didn't foresee the global economic crisis and now is a difficult time for all business owners specifically and especially small business. It's become terribly relevant to use tools with no or very low up front costs."
Telstra said it would be engaging in a revenue sharing model with its T-Suite partners
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