Partner Channel: News Briefs

Posted: 1/2002

Partner Channel

News Briefs

* Cable & Wireless Inc. has chosen partner relationship management (PRM) company ChannelWave Software Inc. to provide sales tools, training and marketing programs to help channel partners sell its Internet and data solutions to businesses. ChannelWave's latest release tracks pre-and post-sales activities via web-based applications, including "Partner," which provides collaborative recruiting, planning and management resources; "Market," which is for communications, campaign planning and lead generation; "Sell," which supports team selling and channel commerce by streamlining partner orders and transactions, and improving opportunity forecasting and management; and "Service," which is for customer post-sales support and online training, self-service support and maintenance resources.

* PentaStar Communications Inc., one of the nation's largest agents, has completed the acquisition of fellow agent Carrier-Designs. PentaStar CEO Bob Lazzeri says PentaStar was interested in Petaluma, Calif.-based CarrierDesigns for its positive cash flow and continued growth in interexchange data sales. Founded in 1990, CarrierDesigns sells data services for carriers such as Pacific Bell Corp., Cable & Wireless USA and Sprint Corp. PentaStar acquired CarrierDesigns for 30,000 shares of PentaStar common stock. CarrierDesigns may earn additional consideration in cash and stock based on earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2004.

* The Independent Agent Network Inc. is selling off half the company. IAN vice president Yehuda Fulda, looking forward to retirement, has decided to offer his 50 percent equity interest in the company on the open market. Founded in 1994, the IAN delivers more than 41,750 marketing communications via fax and e-mail daily. It says its marketing list consists of 8,210 long-distance and cellular agents, 5,000 VoIP companies, 10,765 prepaid distributors, 3,000 data and CLEC companies, and 4,000 international agents and distributors. It also publishes the Top 25 Long Distance Program Manual, a comprehensive annual review of the best vendor programs for channel partners. The new "Telecom 911" service broadcasts specific business development requests to companies and supports real-time communication.

* AT&T Wireless has announced the purchase of TeleCorp PCS, its largest affiliate, for $4.7 billion in stock. TeleCorp PCS has licenses covering 37 million people in 14 states, encompassing eight of the top 50 markets in the United States. The Yankee Group suggests the acquisition is an example of the increasing pace of consolidation in the wireless industry, setting the stage for additional mergers and acquisitions among Sprint PCS affiliates and regional carriers in the United States.