Telstra says forming an alliance with Microsoft to deliver IT services and software will lead to Australian businesses increasing their productivity.
The partnership also sees the pair go head-to-head with corporate-mobile giant Research in Motion - maker of the popular BlackBerry smartphone - by offering a corporate email and applications service for six Windows Mobile devices.
The alliance will offer integrated communications services that are easier to install and use, and require less maintenance than current services, the companies say.
Telstra group managing director of product management Holly Kramer said the collaboration would deliver in telephony, email and conferencing.
“Our customers are seeing convergence between networks and applications and between fixed and mobile devices,” she said in a statement.
“We are turning this convergence into meaningful products that deliver a better use experience and productivity benefits for their business.”

The duo are also offering IP telephony and communications services such as click to call, presence, instant messaging and video and web conferencing.

As reported this week, T-Suite will commercially launch early next year, the telco said this week ahead of the Microsoft announcement today.

The Microsoft applications are in pilot phase and will be commercially available in mid-2009.

Prices for T-Suite have not been disclosed but Telstra said customers would be charged $4 per user per month for standard desktop security and around $20 per user/month for collaboration software.

Neither company would disclose the revenue sharing agreements, but said the split will differ for each service.

“The approach of the different components of the alliance are very different,” Microsoft Australia and New Zealand managing director Tracey Fellows said. “What we’ve done is make business cases on where we see the opportunity and investments that we’re both making.”

Telstra will exclusively sell the Windows Mobile offering while other services will be sold through both parties’ reseller channels.
Microsoft Australia communications sector director, Kevin Brough, denied the move to partner with Telstra was an admission that the company had failed to crack the small business market.

“I just don’t see it that way. “I think if you look at the Microsoft penetration in the business space today, it’s pretty good.”

“This is a new space we’re going into and we’re going to blaze a path together here and see what happens.”