Spirit advances MSP ambitions with web sales platform

Spirit Telecom has launched a “digital sales platform” that advances its ambitions as a broad provider of IT services.

The new site, at shop.spirit.com.au, allows online ordering of wireless services delivered over Spirit’s own network or those operated by other telcos. Users are first asked to enter their addresses, which prompts the site to scan for available wireless services before recommending relevant data plans. Signing up for the service, including agreeing to a contract, requires a few minutes typing and clicking.

Managing director Sol Lukatsky told CRN the automated plan-finder replaced manual processes that previously required days of work searching coverage maps. He’s therefore optimistic the service will find favour from both end-customers and Spirit partners (who've been able to use the facility for a couple of weeks).

For now, the portal doesn’t offer similarly smooth purchasing of voice or security services. That’s by design, Lukatsky said, because neither is suitable for a swift web sale.

“We didn’t want to overcomplicate the sales process,” he told CRN. “Voice needs a conversation about call trees and migration. “ Security services need even deeper talks.

But Luktasky said Spirit intends to add voice to the portal, but did not offer a timeframe for its debut.