10 Aug 2022
Telstra Enterprise and Business customers have the option to sign with a Telstra Partner to leverage strategic value from their Telstra relationship.
We aim to answer all the questions you may have about the Telstra Partner channel and the support and services that Telstra Partners offer.
All Questions
- What is a Telstra Partner?
- What are the different kinds of Telstra Partners?
- What are the Telstra Partner accreditation tiers?
- Who is entitled to have a Telstra Partner?
- How do I know if I have a Telstra Partner assigned to my business?
- How can I get a Telstra Partner assigned to my business?
- How can I find a Telstra Partner?
- How do Telstra Partners work with your business?
- How do Telstra Partners work with Telstra?
- Who pays for the Telstra Partner service?
- How much do Telstra Partner services cost?
- How will having a Telstra Partner benefit your organisation?
- What are the key features offered by a Telstra Partner?
- What is a Telstra Global Partner?
- Why does Telstra have a Partner ecosystem?
- Do Optus or Vodafone have Enterprise or Business Partners?
- What is the difference between a Telstra Partner and a Telstra store?
Summary: MobileCorp is a leading Telstra Enterprise and Business Partner
- Mobility Platinum Partner
- Services Platinum Partner
- Data + IP Gold Partner
- Security Accredited Partner
- Global Partner
What is a Telstra Partner?
Telstra Enterprise and Business Partners help Telstra corporate customers to get the most out of their Telstra relationship.
Telstra Partners reduce workload for companies by providing a single point of contact for all Telstra-related services. They provide personalised premium support services and have access to Telstra backend systems to complete operational tasks.
Telstra Partners allow companies to get the most out of their Telstra relationship by providing advice and expertise across consulting, contract negotiation, emerging technologies, and technical and managed services related to Telstra products and solutions.
Telstra Partners are grouped by specialisations and have deep capability in building, deploying and managing Telstra solutions, and complementary services. The Partner channel is Telstra's way of providing an end-to-end premium support solution to corporate customers.
What are the different kinds of Telstra Partners?
Telstra categorises Partners by a series of Domains. These are areas of specialisation which align with groups of Telstra products and services. Each domain requires a separate accreditation. Telstra Partners can be accredited in a number of Domains.
The Telstra Partner Domains are:
What are the Telstra Partner accreditation tiers?
Telstra Partners are tiered as either Platinum, Gold, Silver or Accredited. Platinum Partner accreditation tier is achieved by only the top 5-10 partners in each Domain.
Partner accreditation is based on rigorous and extensive completion of subject-matter training by a minimum number of employees, demonstration of capability deploying specialist solutions and services to Telstra customers, and by meeting challenging commercial targets.
Telstra Partners sign a exclusivity contract with Telstra, and do not connect other carrier's services.
Who is entitled to have a Telstra Partner?
Telstra categorises its customers according to size and spend. Many organisations will be tagged as either Enterprise or Business customers; but SMBs, organisations with smaller Telstra commitments, or organisations with their services shared across carriers may be tagged as 'unmanaged' or 'unassigned .'
Enterprise and Business customers will have an aligned Telstra account management team. They can be aligned with a Telstra Partner to provide strategic account management and day-to-day operational support.
However, there is no 'entitlement' criteria as to who can be aligned with a Partner. Any customer who sees the value in having a Partner aligned can reach out. MobileCorp has customers it works with who may not have a Telstra account team.
How do I know if I have a Telstra Partner assigned to my business?
Hopefully you would know you have a Partner because they would be in regular contact with you.
A Partner should be your organisation's single point of contact for all your day-to-day operational Telstra tasks.
Your Partner will facilitate virtually all your Telstra requirements, relieving you from having to contact Telstra direct for support, or from using Telstra's self-service T-Connect portal..
If you are unsure whether you have a Partner aligned and would like to check, unfortunately this is not a straight-forward task. There is no list of Partners currently published on the Telstra website. There is no Partner code on your Telstra bill, and there is no easy way to check if you have a Partner.
If you have contractual paperwork from Telstra - a BSA or CSA - the Partner may be referenced in that documentation.
If you have a Telstra account manager that you work with, you can ask them to find out if you have an assigned Partner.
If you are still stuck, you can give MobileCorp a call on 1800 243 252 or send us an email and we will try to help you by accessing our Telstra's backend systems.
How can I get a Telstra Partner assigned to my business?
To be aligned with a Telstra Partner, you will need to sign a Telstra Authorisation form which allows the Partner to access your company account and take actions commonly known as 'Adds, Moves and Changes' on your Telstra services.
This Authorisation adds the Partner code to your Telstra account which essentially aligns the Partner to your organisation. The Authorisation can be revoked at any time and must be physically renewed every two years.
The Telstra Authorisation is an online form which must be prefilled by a Partner and emailed to the customer. If you would like to to authorise MobileCorp to look after your Telstra account, email info@mobilecorp.com.au
How can I find a Telstra Partner?
There are more than 400 local accredited channel partners across metro and regional Australia, however information about Partners can be difficult to find.
There is no listing of Telstra partners on the Telstra website, or anywhere else for that matter. This can make it a bit tricky to find the expert support you are searching for.
Ideas to find a Telstra partner include
- Google search for 'Telstra Partner near me'
- Google search for 'Telstra Partner awards' to find information about the annual Domain category winners
- Ask your Telstra account team
- Ask your peers for a recommendation of who they work with
- Ask other vendors you work with for a recommendation
- Contact MobileCorp and we will recommend a Partner if we are not the right fit for your business
How do Telstra Partners work with your business?
Typically, Telstra Partners will assign an Account Manager and a dedicated Support team to your business. They may also assign a Customer Success Manager, a Project Manager, an IT specialist like a UEM engineer or Network Engineer - dependent on the service you require.
The Account Manager will be your point of contact for discussions about your Telstra account at a strategic level. They will
- invest in understanding your corporate technology requirements
- review your current Telstra fleet, products and solutions
- provide advice about emerging technologies
- represent your interests in renewal or procurement negotiations
- provide reporting to you for governance and compliance purposes
The Support consultant or team will be your single point of contact for all Telstra service tasks including>
- end user help desk support
- Telstra service management - IDD, roaming, connections/disconnections, plan changes
- device procurement, repair, end-of-life, and upgrades
- billing issues
Most reputable Partners will have an automated ticketing system and the option of a custom online ordering portal.
How do Telstra Partners work with Telstra ?
Telstra Partners work alongside the Telstra account team in a collaborative approach to ensure both the customer and Telstra reach agreement about the Telstra services being supplied.
A Partner will represent the customer's interests to Telstra and can access promotional discounts and specialised pricing through liaison with the Telstra account team.
A Partner will also have a deep understanding of Telstra products and solutions, and a proven record of secure deployment, and ongoing managed services.
Who pays for the Telstra Partner service?
Up until 2020, the cost of Telstra Partner services and support - particularly mobility - was covered by Telstra and tied to connection or renewal of services. The move to the no-lock-in contracts of Telstra Adaptive Mobility plans stripped out all value-added services, so the cost of these is now transparent and for the customer to choose if required.
Adaptive Mobility customers will determine the Services they require and these are contracted directly with the Partner, and invoiced with full cost transparency.
How much do Telstra Partner services cost?
The cost associated with having the services of a Telstra Partner is wholly dependent on the service the Partner supplies to the customer. The range can be quite broad and can be applied as either an upfront or a monthly payment. It can be paid directly to the Partner or charged on the customer's Telstra bill.
As a minimum, for mobile fleet support, Telstra promotes the Adaptive Mobility Care product. This is a minimum viable service providing basic operational support helpdesk and is charged at $3 per mobile service per month.
Most Partners will then have a tiered offering. MobileCorp has a Managed Mobility stack which ranges upwards from $6 per service per month.
How will having a Telstra Partner benefit your organisation?
A Partner will be aligned with your strategic technology ambitions and provide subject matter expertise and innovation.
A Partner is a responsive expert resource that is committed to leveraging their knowledge of Telstra services and systems, to ensure customers get the best out of their Telstra relationship.
A Telstra Partner will take on responsibility for being the single point of contact for all your Telstra-related services including day-to-day operational fleet management and end user support.
A Telstra Partner has expert knowledge of all Telstra solutions and also has direct access to Telstra back-end services and billing systems enabling swift issue resolution.
A Telstra Partner will learn your infrastructure, processes and policies, and provide vital continuity of service, and strong personal relationships built over time and through shared activity.
What are the key features offered by a Telstra Partner?
- Single Point of Contact for all Telstra issues
- Operational Resource for day-to-day management tasks
- Responsive Australian-based Helpdesk for expert support. No more hanging on the phone for an hour or more.
- Strategic Input and expertise to technology roadmap
- Business Intelligence Reporting
- Telstra account team alignment
- Contract Negotiation services
What is a Telstra Global Partner?
Telstra operates in over 20 countries outside of Australia and has access to more than 2,000 Points of Presences (PoPs) in more than 200 countries and territories globally. Telstra has formal alliances with many international carriers, and a sub-sea cable network, with licences in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
A Telstra Global Partner will be able to consolidate your international fleet management requirements providing a single point of contact for operational tasks and end-user support, and may be able to consolidate all your costs onto the Telstra bill (available with some overseas carriers). It allows customers to cut through the workload of having to deal with multiple carriers to orchestrate device procurement, new connections/disconnections, global roaming, IDD and billing.
Why does Telstra have a Partner ecosystem?
Telstra, and before it Telecom Australia, has had a partner ecosystem for more than 30 years. MobileCorp has been a partner since the late 1980s. You can read about Our History. Telstra sees its Partner Channel as allowing it to provide a premium support service to its corporate customers, and as a strategic sales and solution implementation arm providing deep capability in Telstra products and solutions.
Do Optus or Vodafone have Enterprise and Business Partners?
Telstra has a world-class Partner ecosystem, one that other domestic carriers in Australia have not been able to replicate. This is a key competitive advantage for Telstra.
Optus and Vodafone corporate customers are provided with access to a self-service portal and will need to assign internal resource to manage day-to-day mobility fleet management tasks. Orders through the self-service portal will be diverted to a bulk ticketing system and the SLA on response times would be worth further investigation.
Optus and Vodafone will also assign an Account Manager as an escalation point and for strategic account discussions.
Optus has been known to offer a third-party support partner to its largest value Enterprise customers, but this is not common practice.
What is the difference between a Telstra Partner and a Telstra store?
Telstra stores focus on consumer solutions and most are not equipped to deal in any depth with enterprise or business requirements. A few larger Telstra stores are also Telstra Partners and are capable of supporting corporate customers to varying degrees. These stores often have separate entities off-site to manage corporate relationships.
All Telstra stores can offer business customers basic device procurement, plan connections and disconnections. complaint reporting, and some basic operational support services such as SIM swaps and SIM activation.
SMBs with a small number of Telstra devices and basic support needs, may find a local Telstra store combined with a Telstra T-Connect self-service portal meets their needs, however it is unlikely that a Telstra store will be the best fit to meet the needs of most corporate customers.
Purchasing a device through a Telstra store or from a third party retailer is not advised for corporate customers as they are unlikely to be equipped to access your Telstra DES credentials and enrol your devices. Why businesses should always buy mobile devices through business channels
MobileCorp is a leading Telstra Enterprise and Business Partner
MobileCorp is a Telstra Partner, based in Sydney, serving national and international customers, many of whom are iconic household names. You can read some of our Customer Case Studies here
MobileCorp provides our Telstra customers with
- a deep knowledge of your infrastructure, processes and policies minimise risk and support compliance
- swift and accountable operational Telstra services support to SLA
- practical hands-on helpdesk support for end users and IT teams
- targeted professional and managed services to enhance business operations
- detailed reporting to all your internal stakeholders including finance, HR, IT, procurement and operations as required
- alignment with the Telstra account team to ensure relationship and business-process continuity
- insights into emerging technologies and solutions relevant to the business
- strategic input to communications technology roadmap and decision-making
MobileCorp is a Mobility Platinum Partner
Platinum is the highest level of accreditation available as a Telstra Partner and there are only a handful of Telstra Mobility Platinum partners across Australia. The accreditation conveys superior technical knowledge, proven capability, and extensive experience in deployment Telstra mobility solutions. To achieve this annual accreditation MobileCorp has to meet sales targets by consistently delivering the highest quality of mobility services to Telstra customers.
Key services that MobileCorp delivers under the Mobility domain include
- Telstra Carriage Services - providing day-to-day management of Telstra fleets for enterprise and business customers, procurement of devices on Telstra plans, Telstra SIM management, end user support desk, and Telstra account management.
- Telstra 4G and 5G Network Services - providing 5G and Wireless WAN solution architecture, procurement, deployment and ongoing network management. Cradlepoint Elite Partner and Managed Service Partner of the Year 2021.
- Managed Mobility Services - an integrated SaaS which provides a single instance to manage asset lifecycle, Telstra service management, expense management and Telstra bill auditing, and account reporting,
- Telecom Expense Management - delivering cost optimisation programs, auditing, billing issue resolution, cost centre allocations, and reporting.
- Unified Endpoint Management - building, migrating or deploying instances for mobile device, content and application management across a range of SaaS vendors.
- Mobile Security - providing expertise in device security, migration to SaaS security solutions, and ongoing compliance and end user support.
MobileCorp is a Services Platinum Partner
Services is a new domain that was introduced in 2019. It reflects the shift by leading Telstra Partners to provide a complementary range of professional and managed services to Telstra customers. At MobileCorp this includes a range of Telstra solutions, as well as other managed services charged on the Telstra bill.
Key capabilities under the Services domain include:
- Solution architecture - applying our knowledge to design a solution which meets the needs of Telstra customers
- Project management - having the specialist resource inhouse that is required to successfully plan, procure, provision, and provide a completed project for Telstra customers.
- Project deployment - we hands-on design, build, licence, configure, apply policies and processes, deploy or migrate a project to completion.,
- Technical and End User Support - we have two help desks, one for end user Telstra customers requiring support with their mobility, and providing technical expertise and support for Telstra customer IT teams.
- Managed ICT Services - a new team built by MobileCorp CTO, Phill McSherry, delivers a holistic ICT and IT managed service for SMB customers who see the benefits in outsourcing this responsibility to expert engineers.
MobileCorp is a Data + IP Gold Partner
We set out some years ago to build our capability and resources in Data and IP Networks, with a special emphasis on 5G and wireless WAN and Hybrid Networks. An example of our growth in this domain is our complex network migration and ongoing network managed service for Ticketek Enterprise Group.
Key services under the Data +IP Domain include
- 5G and Wireless WAN - Telstra Enterprise Wireless and Enhanced Enterprise Wireless, Cradlepoint Elite Partner
- Telstra Internet Solutions - Telstra Internet Direct TID and TID Lite, Telstra Business Broadband TBB, Telstra Programmable Network TPN
- Telstra Private Networks - MPLS, MPLS with Managed Router, Network Monitoring, Network Redundancy
- SD-WAN - Public, private and hybrid solution architecture, network migration, integration with wireless 5G WAN
- Network Security - Audits, Penetration Testing, Next Gen Firewalls, Disaster Recovery
- Network Professional Services - Network assessment, Digital optimisation audit, Solution architecture Project management, )n-site service delivery.
MobileCorp is a Security Accredited Partner
MobileCorp targeted a Telstra Security accreditation last year when the work-from-home shift happened and a number of our Telstra customers asked for assistance with securing their endpoints and end users. It made sense for us to upgrade our expertise in this domain to assist Telstra customers with security management of endpoints and zero trust network access. We are now a training-accredited partner for Telstra Security solutions.
MobileCorp is a Telstra Global Partner
MobileCorp officially became a Telstra Global Partner in 2020. This was in response to growing demand from our customers for consolidated management of Australia-New Zealand mobile fleets.
MobileCorp offers a integrated trans-Tasman managed mobility service, utilising UEM and TEM solutions, along with Telstra Global alliances. This service provides one trans-Tasman bill, a single point of contact for Telstra services and end user support, and a single EMM instance for device management and security.
About Telstra
Telstra is Australia's leading telecommunications provider by market share, network presence and reach, and customers. Telstra builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets in voice, mobile, internet access, and other products and services. Telstra is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 and Australia's largest telecommunications company by market share.
About MobileCorp
MobileCorp is an Australian communications technology company providing 5G and Wireless WAN, Managed Mobility Services, Unified Endpoint Management, Complex Data and IP Networks, and Unified Communication solutions. We have a proven track record providing solution architecture, build, deployment, and managed services for Australian enterprise and business. We are a Telstra Platinum Partner and have been a Telstra enterprise and business partner since 1988. About Us
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