Star Telecom Alliance Resources (STAR), the parent company of mobile device brand Starmobile, formed a partnership with Chinese-owned TP-Link in the area of network technology, an initial venture in expanding its business beyond smartphones and tablets.
The partnership allows STAR to offer and distribute the TP-Link network devices such as routers, APs and switches in the Philippines in collaboration with systems integrators and resellers. These solutions are designed for home use, small and medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprises in business process outsourcing and real estate sectors.
“The growth of these sectors and the rise of a young and tech-savvy middle class have increased the demand for dependable connectivity solutions,” said Jerry Paul Manus, chief operating officer at STAR.
Since STAR is a distributor and has presence around the country, they are open in collaborating with IT resellers to sell their TP-Link products to customers nationwide, according to Manus.
STAR also pursues telecom operators to help them sell their products. Recently, it partnered with Smart Communications to introduce the Starmobile PLAYClick P1,228 Plan.
Meanwhile, to highlight that the thrust of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to develop the countryside with improved public access in the Internet is beneficial to IT and telecom companies. Monchito Ibrahim, a representative from the DICT, said the government will implement a nationwide free public Wi-Fi initiative to access the Internet using smartphones. Everyone will be provided with free Wi-Fi in public plazas, public schools, universities and colleges, bus stops, and public libraries. Most of these projects will be outsourced to IT as well as telecom providers such as Smart, Globe, cable TV operators and outsourced companies who will monitor the service level of these operators, according to Ibrahim.
From left: Jun Aumentado, Senior Sales Head, TP-Link; Monchito Ibrahim, DICT; Jerry Manus, COO, STAR, Inc.; Ulysses Lao, President & CFO, STAR, Inc.
