Exeter-based Internet solutions provider DestiNet has secured its foothold in the US internet market with an order worth £200,000 for the production of an E-business solution called Star Gazer for an existing client, gift supplier North Star.
Star Gazer will support North Star's new Christmas and gifts party-plan sales demonstration business.
DestiNet was asked to design and build the Star Gazer online logistics, business and payment solution after the memorabilia, college jewellery, gift and collectable mascot wholesaler decided to exploit a gap in the party-plan demonstration market. This gap in the market was created by the collapse of the US's leading party demonstration company, HOL - House of Lloyd - in January 2002, which in its heyday was worth US$400 million and had no fewer than 150,000 product demonstrators on its books.
North Star is using DestiNet's solution to help it track the growth of the Christmas and gifts business venture. It offers North Star the ability to check its own business levels, as well as to closely monitor demonstrators' information. Product demonstrators, who are licensed to use Star Gazer, are also able to check their own business records, and place orders online free-of-charge, a payment facility that is also available to end customers. This online payments system, which is linked to North Star's bank - the First National Bank of Missouri, allows demonstrators and customers to pay by credit card or bank transfer.
Star Gazer's features include real-time order and stock checking, access to shipping details, management reports and accounting information. Demonstrators are able to check on the placement of orders, acquire shipping information and verify their commission details, and make personalised thank-you letters for customers.
The relationship between North Star, which is based in Raytown, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and DestiNet was first formed nearly three years ago. However, the new Star Gazer deal is considered a "major step forward" in the three-year-old Internet solutions company's business development strategy, according to Trevor Munday, Managing Director of DestiNet.
"The US deal with North Star opens up the opportunity of further work with other US companies," says Trevor Munday. "DestiNet intends to fully exploit this foothold and aims to become a leading player in the US E-business market."
He continues: "This order confirms DestiNet's status as one of the UK's, indeed one of Europe's most advanced E-business and E-commerce development companies. Star Gazer shows that DestiNet is able to provide high level solutions for large corporations as well as small and medium size enterprises."
