Connectbase, MasterStream ERP Come Together in 2024

Telecom serviceability and sales platforms Connectbase and MasterStream ERP will integrate with one another in 2024 as Connectbase seeks to build more partner focus into its platform.

Connectbase on Dec. 27 announced the purchase of MasterStream, which helps telecom sellers configure, price and quote solutions. The parties did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. CEO Ben Edmond told Channel Futures that Connectbase paid for the deal using its own balance sheet.

Connectbase CEO Ben Edmond said his company has primarily focused on wholesale community with its two data clouds. Adding MasterStream brings in quoting capabilities tailored to the channel, Edmond said.

Connectbase's Ben Edmond

"Historically, we've worked with some of the largest [TSDs] out there, from our data platform perspective, to understand network intelligence, and they've incorporated it to help their partner communities understand it, and then they've relied on MasterStream to run the quotes," Edmond told Channel Futures. "Now that we're one company, we'll be able to combine that and add value to those trusted advisors."

Connectbase historically has offered two different platforms: a seller's cloud that its ecosystem of service providers use to input different information about their connectivity locations and pricing, and a partner cloud and buyer's cloud that assists in the consumption of those offerings.

Edmond said combining with MasterStream will help Connectbase generate more insights for partners based on quote activity and order activity that come from the MasterStream platform.

"When you understand what's the right prospect fit and what's the right offer, and use the AI to do that in near real-time, we believe we're going to be able to add a lot more value to the partner community as we take our incremental steps," he said.

Edmonds said Connectbase aims to complete its platform integration by the end of 2024.

"There are some use cases and products that MasterStream had that are perfect overlaps for what Connectbase had. Those customers will drive the first wave of integration. Then we'll incrementally tackle the next level of difficulty," Edmond said.

California-based technology advisor Top Speed Data Communications has used MasterStream's commissions module for some 15 years but has never worked with Connectbase. Allan Jaffe, Top Speed's vice president of technology, said he would love to see CRM integrations occur as a result of the deal.

Top Speed's Allan Jaffe

"We were notified by MasterStream after the acquisition that we would not see any changes immediately," Jaffe told Channel Futures. "Ideally, they’ll take the best of both worlds and optimize the user interfaces. I’m sure that will take some time."

Connectbase Expansion

Connectbase raised $21 million in series C funding at the end of 2022 and landed a $16 million line of credit from Silicon Valley Bank in July 2023. Connectbase acquired London-based carrier-quoting provider LastMileXchange. The deal helped bolster Connectbase's European footprint, after having already established relationships with the top 30 U.S. carriers, Edmond said.

Connectbase said in a news release that it now possesses APIs from more than 300 service providers and 2.7 billion locations.