SupplyStream, the web-based platform that aggregates industry products and suppliers into a single website for dealers, has changed its name to Portal, securing the website portal.io for its industry product catalog, proposal software, and industry purchasing tool. The company will be exhibiting at CEDIA 2016 as Portal by SupplyStream (booth #1312).
Five years ago, two former dealers set out to organize all of the A/V industry’s product information into a single searchable web catalog. At the time, the industry did not have an efficient way to organize and distribute product data and pricing in a way that was easy for dealers to use.
Today, Portal is a team of 16 and growing, serving more than 5,000 dealers, and it’s being supported by the industry’s top manufacturers.
According to founder and CEO Kirk Chisholm, “For five years we listened carefully to every feature dealers requested, and the result is a service that is tailor-made for the modern reseller. However, we have not finished innovating, we are just getting started. We have big plans for game-changing functionality.”
The new functionality includes a native iPhone app, expanded third-party integrations, dedicated programs for Manufacturers, Distributors and Reps, and a major rewards program, to be released at CEDIA 2016 next month.
In addition to the new features, Portal will now be a free service for all dealers, including existing users. Previously integration companies paid a $29/month subscription fee to access most of the features in the site.
Chisholm adds, “We have evolved into something much larger than a product database, so we are continuing the journey with a new brand that better represents our vision. We are redefining what it means to provide a dealer portal. We are opening the ultimate gateway to your industry, the ultimate portal to efficiency.”
Portal recently secured a new $2.5M investment to fund the expansion.
Finally, an App
SupplyStream has always been a web-oriented service, but the company will be releasing at CEDIA 2016 an iPhone app that offers all the functionality of the original service with the convenience of an app. The app will not be available for download until CEDIA 2016 in mid September.
“Dealers will be able to access the entire catalog of industry products from the palm of their hands, create proposals, and send orders to any supplier,” says Portal VP Josh Willits.
There’s no need to launch a web browser with the new app, but just in case, the new Portal site does incorporate responsive design for a better mobile experience. Chisholm points out that the app is just iPhone, not iPad.
“Having an app and mobile-responsive site levels the playing field for vendors who have not yet invested in a dealer portal, and it advances the entire industry,” Willits says. “Dealers can place orders with any of their vendors through one intuitive app.”
Bonus Round: Visa Rewards Card
On top of all this, SupplyStream is introducing a Portal-branded Visa gift card for all users.
“They'll keep it in their wallet and every time they submit any order on our site we will give them a 1% bonus rebate on the card,” Chisholm says. “The rebate is above and beyond all their current programs. So we actually pay dealers to use us, in the amount of 1% of their annual spend.”
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