Business-to-business telco, NetServices, has launched a programme to recruit
resellers and integrators in the audiovisual (AV) sector as the delivery of video
services via IP explodes in popularity.

If video over IP does become the next technology to revolutionise business
communications, resellers that can make the strategic switch to managed
services, rather than hardware sales, could gain significantly, argued
NetServices chief executive, Mark Vickers.

“As the margins on hardware sales get ever thinner, we are increasingly seeing
audiovisual specialists turning to managed services as a way of ensuring regular
cash flow into their businesses and increasing the strength of their relationships with key clients," he said.

End users wanting to cut carbon emissions through using videoconferencing as an
alternative to business travel will create a market for these services, promised
Vickers. "Video over IP technology also has excellent environmental credentials,” he said.

NetServices claimed it can deliver the right quality of service over standard
DSL technology. “Ensuring the delivery of video services has become critical as
many ISPs and carriers are starting to block video traffic as a way of freeing
up bandwidth on the UK’s increasingly congested broadband networks,” Vickers said.

Having recruited its first wave of AV resellers, Vickers announced a new raft of reseller partners is the target.

"We have identified a fast growing number of small to medium sized companies who can benefit from these services and have tailored our offering to their needs. Now we want a bigger network of channel partners to reap the commercial benefits of being early adopters in this arena,” he said.