A newly launched competitor to NetSuite and Salesforce.com will begin courting the channel once it secures 100 customer references.

Software-as-a-service start-up Workbooks Online has kicked off its UK launch with an integrated suite of CRM and business applications for resellers ­ Workbooks CRM and Workbooks Business.

John Cheney, chief executive of Workbooks Online and previously chief executive of email security business BlackSpider Technologies, said the company is aiming to breach the 100-customer barrier by the end of the year.

“We aim to be established in the UK, so we can start building a channel. The service is aimed at businesses with between five to 500 employees which want to streamline their disjointed accounts.”