The fight to pick up Sage reseller BDE Group’s customer base is intensifying after the firm officially entered administration.

Neil Mather and Mark Fry at Begbies Traynor’s London office were appointed joint administrators of the Worcester-based firm on 26 May, ending weeks of speculation.
BDE was regarded as one of Sage’s top partners with 2007 revenue of £10.6m but the vendor severed ties with it over unpaid debts. That proved to be the final blow for the firm as it was unable to continue trading and laid off its 94 staff last week.

Meanwhile, the battle to land BDE’s 800 Sage customers is heating up.

Datel is one of three resellers to which Sage is recommending BDE customers move, alongside TSG and Pinnacle.

Warrington-based Datel has taken on nine former BDE staff including Debra Leland, who headed up customer services. It will focus on BDE’s Sage 500, 1000 and SalesLogix customers.

Managing director David Preston claimed his firm is well positioned to capitalise.

“We are speaking to about 100 customers,” he said. “They are not compelled to go with Sage’s recommendation but it would seem a sensible route given that Sage has suggested it.”

Preston added that Datel has finished top in an annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by Sage for the past three years.

And he argued that it would be tough for BDE to rise from the flames of administration.

“BDE’s staff have pretty much melted away and customers are talking to people like us with a number committing to come across to us already. It will not be easy for them to create a pre-pack,” he said.