Online services portal takes you to your leads
Valuable addition to CRN website gives subscribers access to public sector and utility company tenders.
The ability to source quality sales leads has never been more important to resellers, especially while waiting for the promised economic upturn.
To help Computer Reseller News (CRN) readers gain that vital competitive edge, our online services portal at www.crnservices.co.uk now provides a valuable tool for increasing lead generation.
CRN has teamed up with business information provider Tenders Direct to offer easy access to public sector and utility tenders. Users of the CRN portal can now access a list of tender notice summaries supplied by Tenders Direct.
The firm has been providing IT tenders for eight years, and three years ago began offering them directly on its website. "We provide tender details to both the [CRN] print publication and to the web.
"This allows people to choose which they prefer. It's horses for courses," said Robert Brown, customer services manager at Tenders Direct.
Tenders Direct provides access to more than 30,000 government and utility company contracts in the UK and Europe. The Office for Official Publications of the European Communities (Eur-Op) provides the company with between 400 and 900 new tender notices every day.
The company also provides training services through its sister company, Tender Training Associates, to help firms prepare bids for tenders.
Tenders Direct's tender notices cover the public sector, including government departments, councils, schools, universities and hospitals, and utility companies supplying electricity, gas, water and transport services.
The UK accounts for about a quarter of these notices, and although all 15 European Union (EU) countries publish tenders, Germany, France and Italy make up most of the remainder.
Subscribers can search for tenders according to market area, as well as set up a 'track profile' that ensures they receive email alerts whenever relevant tenders appear. Analysis of past tenders helps subscribers to identify new marketing strategies or find sub-contracting opportunities.
Tenders Direct offers subscriptions at £50 per year for a web-only service, plus £5 per download; £300 per year for web access and tailored searches, plus £3.75 per download; and £600 for full access and searches, and unlimited downloads.
The service is updated every day with the most recent IT-related tender notices, from hardware requirements and networking to software applications.
To pursue any of the opportunities published, subscribers simply download the tender notices. Each normally includes a full postal address for the awarding authority, the name of a contact, telephone and fax numbers and email addresses.
Tenders Direct also supplies a range of supporting information such as:
- Background information on Eur-Op, which carries a list of all EU public sector contracts.
- News stories on public procurement.
- A library of EU directives and books.
- Events listings.
- Links to Tenders Direct's tender application training services.
In addition, the firm has set up a new website, www.mytenders.com, which actively sources tenders from public-sector organisations, reducing the time it takes for a tender to appear online. The site has been set up in conjunction with Eur-Op.
Tenders Direct is the latest addition to www.crnservices.co.uk, the web portal that serves as a one-stop shop for CRN readers. The site also offers a virtual warehouse (in partnership with IT Dealer), leasing and rental services (in partnership with Syscap), and Green Pages, a database of IT companies.
Duncan Campbell, sales and marketing manger at Tenders Direct, underlines the benefits of the firm's contribution. "At least 10 per cent of our tenders are in the IT sector.
"We have considerable in-house experience in searching for tenders that have an IT component, and even drilling down to particular sectors, so we see a direct link to CRN as very relevant."
Paul Briggs, editor of CRN, said: "We have a had a long-standing relationship with Tenders Direct in print, but there are obvious space limitations and we can offer a lot more online.
"You get more up-to-date information and a bigger selection of tenders. You have the whole of Tenders Direct at the click of a mouse.
"What we are doing on the website is improving the tools for lead generation and meeting the demands of those seeking relevant information when pitching for new business. They can use the site to find new business, find out about availability of kit, and so on.
"In a tight market, getting all the lead-generation tools you need online provides a clear competitive edge. As we enter a 24/7 environment, we are moving away from supporting readers only in print by providing a portal that eases workflow and helps close deals in the shortest time possible."
Tenders Direct (01224) 636 999
Tender Training Associates (01224) 314 053
www.training4tenders.com