BTIC unwraps incentive scheme

Resellers offered rewards for business broadband connections sold in Christmas run-up

BT Indirect Channels (BTIC) is trying to stimulate broadband demand through the channel with an incentive programme in the run-up to Christmas.

With only 1.4 million UK business premises broadband-enabled out of a possible 16 million, resellers are missing out on recurring revenues and add-on margins that come with the technology, according to BTIC director Mark Hollister.

In an effort to accelerate demand the company is offering resellers up to £100 for each Business Broadband connection they sell during November and December, on top of their usual revenue share. Normally resellers do not receive a sign-up fee.

In September Hollister outlined BTIC's plan to sign 500 new resellers to sell. The firm has signed 116 of these already but wants to accelerate this leading up to Christmas.

Hollister said resellers are the best means of increasing take-up. When a reseller recommends a technology to a customer they will be interested, because it is a trusted supplier, he said.

BTIC is targeting a broad range of resellers. "We want all kinds of VARs to get involved," Hollister said. "For example, resellers that are not selling broadband but are selling applications that require a lot of bandwidth are a target."

He added that this year BTIC has already tripled the number of connections sold in 2002 and is aiming for four to five times more by the end of 2003.

Manny Pinon, sales and marketing director at distributor Norwood Adam, said the BTIC promotion is a good way to get things moving. "It is a huge opportunity for resellers, and when we have used promotions like this before VARs have turned on to them," he said.

"We have targets for broadband connections and I expect BTIC has some stiff targets of its own."

Separately, BTIC's voice and data Specialist Clubs, launched at the firm's Partners' Experience in May, received their first exclusive voice and data sales training last month.