Intellect unveils private sector council for VARs
Forum launched to offer trade body members advice on cornering the often overlooked private sector
IT trade body Intellect has launched a private sector council to help its members identify and exploit opportunities outside of the public sector.
The council will focus on improving the relationship between IT suppliers and private sector customers, and will provide a forum through which the supplier community can work closely with a range of end-user customers and regulators. It will also promote best practice on a range of private sector issues.
Carrie Hartnell, private sector programme manager at Intellect, said: “In recent years, much attention has been paid to the potential of the public sector market. However, if companies are to continue to grow, they will also need to be aware of the wealth of opportunities available to them in the private sector. To be successful, technology firms must act quickly to increase their knowledge and improve their relationship with this customer audience. This is why we believe the launch of the new council is pertinent and a reflection of what our industry needs.”
Derek Ward, executive vice president, UK markets and accounts at VAR Atos Origin and chairman of the council, said: “Having spent more than 20 years aiding government and private sector organisations to realise their IT vision I understand the challenges facing the private sector today. I am passionate that, through the effective deployment and use of technology, businesses can become more efficient and boost productivity.”
The first formal meeting of the council is scheduled to take place in January.
Nick Kalisperas, director at Intellect, told CRN: “We’ve been doing a lot of activity in the private sector market and wanted to pull this activity together to provide even greater value to our members.”
Asked if the channel is so focused on winning work in the public sector, that it is missing out on opportunities in the private sector, Kalisperas said: “I think that is a fair assessment. We want our members to be aware of opportunities in both the public and private sector. The challenges facing resellers in the private sector are the same challenges that face resellers in any market – identifying opportunities and exploiting them effectively.”