Lynx sets up new unit to pounce on e-services

Lynx Technology, a reselling arm of Lynx Group, has entered the online services fray by setting up an ebusiness solutions division.

Lynx Technology, a reselling arm of Lynx Group, has entered the online services fray by setting up an ebusiness solutions division.

The unit, headed by Iain Thorn, has seven engineers and aims to plan, design, implement and support solutions based on Compaq servers, Intershop applications and PSINet Internet access and hosting services.

Lynx Technology, a reselling arm of Lynx Group, has entered the online services fray by setting up an e-business solutions division.

Lynx Technology, a reselling arm of Lynx Group, has entered the online services fray by setting up an e-business solutions division.

The unit, which opened for business last month, plans to target large clients as well as smaller customers.

Leslie Sharp, technical services director of Lynx Technology, said the company had decided to set up a dedicated unit because it needed to focus on ebusiness "in a single way".

He said the division will not sell any Lynx proprietary software, but intended to provide business-to-business and business-to-consumer solutions.

"We are looking to build e-commerce solutions," Sharp said. "We will not use it as a fulfilment channel for us. What we wanted to do was take the best of breed to the marketplace."

He said Lynx is also hoping to use the division to expand its market reach and build up its customer base. "We are looking at broadening the product we provide. It's a way of adding value to the services we offer to clients. It gives us a new message to take to customers," Sharp added.

He said Lynx will be presenting joint seminars with Compaq, Intershop and PSINet to publicise the unit.

Sharp also dismissed arguments that Lynx was late to the ebusiness game.

"It's still very early days. There's still a lot of resistance to ebusiness in the UK marketplace," he said. "One of the benefits we bring is that we are a large public limited company that has been around a long time, is stable and has a loyal customer base."

Paul Edgeley, Lynx Technology managing director, said: "Our objective is to shake up the UK market by extending benefits to smaller businesses as well as corporations."