SMS programme set to tackle SME market
Email hosting vendor creates partner programme
Email hosting vendor Simply Mail Solutions (SMS) has created a partner programme to take advantage of the expanding SME market for email hosting services.
The vendor said it will initially recruit between 10 and 20 resellers, dealers and consultancies in the UK with a basic Windows Server knowledge. SMS requires its VARs to target SMEs that are looking to upgrade to Microsoft Exchange.
Colin Smith, director at SMS, told CRN that there is a growing demand in the SME market for such services.
“An increasing number of SMEs use email, so there is a strong demand for backup and synchronisation from Microsoft Exchange,” he said.
SMS’s partner programme divides resellers into three different levels: Commission, Discount and Package.
Commission VARs earn 10 per cent commission on all sales, but customer-facing obligations, such as billing, are dealt with by SMS.
Discount resellers earn 15 per cent commission on sales in their first year, and seven and a half after that. The level does not require VARs to pay a start-up fee or subscribe to a minimum number of sales.
Package resellers earn up to 20 per cent commission and have the ability to rebrand the service under their own design.
Andy Buss, senior analyst at Canalys, told CRN that a growth in the availability of broadband had helped to make such services more widely available.
“There’s definitely a market for this and it could be a benefit for the channel as a result,” he said.