Accpac endorses ASP model

Accountancy and ebusiness software company Accpac, a division of Computer Associates, has established itself as an application service provider but has pledged to remain loyal to its channel.

Accountancy and ebusiness software company Accpac, a division of Computer Associates, has established itself as an application service provider (ASP) but has pledged to remain loyal to its channel.

Accpac CPAC Online will provide hosted delivery of its accounting and ebusiness management software for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Business partners will be encouraged to become ASPs under two programmes set up by the company, but they can sell the solutions without hosting the software themselves.

The online referral partner programme will authorise resellers to sell Accpac online hosting services. The ASP partner programme will allow qualified partners and independent ASPs to host solutions.

Cyrus Razzaghi, regional manager for Accpac Europe, said: "The ASP model does not preclude the need for qualified, local sales and support, but while our referral programme will suit smaller resellers, I would encourage our larger partners to switch to an ASP model. Initially, migration will be a slow process of about five to 10 per cent per year, but it will increase."

Razzaghi said the company will launch a partner training programme by mid-July to help resellers take advantage of hosted services and educate them about the benefits of being an ASP, but the full details have yet to be finalised. "We will be looking to triple our channel size in the next 12 months," he added.

Accpac reseller Systems Link UK said it will migrate to the ASP model by the end of the year. Managing director Bill Williams said: "The main difference for businesses considering a switch in the UK as opposed to the US will be higher communication costs. It will take time for the market to adapt, but it will."

Deon Robertson, managing director at Accpac partner Accronym, said: "We believe ASPs are the way computing is headed, but we are yet to believe anyone has done it right."

First published in Computer Reseller News