Visual Insights injects cash into channel

Software vendor Visual Insights is stepping up its investment in channel operations after raising $25m in second-round funding.

Software vendor Visual Insights is stepping up its investment in channel operations after raising $25m in second-round funding.

Visual launched its eBizinsights family of web analysis software in the UK last month. Investors in the company include Intel, Lucent and Microsoft.

Doug Cogwell, chief executive of Visual, told Computer Reseller News: "We are putting a lot of the new investment funds into our worldwide sales and marketing expansion. We are completely channel-centric and our sales and marketing approach is direct-initiated and channel-leveraged."

"We are expanding the sales and system engineering team to help the channel sell and service its end user accounts," he added.

Nicholas Tee, managing director at reseller Logfile Analysis, said: "The product's ability to analyse individual web users, its visual impact and cost make it value for money.

"The investment in Visual is very good news for resellers because there is a great deal of education needed in this marketplace. The company could fill this gap with its high-end solution at a lower price than its competitors."

Paul Oxley, group product manager at distributor Wick Hill, said: "Visual certainly has the right attitude for the UK channel. The first thing it did when it arrived in the UK was to appoint a distribution partner."

The vendor has recently repositioned the product and widened its appeal. "The latest issue of eBizinsights is an enterprise product suitable in a multi-web server environment. It appeals to resellers both large and small," said Oxley.

The planned third-generation version of eBizinsights will be used within Microsoft's upcoming release of Commerce Server 2000.