O2 to inject £2m into channel partners

Mobile operator splashes the cash to fuel partners' push into "high-level" businesses

Big spender: O2 will invest an additional £2m into its channel partners in 2010

O2 will inject £2m into its partners’ coffers during the first six months of 2010 to help them land “high-level” business accounts.

The mobile operator claimed the investment is in addition to the funds already set aside for its B2B operations and is essential to the “profitability and success” of its partner channel.

Ben Dowd, Telefonica O2 business sales director, said: “We invest a lot of money each year supporting the partner channel and have seen the results of that investment in terms of constant and continuing growth.

“This additional fund shows our appetite to help secure the future success and profitability of our entire partner channel.”

O2 has also announced plans to hand over a number of previously direct customers to members of its Centre of Excellence (CoE) partner programme.

This follows on from a similar initiative earlier this year that saw the firm hand over 100,000 customers to its CoE channel partners.

Dowd said: “Not only are we making a serious commitment to giving our partners a fantastic incentive to secure more business in the first half of 2010, but we trust them so much we are giving them access to our customers.

“Customers want to be managed locally and our partners do a better job for them on a local level.”