BT merges reseller services into one

British Telecom has combined its indirect voice, data and hardware sales teams into a single organisation that will handle everything from retail giants like Argos to small local resellers.

British Telecom has combined its indirect voice, data and hardware sales teams into a single organisation that will handle everything from retail giants like Argos to small local resellers.

Although the three areas of its indirect channel have merged into one, its ebusiness solutions provider channel will remain as a separate organisation.

Don Mildenhall, general manager of indirect channels at BT, said the move both responds to and anticipates market trends. "Everything we see points towards convergence."

There will be four reseller categories - volume, key, major and premier - with access to marketing funds, account management and training increasing from volume to premier.

Mildenhall said the majority of resellers will deal with BT through its distributors, and BT has started putting its own employees inside distributors to promote its products. "We're focusing on the strategic development of accounts. This approach has already led us to identify and win large deals," he said.

Mildenhall added that BT is looking to increase the range of products and services available to the channel. At present, resellers can co-operate with BT Syntegra on a project basis to offer managed services, but BT plans to introduce managed services for resale by the channel.

"There are good regulatory and pricing reasons why we should want to sell through other people rather than own those companies," he said.

Services resold by partners will continue to be billed by BT, rather than offered on a wholesale basis to resellers. BT's wholesale business continues to sell to other service providers.

First published in Computer Reseller News