CacheFlow content to support resellers

Internet caching vendor CacheFlow has opened a support centre for resellers in response to demand for UK content management.

Internet caching vendor CacheFlow has opened a support centre for resellers in response to demand for UK content management.

The company found that 60 per cent of its second-quarter turnover came from outside the US, which persuaded it to open a European headquarters in Camberley.

Nigel Hawthorn, marketing director for Europe, Middle East & Africa at CacheFlow, said: "Previously, our technical support numbers were in Tokyo and California, but now we can offer support [in the UK] 24 hours a day."

This is a natural progression, he explained, because the demand for support is so strong it needs a formal infrastructure in place. "When we started, support was on a best-effect basis, but today it is much stronger," he said.

Hawthorn explained that the company's reseller partners have always been the front line of support for users and that CacheFlow has, until now, offered second-level support.

Neil Ledger, director of EquIP, a CacheFlow distributor, welcomed the move. "We already provide technical support for resellers because our technical staff are fully trained on the CacheFlow product. But obviously, this development will improve things," he said.

However, there is an alternative that could leave resellers out of the loop when dealing with customers. Shane Tranter, general manager at EpicRealm, a global content delivery network, said: "Companies using the global network to receive their hosted caching service do not really need a local support service."

Hawthorn disagreed, however. "It is unlikely that an enterprise will use this type of service. Actually owning caching equipment is more appropriate. The closer the equipment is to the user, the better," he said.

Ledger believes that there is a caching business for resellers as well as support. "The current demand for caching products is massive. We are running joint campaigns with our reseller partners, and looking for new ones," he said.