Virgin's Big Red snubs VARs

Carrier insists channel can still benefit from big broadband launch

Virgin on success: The carrier claims Big Red Internet's development was a no-brainer

Virgin Media Business has denied that resellers will be affected by being excluded from access to the carrier’s first big push into business broadband.

Last week Virgin unveiled its Big Red Internet product, which it claims is the first internet package for businesses which can offer unlimited bandwidth without extra charges or restrictions.

The service is available at 100Mbit/s and 1Gbit/s speeds for a flat yearly fee of £12,000 and £22,000 respectively, or £13,000 and £25,000 as a managed service.

Virgin called the service’s development a no-brainer, as it has a powerful network that can be deserted outside peak consumer hours.

The launch of Big Red will foreshadow a push into cloud services, said Matt McCloskey, senior manager of applications and services.

“One of the fundamental barriers [to cloud adoption] is network performance,” he said. McCloskey also denied that selling Big Red direct would hurt VARs.

“We have a very strong reseller channel and will consult as to how they can design a similar proposition,” he explained.

Jon Hexter, Virgin Media Business’ head of marcomms, added that the carrier had not ruled out offering channel partners the service, or something similar, as a white-label offering.

But Richard Bligh, group marketing director at Gamma Telecom, said that since its rebrand, Virgin was yet to expand on the successes of ntl:Telewest and its public sector stronghold.

“We have not heard much from our channel partners about them becoming a bigger presence,” he said.