Easynet calls in the channel

ISP to recruit resellers and disties for its business services

Internet service provider Easynet has rebuilt its channel model and intends to recruit resellers and distributors for its business services, which range from leased line to dial-up.

However, the company refused to reveal how much money or how many staff it has devoted to the drive, or how much business it will put through the channel. It expects accredited partners to bring in a minimum of £25,000 worth of business every quarter.

"Easynet is in a good position because it is the only provider that has stuck with Local Loop Unbundling in the UK," said Sandra O'Boyle, senior analyst at Current Analysis.

"It can do more with its products and be more innovative than others because it is involved in 81 exchanges. However, those exchanges are mostly in metro areas.

"Coverage outside large towns is not so good, and that's where resellers and a planned further 70 exchanges come in."

The firm has hired experienced channel staff, including head of indirect sales Deborah Collins, who was formerly a channel manager at Viatel, and Jennifer Falnia, formerly pan-European channel and alliances marketing manager at Avaya. Falnia now heads Easynet's channel marketing programme.

According to Collins, SureStream, the firm's IP leased-line solution, is half of the cost of the comparable BT product.

SureStream, which sells in 1, 2 and 4Mbps versions, starts from a little less than £6,000 per year, although initial set-up costs run to £2,000.

Sean Flood, sales and commercial director at Tiscali, said his company did not compete directly with Easynet, and had not seen the firm in its broadband market space.

"Tiscali is indirect, but Easynet has a mixed model, and that has sometimes been problematic.

"If Easynet focuses on Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line we won't be competing with them; we might be talking with them," he said.