BTIC to skim CRM market
Telco's indirect sales unit pushes Contact Central to more resellers
BT Indirect Channels (BTIC) is making further strides into the data market with its sights set on targets in the CRM sector.
As revealed by CRN earlier this year, the indirect sales arm of BT hopes to cash in on the growing demand for customer relationship applications as part of its evolution as an ICT provider.
Chris Jagusz, general manager of chapter management at BTIC, said the vendor's Contact Central contact centre product would be opened up to more resellers.
Last week he confirmed the vendor wanted about 12 partners to specialise on Contact Central.
"We hope to put £5m of business through the channel in 2004, which will represent growth of over 100 per cent," Jagusz said.
According to BTIC, Contact Central combines hardware and software, allowing networks to read and process messages in voice, email and fax, connecting them to the back office.
BTIC has so far sold the product through three specialists, but wants to bring more partners into the market.
"Not only does BTIC want to grow its data business, but so do our voice resellers. Absolute revenues for call minutes will be the same or less than last year, so many are looking to get into new wave technologies," Jagusz said.
He added that BTIC is in negotiations with five VARs about specialising in the product.
Mark Evans, director at ME Consultancy, said BTIC can get maximum coverage with a few selected partners.
"If it selects the top 12 VARs in this market, it will cover most of it," he added.