BTIC in new management chapter

Team expanded to cover wider range of technologies and skills

BT Indirect Channels (BTIC) is expanding its management team to cover a wider range of technologies and skills.

Last month BT announced the closure of BT Alternative Channels, which used to support BTIC.

The BTIC management team will be expanded from four to eight in an attempt to bring "more skills, expertise and business to partners", according to Mark Hollister, director of BTIC.

A planning, strategy and business development team will drive overall strategy and generate business, and a management team will strengthen support in the company's four core technology 'chapters' of voice, broadband, ICT and mobility.

Rocky Mahajan will lead the planning, strategy and business development team, while former head of business development Chris Jagusz will lead the new chapter managers.

Jagusz said the development is "all about growth" as the business attempts to work with resellers in new ways.

"The new teams will fuel the firm's drive to be a £1bn business in three years' time from £780m today. To do this we have to start doing things differently and being quite radical," he said.

Mark Davenport, sales director at BT reseller Starwand Computers, said the move will, in theory, be positive if it means the channel has more people to engage with.

He said BT's increased channel focus has been noticeable in recent months.

"There is a lot of activity through the distributors. It is essential for our business, which combines Lans and Wans, to have a telco provider with flexible offerings, and BT provides this," he said.

According to Jagusz, reseller support through distributors, particularly in the area of broadband, is a growth area.

"Our direct partners only make up a fraction of the reseller community, so we are doing activities through distributors.

"We are working with them a lot in broadband. This will expand to other technologies," he said.