UGS banks on channel to boost sales growth

Software vendor unveils lower-end products aimed at the mid-market

Collaborative software vendor UGS is hoping to tempt rivals’ resellers by launching a mid-market strategy and a global channel programme.

Users of UGS’s software suites have mostly been in the high end of the market, according to Angus Marshall, director sales and channel programmes for EMEA at UGS.

“It was believed that only the larger enterprises would have the complexity of business to invest in product lifecycle management. But we have found that mid-sized businesses are no less complex,” he said.

Last week the vendor launched its Velocity Series and Teamcenter Express for the mid-market. Marshall said the firm is hoping the new lower-end products will tempt resellers from its competitors.

“We want to grow our channel base, which at the moment accounts for around 20 per cent of global revenue, using our Global Channel programme. We will do this through our existing VARs, but also we want to talk to resellers of SolidWorks, Autodesk or PGC,” he said.

However, UGS’s partners said a lack of brand awareness was still a challenge.

“We have already had customers calling about the Teamcenter Express products,” said Steve New, sales and marketing director at VAR Solid Applications. “But while UGS has good products, it has not done the best job on promoting and marketing them. Autodesk and SolidWorks have much better recognition.”

Alan Blackwell, managing director of VAR Cutting edge, agreed. “It doesn’t match its competitors in terms of in-your-face marketing, which will be crucial now that it is targeting the mid-market.”