IntY plans on being Microsoft missing link

Hosting provider offers to open enterprise doors for resellers

Chris Baldock: Our offerings are the same as Microsoft's, but with added flexibility

Hosting company IntY is marketing itself as an alternative provider of Microsoft cloud services to lure in partners reluctant to deal with the software giant directly.

The Bristol-based firm became the first in Europe to achieve Syndication Partner status on Microsoft’s cloud-based Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) last July.

The accreditation allows IntY’s VARs to bundle and integrate BPOS services with those offered by other vendors and bill customers direct.

Chris Baldock, managing director of IntY, said the Syndication badge has raised the firm’s channel profile.

“VARs used to see us as a threat, so we focused on telcos and independent software vendors instead,” he said.

“Now they appreciate that our offerings are the same as they would get from Microsoft direct, but with added service and billing flexibility.”

Baldock said IntY has about 300 partners, but is looking for SME-focused VARs that want to step up into the enterprise.

“A lot of our rivals focus on selling cloud to SMEs, but there is little value in doing that because there is so much competition,” he said.

“By partnering with us, it will open the door to the enterprise for VARs so they can close bigger deals and get in front of the calibre of customers they have not had a chance to before.”

James Griffin, director of hosting strategy at rival firm Star, added: “We have done things differently by building our own platform, allowing us to add value by providing services our competitors and Microsoft do not.”