Comparetheware.com sniffs out reseller recruits

New IT search portal aims to "put the market in touch with the channel"

A new IT search portal designed to generate leads and awareness for IT vendors and resellers soft-launches today.

With a besuited bloodhound (pictured) as its mascot, Comparetheware.com aims to "put the market in touch with the channel", offering participating resellers qualified leads from £25.

The initiative, which has grown out of distributor Computerlinks and will initially focus on security technology, goes live to resellers today with 25 launch vendors, including Check Point, Websense, Juniper and F5 Networks.

The full end-user launch is slated for April.

End users visiting the site are matched with up to three resellers based on the technology for which they are searching, their choice of vendor and the services and support they require. Resellers register for free but have the option of purchasing leads generated through the site. Vendors must stump up from £5,000 annually to list their technology.

Comparetheware.com co-founder Craig Moody said the portal will benefit resellers by accelerating the sales cycle and generating affordable but high-quality leads.

"Other forms of lead generation, such as telemarketing, could cost anything up to £300 a lead," he said.

"With Comparetheware.com, the end user has made a conscious decision and is halfway through the buying cycle. It is probably one of the most qualified leads you are ever going to get because the end user has picked you."

Comparetheware.com aims to recruit 1,000 resellers and 50-100 vendors in its first year.

"There is a substantial budget in place for end-user marketing and we will use a pilot-and-refine approach," added Moody.

The portal plans to swiftly begin offering other technologies, such as networking, storage, VoIP, cloud, virtualisation and client hardware. Enhancements, including a chat zone and five-minute tender builder for end users, will be added through the course of the year.

The site does not feature pricing information, stressed Moody.

"We are drawing on the best of consumer sites, like Gocompare and Moneysupermarket, but not all of it," he said. "We are not here to take over and change things, but to complement what is already going on in the channel."