MTI bets future managed services growth on the channel

Reseller claims it can support fellow VARs better than disties and vendors

MTI has said it expects the lion's share of its future managed services growth to come through fellow resellers, as it talks up the initial success of its inaugural channel programme.

The Surrey-based reseller launched its MTI Partner Programme 10 weeks ago and has already signed up about five active resellers and a handful of others that have expressed interest.

Through the programme, MTI offers resellers, network providers and ISVs access to a selection of vendor services as well as benefits such as marketing support.

MTI's head of channel Chris Roberts, who was brought in last year to oversee the development of the programme, said the new channel arm is a core part of MTI.

"Now... all of the new business in managed services is effectively done through the channel," he said. "It's a massive investment. Of all the growth we are predicting in managed services, about 70 per cent of that growth will be done through the channel.

"We've got an account management team which looks after incumbent direct clients but new growth is going to be through channel acquisition."

MTI hopes to add a number of new partners to its ranks in the coming months as the programme develops but insisted that keeping the number small ensures the firm can pay partners the attention they deserve - something vendors often cannot do.

"There's a risk in terms of focus: you can get lost within a large vendor," he said. "Also there's a cost and complexity of building [your own solutions].

"People go out and think 'I'll build this - I'll make more margin doing it myself' - but find out how complex and difficult it is to do that and manage it. [Eventually they] reverse back and go to someone like MTI to white-label it because they dip their toe into the water and find it's too difficult to support."

He added that distributors often cannot give the channel the specific services support they need either.

"Another option might be to go to a Tech Data or a Northamber, but what a distributor doesn't have is that end-user competency.

"They can't give you end-user support with vertically aligned salespeople because they're talking to resellers not end users. [Resellers] can relate to us - we have that understanding."