Maintel creates services unit as channel business blooms
Partner Services division created out of channel staff in Maintel, Datapoint and Proximity Communications
MSP Maintel has launched a Partner Services division which it claims offers "a full scope of support" for its partners.
The Avaya reseller's new unit consists of 150 engineers and was created from staff taken on with the acquisitions of Datapoint for £3.5m in 2013 and Proximity Communications for £9.6m in 2014.
Maintel claims this new unit will allow its network of partners to increase the services they offer without their having to invest in staff or training, "as they can rely on Maintel's people, skills and industry accreditations", a company statement said.
Maintel's director of partner services, Chris Bain, told CRN the new division consists of all the channel-focused staff in Maintel and its recently acquired companies coming together.
"In essence, Partner Services is the distribution arm for the Maintel group," he said.
"Maintel is a reseller but its own product is its people, its engineers and specialists. What we do is sell those out through channels, and in this case, Maintel is the producer of skills and people and we distribute those to channels who make them available to end users."
Bain said Maintel wants to do more with its big telco partners in 2016.
Eddie Buxton, Maintel CEO, said the firm's channel engagement is on the up.
"As last year's strongest-performing sales division, our channel business represents around half of our overall revenue, so naturally it's an incredibly important part of the business to us," Buxton said. "In launching Partner Services we are building on this success through an experienced team focusing on our channel partners.
"We've already seen a great response to the creation of the specialist division, including a 10 per cent partner increase."
For the first half of 2015 Maintel's adjusted profit before tax was £3.3m, up 16 per cent from the same period the previous year, on sales of £24.8m, which were up 20 per cent year on year.