Emerging Tech Hub: Automation vendor Thoughtonomy shifts focus to channel

UK-based firm looks to double channel business in 2018

Automation software vendor Thoughtonomy has shifted its focus onto the channel and is looking to put 90 per cent of its business through partners.

Founded in the UK in 2013, Thoughtonomy is a robotic process automation software vendor which provides a platform that allows the creation of digital workers.

The digital workers can be 'taught' to carry out computer processes, for example password resets, account opening and invoice generation.

Thoughtonomy CEO Terry Walby told CRN that the technology is designed to take on mundane, repetitive tasks to which an organisation's employees would otherwise have to dedicate a great deal of time.

"It's there to improve the efficiency of office-based workforces by automation work that would normally have to be done by a person," he said.

"We've realised that a large amount of the work they do is structured and based on logic, rules and structure, therefore it's a candidate for automation and digitisation.

"The challenge with using traditional technology to do that is the disruption that comes from transformation and the deployment of new tools and process redefinitions."

Thoughtonomy has an office in London and an R&D facility in Manchester, as well as bases in Austin and New York.

The vendor currently sees 45 per cent of its business go through channel partners, but is looking to bump this up to 90 per cent in 2018.

Walby said that its current channel partners range from global systems integrators such as Atos and Fujitsu, down to regional VARs and service providers.

He explained that the increased emphasis on the channel comes as the vendor looks to fuel growth without having to scale up its own business.

Thoughtonomy has around 65 employees globally, as well as an army of digital workers.

"We're providing platform - it's digital labour in the cloud," he said. "It can do pretty much anything it's taught to do but someone needs to teach it, so someone needs to take these processes and teach the platform how to execute them.

"That is not a service that we're focused on. We're focused on providing the technology, so that configuration is either done by the end customer or a partner that delivers it as a service.

"It's vital for us to deliver growth without having to scale up our own business. We want to focus on the technology and continually improving the platform.

"We will continue to have a direct engagement to stimulate the market, but the execution will be through partners. We're making investments to enable the channel as well."

Walby added that Thoughtonomy's platform is relevant to organisations of all sizes, with its smallest customer at a headcount of around four, and its largest at 450,000.

The Reading-based VAR recently rolled out Thoughtonomy internally and is now offering the technology to its mid-market customer base.

Ultimata CEO Scott Dodds recently told CRN that Thoughtonomy's automation has enabled the VAR to double the growth potential of its managed service business, without having to hire any more staff.