The move comes, according to 3P Managing Director Les Barwick, as a result of BT Independent Partner Sales saying they can no longer afford to support these line only orders.
“Since 2002 we have been supplying a service to hundreds of resellers who do not have access directly to BT by processing their orders for them. We do not get commissioned for these orders and have termed the companies that use our service ‘Bronze Associates’. As well as smaller organisations amongst these organisations are companies such as Glamorgan Telecom and Eurotel and between them all they sell thousand and thousands of BT lines each year which generate millions in revenue for BT. Options open to the Associate base will be to find an alternative order point for PSTN and ISDN business.”
Barwick continued, “We have taken the decision to focus on our Associates who are keen to demonstrate a willingness to work with 3P to take ‘the BT Story’ to market. We wish to work with companies who will build BT products and services into their strategy going forward and cannot continue to support companies who use our proposition to solely order non-commissionable BT business
We are very excited about BT’s new products that will shortly be made available to the channel and believe that the BT Story has never sounded so good. We remain ‘true blue’ and our no conflict of interest business model remains unique within the channel.”
With effect from Monday 30th July 2007, over 500 + Associate resellers have been advised that 3P were unable to accept any orders for new and additional Retail Lines, network services and cease orders unless they are ordered in conjunction with a new BT Business Plan, BT Commitment call package or BT Business Broadband.
3P Associates have been swift in their response to what they see as disappointing news with Paul Wood of Direct Line Communications writing to 3P to say, “That will be the end of our partnership with BT and 3P. I appreciate that this move is not of your making, but I can’t help the feeling that BT will become the UK's biggest ‘sub-contractor’ in the supply of lines and services. No wonder the entire UK (channel) hates BT and state that dealing with BT is the most difficult part of any telecoms upgrade or move. Thanks for your assistance over previous years.”
Sean Hart, GSM BT Indirect Partner Sales, told Comms Business Magazine;
“We are pleased that The 3P Company has seen the value of working with companies who are keen to build BT products and services into their strategy. BT is committed to ensuring consistency of approach and information across all our partners and resellers and, in line with this policy, cannot offer direct access into BT Service Centres to 3P associates, or indeed to the resellers of any other BT Partner. It is regrettable that without this access The 3P Company does not feel able to offer their associate base BT Retail line only orders.
BT Indirect Partner Sales is looking forward to working with The 3P Company to build BT products and services into their associates sales strategies moving forward, driving mutual growth and delivering the highest possible levels of customer.”
Hart added that 3P was given 60 days notice of the change and that all other distributors, for example, Rocom and DMSL, had been advised of the changes at the same time.
Rocom has however decided to continue to offer their resellers continued access to ordering BT lines only for a small charge.