Sprint PCS Working On Bringing Enterprise E-Mail To Partners

Sprint PCS

Slack, in an interview with CRN, said Sprint PCS regrets being unable to offer the solution to its direct and indirect channel simultaneously.

"Our general policy is to roll out products at the same time for direct and indirect," Slack said. "In this particular case, it is true, direct came out before indirect. But that is not our wish."

Sprint needs to do some additional work to allow third parties to access the system, he said, before the service can be opened to channel partners.

During the launch of Sprint PCS Vision, the carrier's next-generation wireless network, a Sprint executive said the Sprint's PCS Business Connection hosted e-mail service would be offered initially through its direct-sales arm.

id
unit-1659132512259
type
Sponsored post

The service will allow business customers to access e-mail, contacts, company directories and schedules from Sprint's traditional cellular phones and smart phones without the need for integration or support work behind the firewall. While Sprint manages the network and middleware, corporate IT managers will be able to provision service and manage user rights in realtime.

Slack said Sprint currently allows partners to sell its Sprint PCS Business Connection, personal edition. That version allows users to forward e-mail from a PC to another mobile device or cellular phone.

Sprint's Workstyle Server By Wireless Knowledge, announced in September 2001, is also currently unavailable to solution provider partners, Slack said. The carrier is working out a way for solution providers to resell that behind-the-firewall solution as well, he added.

In October 2001, Sprint formally launched the Business Solution Program, its first channel program for computer VARs and integrators. CompuCom, Comark, CDW and Global Wireless Data were among the first recruits for the program. At the Thursday network launch, the carrier also added Ingram Micro, Accenture and PwC Consulting.

Slack said the Business Solutions Program is set up to avoid conflict between the carrier's direct and indirect sales arms.

"We view the channel as absolutely critical to our success," he said.

Sprint's policy allows partners to sell products and services to existing Sprint PCS customers, he said. The solution provider can choose to bring in the direct-sales person for the sale, in which case the direct-sales person will also get compensated on the deal.

Direct-sales people also have the right to engage a partner's existing customer, he added. In such cases, the salesperson can choose to bring in a partner to help close the deal and both parties will receive compensation.