NetLedger Takes Wraps Off New Channel Program

Through the effort, the service provider hopes to sign up to 100 SMB-focused solution providers by the end of the year, said NetLedger executives.

NetLedger found that its channel partners wanted a larger role in the sale of its services beyond just receiving a payment for referrals, said Jim LaBelle, vice president of marketing.

NetLedger's new channel program, the next step in a certified referral program the company unveiled last year, will allow qualified solution providers to offer services such as maintenance, training, network design and consulting along with the NetLedger service. In addition, NetLedger will give solution providers a "significant discount" from the service's $1,200 base price per user, per year from which to build in their own margin, LaBelle said.

NetLedger's hosted solution addresses business functions such as accounting, payroll and sales-force automation and is aimed at companies with between 10 and 250 seats, he said. NetLedger views Microsoft and Intuit as only partial competitors for the Oracle product, LaBelle added.

Skyytek applied to join the new channel program after participating in the old referral program. The Miami-based solution provider runs a consulting practice built around Oracle's enterprise applications but is seeking to tackle the SMB market.

Skyytek already has eight deals pending for the NetLedger-hosted version of the Oracle Small Business Suite, said Skyytek CEO Ray Tetlow, adding that he expects sales of the suite to eventually account for half of his company's revenue. Skyytek deployed the software at its headquarters and saved $34,000 in software and maintenance costs, he said.