BlueTie Takes On Microsoft Exchange

BlueTie is taking Microsoft's Exchange head on with a new Web services platform for its reseller partners. The Rochester, N.Y.-based provider of software-as-a-service e-mail and calendaring aimed at the SMB market is launching its TieIn platform to give partners a single interface to manage and service customers.

"One of the problems with most Web services is they are difficult to manage and they all have to be managed separately," says David Koretz, president and CEO of BlueTie. "It's difficult for resellers to get into Web services because the infrastructure and overhead are more significant and time consuming than it's worth."

BlueTie aims to eliminate those barriers to entry with TieIn, which features a Web-based extranet for provisioning, private labeling and administration of end-user accounts. TieIn also offers an XML-based Web services API for custom development. Ultimately, the platform opens up the potential services revenue partners can generate with BlueTie, as opposed to the likes of Microsoft Exchange, Koretz says.

"Resellers would say, 'We'd love to sell BlueTie, but we can't afford to give up the services revenue we get from deploying Exchange,'" Koretz explains. "Now we're letting them brand the interface, provision and set up accounts, do migrations, ongoing support and break/fix through a central interface and tack services on."

And it's available online, managed from anywhere at anytime, Koretz adds. BlueTie is also looking to ramp up its partner program in conjunction with the TieIn availability.

"Last month we added about 120 resellers, and we're looking to add about 1,500 new resellers per year," Koretz says.

To focus more on building the channel, BlueTie is increasing the percent of time sales reps spend with the channel from 30 percent to 75 percent.

"It's completely our intention to go with the channel over time," Koretz adds. "We know in the small-business market there is a reseller involved the vast majority of the time."