Internap Signs WTG

Under the deal, communications consulting firm WTG will sell Internap's T1, DS3, OC-3 and OC-12 connectivity services as well as co-location, Ethernet and VPN services.

Seattle-based Internap developed a platform to intelligently route data from a single connection to one of its service points over the Internet's major backbones. The technology was a key driver of the Internap-WTG partnership, said Vince Bradley, CEO of Malibu, Calif.-based WTG.

"The main reason we chose to work with [Internap is their ASsimilator [intelligent routing technology, and the P-NAP [private network access point concept is completely revolutionary," Bradley said. "They are the only ones out there with the internal ability to leverage all of the Tier 1 backbones with one circuit."

At the end of last year, Internap established a channel program to work with VARs, solution providers and small agents. Chairman and CEO Eugene Eidenberg said Internap now has 33 VAR/agent partners,which generate about $150,000 in monthly revenue for the company,and eventually expects half of its revenue to come from partners. In 2001, Internap had revenue of $117.7 million.

"It's only been a few months [since the channel program's debut, and sales have been made," said Jeannine Haney, senior channel account manager at Internap. "Revenue is already billing, and we are getting into Fortune 500 accounts. It's amazing how connected these agents are."

As a master-agent partner, WTG receives training and marketing materials from Internap, which also provides agents with ongoing sales, information portal and technical support, said Haney.

Internap owns the customer and is responsible for the support. In exchange for selling its services, partners receive a commission. "Many of [the partners prefer making a commission and turning over ongoing support to us," Haney said.

WTG represents Internap's largest master-agent partner to date. Five other master-agent partnerships are in the pipeline, according to the company.

WTG is dedicating 100 of its 300 sales agents to selling Internap services to its 5,000 SMB customers, Bradley said.

"We are looking forward to doing a ton of business with them," he said. "In this market condition, you need to be able to leverage all Tier 1 networks at a competitive price, and I think they're the only ones doing that."