Partnership means that trade body members will be able to resell ISP’s hotspot technology

ISP KeConnect has formed a partnership with ICT trade body the PC Association to recruit 1,000 additional resellers in 12 months.

Under the terms of the agreement, PC Association members will be able to resell hotspot technology to businesses such as cafes and pubs.VARs will receive a percentage share of the margin made on the minutes used at each hotspot they introduce.

Robert Kemp, managing director of KeConnect, told CRN that the agreement would also benefit the PC Association.

“VARs will be offered discounted membership to the PC Association,” he said. “It’s a way for the association to increase its members and for us to increase our VAR numbers.”

Kemp added that its preferred partners would be VARs with a background in voice and data technologies. KeConnect has already signed 40 new resellers through the agreement and its eventual aim is to recruit 1,000 by July next year.

The vendor also claimed that VARs stand to make an annual profit of more than £7,000 by reselling 10 one-hour, and four-hour seven-day cards together with two 30-day cards each week, irrespective of any additional margin to be earned from hotspot usage time.

Keith Warburton, chief executive of the PC Association, told CRN: “We are not acting as a broker here. We’ll get sponsorship for our events from KeConnect. This will offer our members an incremental revenue stream.”

Tom Leaney, managing director of established KeConnect VAR Digital Network Solutions, told CRN that resellers’ return on investment would be dependent on volume sales.

“Hotspots aren’t a very easy sale and VARs have to push hard to make them,” he said. “1,000 VARs is a high number [to recruit]. I expect partnering with the PC Association will help it to achieve this.”