B2B dealers gain ‘Principal Partner’ status within network’s partner programme following significant sales growth in past year
Orange has promoted indirect partners Sprint Communications systems and General Communications to ‘Principal Partner’ status within the Orange Partner Programme as the operator continues in its quest to becoming SME market leader by 2015.
Both companies, who specialise in selling to SME customers, now join Phonebox Communications, Voice Mobile, Scancom and The Phone Shop (Midlands) in the top tier of the programme, benefiting from increased marketing, sales and service support.
Orange said both companies has demonstrated “outstanding” results in sales to the SME community in their role as Orange Specialist Business Partners. Sprint has gained 6,000 connections and 15,000 upgrades in the past year on Orange and General Communications has achieved 3,000 new connections and 5,000 upgrades
Orange re-launched the Orange Partner Programme in March 2010, with a renewed focus on the indirect business channel to SMEs. Everything Everywhere said it has seen great success, with a 500 per cent increase in SME connections over the last year across Orange and T-Mobile. T-Mobile is the primary brand for SME customers with fewer than 50 connections, while Orange focuses on those with 51-250 connections.
Sprint Communications Systems managing director Paul Leonard (pictured second left) said: “Our customers have seen the benefits of the shared network and increased choice available with both Orange and T-Mobile, and as you can see from the growth we’ve had in connections, so have we.”
General Communications managing director Andrew Comrie said: “Working our way up from being an Orange Specialist Partner to becoming a Principal Partner will change the way that General Communications can do business. Our customers will be able to benefit from even greater loyalty deals and product choice, and our trusted relationship with Orange will not only help us to grow, but by allowing us to offer what the SMEs we work with need, help them to grow too.”
Everything Everywhere head of business sales Darren Goldsmith (pictured far right) said: “It was always our aim not only to grow our SME market share through the indirect channel, but also to be able to reward those loyal and successful partners who helped us to do that. We hope now to accept many more indirect resellers into the Orange Partner Programme, so that we can help them to grow their own customer base and benefit from a true partnership approach with Everything Everywhere”
