Prodial hunts for virtual network resellers

Junior service provider Prodial is seeking up to 20 partners nationwide to resell its white-label virtual PABX, IP and web-based services.

Prodial's new managing director, Bill Marlow, told CRN he was after "ISPs, ASPs, network solution providers, telecom solution providers, system integrators and telecom consultants - [but] not just any old channel partners.

"I'm looking for about 10-to-15 - maximum 20 - partners who are serious in this business, have the types of customers we want, have loyal customers and can provide first level support," Marlow said.

"The reason I say that is those customers will remain the partner's. The easiest way [for us to partner] is to give the channel partner a partitioned part of our network, billing system and soft switch and let them see, monitor and manage what's going on with their customers."

Marlow said the firm's two IP networks - one primary, one redundant - used carrier-grade VocalTec soft switches.

He said the company was targeting the "middle-to-top end of the small-to-medium enterprise market."

"The reason we're looking at this area is it's not sufficiently serviced by the major telcos nor the Tier 2 [service providers] in the market," Marlow claimed.

Marlow believed the fact Prodial's product was virtual would make it easy to integrate into customer sites, no matter what existing telecommunications infrastructure they had.

He said Prodial could also offer customer premise equipment if partners needed it for their customers. The service provider had deals with VocalTec, Audiocode, Polycom "and a few others for handsets."

Marlow said the plans offered were capex free and that there were no contracts. "If customers don't like us tomorrow, they can tell us they don't want to work with us and we'll stop," he said.

Prodial had also inked a deal with Soul/TPG to resell its broadband services as the basis for its IP communications offering - but Marlow said this was not compulsory.

"We're selling [TPG] bundled in, but if an end customer doesn't want to change their broadband solution I'm happy for them just to take the [IP] backend from us [via their partner]," he said.