ECnet celebrates a year of its Channel Partner Program with 23 partners, an awards event and breaks into the international market. Twenty leading Internet Service Organisations (ISOs) have given ECnet`s Channel Partner Program a resounding thumbs-up. They say ECnet, PQ Africa`s e-commerce specialists, has provided both the business-focused e-commerce solutions necessary to enable the rapid growth of the Program, and the resources required to grow their own business offerings.
The Program was launched in February last year to meet the booming demand for e-commerce solutions in small to medium enterprises. It has proved to be an important addition to ECnet`s business mix by enabling service providers (SPs) to increase their business offering to their customers. A total of 20 companies have already signed up as channel partners. Paddy Gray, marketing director of ECnet (www.ecnet.co.za), says the Channel Partner Program is designed to foster close working partnerships between ECnet and select ISOs who are interested in implementing secure electronic commerce solutions.
"Ultimately the partnership provides ISOs with an increased revenue stream," says Gray. "It allows them to avoid having to make a major investment in electronic commerce infrastructure since that is provided by ECnet. Our channel partners become authorised specialists in the commerce-enabling process by utilising the commerce services and expertise provided by us and we are finding that this delivers real business benefit to our partners. "
At the beginning of February, ECnet recognised those partners at its first Channel Partner Program awards ceremony. The awards saw channel partner TradePage. Walking away with an Award for "Most merchants brought to ECnet by a Channel Partner."
TradePage, an ISP focused on providing a comprehensive range of Internet-related services to the business sector, has 600 clients in the small to medium size business market as well as a number of majorcorporations.
"We chose ECnet to provide online connectivity to banks for a number of reasons," says TradePage director Kevin Halliday. "ECnet, like TradePage, has been around for a while and has an established track record. It uses the "OpenMarket" system, which is the most popular internationally, and its systems are compatible with the majority of the major commercial banks in South Africa."
Datapro, picked up the award for most transactions from a channel partner and Aucor was the merchant with most transactions. ECnet gave a Genius award for brilliant development done by a channel partner that is radical, innovative, interesting, startling or brilliant, that involves ECnet`s commerce offering. This accolade also went to Datapro for the innovation shown in the creation of www.aucor.co.za
Carol Zeederberg received both awards on behalf of Datapro. Aucor is an auction site, with a back end that holds an account, locks and releases funds, checks bank balances gives you the option of paying using your revolving credit fund or credit card or partially using both methods. It calculates bid needs, bid increments, and halves the increments as bidding draws to a close to give you a feel of a live auction.
"Aucor has been a phenomenal success story since its launch in September 1999", says Zeederberg.
Other partners say their partnership with ECnet has made electronic commerce a deliverable component of their businesses. According to Marianne Van der Pluym, ECnet Channel Manager, the company`s partners provide ECnet with extremely positive feedback on a daily basis.
"Many of them feel that our Partner program provides them with invaluable support and effort in making it possible to offer a comprehensive e-commerce solution to existing and new clients," she says. The company has carried this concept beyond the South African border and has encompassed Botswana under its umbrella of channel partners. The Botswana Advertiser, which was a compilation of companies into a website business directory, has now broadened its scope to include the facilitation of the e-commerce wave in the country. Its new perspective is to give companies an effective online presence regardless of who they are. Botswana Advertiser believes that ECnet will enable Botswana Businesses to sell their products safely and securely over the Internet.
ECnet`s current channel partners are: NetActive, Datapro, Praxis, Tradepage, Synergy Holdings, Zen, Africam, Internet Strategies, Altron`s Intertech systems, E-Services, EPI-USE Systems, Hypertech, e-Pages, Hirt and Carter Interactive, Q Data Consulting, ITS, Eye2Eye, Dockside IEP, Business Advertiser and Digital Pictures.
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ECnet
ECnet (www.ecnet.co.za) provides connectivity, web hosting, design, secure transaction management, full back office integration and is a first tier ISP. Being part of PQ Africa`s Electronic Commerce Division, ECnet is well equipped to enhance the clients` electronic business operations providing a fully-fledged electronic commerce solution. PQ Africa (www.pqafrica.co.za) is SA`s leading provider of competitive, innovative and flexible business solutions based on Information and Communications Technology ("ICT"). Comparex Holdings Limited has a 50% minus one share interest in PQ Africa.A0 The black empowerment group NITAC (the National IT Acquisition Consortium), led by Real Africa Holdings Limited, holds a controlling interest of 50% plus one share in PQ Africa.
ECnet is the only Commerce Service Provider (CSP) to be directly connected onto the South African banking network, with links to Standard Bank, ABSA, First National Bank and Boland PKS. The company enables organizations to easily conduct business over the Internet, without the associated complexity. An outsourced service is provided which offers businesses secure Internet-based transaction processing as well as comprehensive customer service facilities.
A comprehensive suite of transaction management services is offered including: advanced security, complete order management, on-line customer service, record keeping, flexible purchasing and payment models, shipping calculation, as well as business reporting. The list of merchants using ECnet`s back-office transaction management processing services can be found in ECnet`s business directory (www.ecnetwork.co.za)