Novato, Calif. (March 7, 2002) -- Business Vision, a developer of accounting and electronic business management software for middle market and small businesses, has launched a reseller recruitment campaign to grow its U.S. channel from its current 200 members to 500 by year-end, with about 25 percent of the sign-ups being CPA firms or their technology consulting affiliates.
Business Vision channel manager David Dierke said that CPAs, particularly ones with limited technology service capabilities, should be attracted to Business Vision's handling ease, noting that its products ship as pre-bundled packages of 18 applications versus other middle market products' use of individual modules. Business Vision has three 32-bit products , each designed for use by different size companies; prices range fom $1,595 to $8,995 for the highest-end SQL server version.
The reseller recruitment strategy is a byproduct of Business Vision's sale last year to Softline Ltd., the South African software company that also, last year, acquired Accountmate, which develops accounting software for middle markets companies larger than Business Vision's targets. Accountmate last year launched its own reseller recruitment drive that has increased its channel to about 500 from 400. Dierke works from Accountmate's offices in Novato, Calif., although Business Vision is based in Toronto, Canada.
A large portion of Business Vision's existing U.S. resellers formerly re-sold Pastel Software, a low-end accounting software that Softline also owns, but has ceased marketing in the United States after Pastel failed to gain market share here. Pastel is still actively marketed in other countries, including South Africa.
-- John M. Covaleski
