Verio reseller group multiplying

Web-hosting company Verio announced today it will finish the year with 5000 active resellers in the small-to-medium business market after having added 1000 new resellers during 2002. Additionally, the company has hired Steve White, formerly of Interland, to be executive director of Verio's SME Reseller Channel division.

White will be responsible for supervising the company’s viaVerio program. The move comes at a time when many vendors and carriers are paring down their lists of resellers.

However, according to White, the economics of selling through qualified resellers makes too much economic sense and Verio will continue expanding that channel.

“If you look at cost of sales, the reseller channel itself is a close second to the Web in terms of cost,” he said. “It’s simple math.”

The company will put an increased emphasis on the ISP channel in the coming year, though its bread and butter resellers will remain Web developers, he said.

“I was brought here to take the channel to the next level,” White said.