HoundDog Technology on the hunt for resellers

Vendor HoundDog Technology is launching a mid-range version of its network-management product in January and is looking for VARs partners to help it expand into the sector.

The firm, which has previously only targeted the SME market, told CRN it hopes to launch a wider version of its software next January. The firm operates an ASP model and has claimed the software takes just 10 minutes to download and install from the internet. Once installed, it provides server monitoring and client reporting.

Doug Wilson, chief executive of HoundDog, told CRN: “Resellers can tell if something is wrong with a customer’s network before a customer can. This makes them very proactive in dealing with potential problems. VARs can white-label the service and sell it, either as an add-on service, or simply use it and bundle it into their existing customers as a service they offer.

“We want to launch a mid-range edition because many IT departments don’t have the time to do network monitoring. The only difference [between the SME and mid-range versions] is that a memo detailing the network situation is sent directly to the end-user branded as the VAR, rather than to the VAR to action.”

Alistair Forbes, chief technical officer at HoundDog, said: “The problem for VARs is that the better they are at monitoring the IT system for an SME, the less the end-user has contact with them, so it can be difficult for VARs and services companies to show their value.”

He added that resellers can send daily reports to customers detailing exactly what problems they have fixed, what needs upgrading or what could be a potential future problem.

Mike Breeze, services delivery manager at Alchemy Systems, which resells the software and uses it for its customers, said his firm could not operate without it.

“We check our customers every day, and it would be impossible if we did not use this,” he said. “It has turned us into a proactive VAR, but sometimes our customers don’t even know when we have fixed a problem. We are planning on shouting about this a bit more now.” 

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