After more than doubling its reseller ranks in 2008, PBX-to-Skype gateway vendor VoSKY is encouraging VARs to embrace Skype or risk losing out on lucrative revenue streams.

The vendor recruited six distributors and 358 VARs worldwide last year, taking its total to 610. Seven resellers were added in the UK: Nap, Southern Cables, Telecom2k, ACT Communications, Abbitek, TSI, and Meridian Options.

Vice president of global marketing David Tang told CRN he had been hoping to add 200 VARs last year. “In 2009 we will continue to recruit, but we do not want to saturate the market,” he said.

“Our main focus will be to continue supporting partners. It is one thing to recruit them, but how do we get them to start making money for themselves and us? We will be providing more tools and training for VARs next year.”

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VoSKY works through UK distributors Rocom and Cohort and currently has about 30 UK resellers. Tang claimed that number could rise to 50 by the end of this year.

“We are proactively targeting the voice guys; that is the first qualification for the majority of our reseller base,” he said.

Mark Swendsen, EMEA managing director of VoSKY technology partner ShoreTel, told CRN: “There is a growing niche for these products and the overall market is creating a demand which will make Skype and VoSKY more substantial players.”

Read more on the Channelweb website.