AccountMate Software Corp., of Novato, Calif., has launched a division to help channel members customize its software.

The company's source code has always been open to VARs, but until now they've had to handle any customization work themselves. The new division is called TechVantage, and it operates like a subcontractor for the reseller.

VARs interested in offering their clients customized AccountMate packages but who are unable to do the customizations themselves can order the customization directly from the TechVantage team. They use a form provided by TechVantage to work with the customer and generate detailed specifications for the job. Once the specs are decided, TechVantage will provide the VAR with a fixed price bid for the work and the VAR can set whatever margin the job warrants in the final proposal to the customer.

AccountMate executives say they hope the program will help VARs free up more time for sales and customer support, as well as help them deal with larger customers than they were able to before.

Shannon Williams, marketing communications co-ordinator at AccountMate, is quick to allay fears that the company is trying to cut into one of the channel's revenue streams. "It's only available to AccountMate resellers and potential AccountMate resellers," he says of the TechVantage service. "We're not targeting end-users with this. It's available for our business partners to do modifications that they might not be able to make time for or have the knowledge to do."

But Williams says he believes the program offers VARs more than just the ability to handle projects and clients that are larger and more technical than they are used to. It offers them something of an assurance that the modifications are being conducted by programmers well versed in AccountMate coding — something traditional outsourcing doesn't always offer.

Of course, the program offers advantages to AccountMate as well as to the VARs.

"Once we've done the data conversion from, say, one accounting package to AccountMate, we don't have to do it over again," Williams says. "Once we've done one and we've created the map, we can do it again and again, and we reach a critical mass where it becomes profitable as well for us because it's quicker."

Thus, the TechVantage division will eventually be able to pull in more money than it costs to keep it running, as more and more solutions can be reused, he says.

Williams adds that the program will be beneficial to channel members who customize the software themselves, because the source code will remain open and new developments by the TechVantage team will be disseminated across the channel.

People in the channel, especially smaller players with limited programming knowledge, are finding TechVantage quite useful. Robert Peterson III is president of New York-based Hudson Consulting Group. His company has been dealing with TechVantage since the division's creation.

"I like it," he says. "Being a CPA, I don't have a support staff of programmers behind me and TechVantage is a great source to tap into. "

Peterson says he is also happy with the margin room available with the services.

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