BellSouth Partners with Expanets to Expand Distribution Channels and Offer Comprehensive Communications Solutions

Strategic Insights -

BellSouth has partnered with Expanets, the nation's largest networked communications solutions provider for small and mid-sized businesses, to enable Expanets to promote and sell BellSouth products and services. Under the agreement, Expanets, which acquired the small and mid-sized business sales group from Lucent in March, will provide customers with a comprehensive communications solution that includes Internet, voice, data, and hardware-based products and services, along with their consulting and technology expertise. This partnership supports BellSouth's growth strategy by expanding its market coverage with over 200 sales personnel in its nine-state region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The agreement between BellSouth and Expanets will enable Expanets to sell BellSouth products and services to its 750,000 customers across the United States.
  • Expanets will provide customers with end-to-end technology solutions that feature Lucent hardware-based systems and BellSouth network access and other services.
  • The partnership will provide BellSouth customers with access to Expanets' national presence, enabling them to fulfill their technology needs outside of BellSouth's nine-state region.
  • Expanets will also take advantage of BellSouth's unsurpassed reliability in providing voice, data, and Internet access to offer faster, cost-effective, and integrated solutions to its customer base.
  • The agreement is a strategic advantage for Expanets, allowing it to provide its customers with a bundle of communications and data services.
  • BellSouth will benefit from the partnership by expanding its market coverage with over 200 sales personnel in its nine-state region.
  • Expanets' existing portfolio is a perfect match with BellSouth's products and services, according to Estelle Conover, Vice President and General Manager of the BellSouth Distribution Organization.
  • Chris Younger, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Marketing of Expanets, stated that the partnership with BellSouth provides Expanets with a critical strategic advantage in meeting the technology needs of its extensive customer base.

Statistics:

  • Expanets has over 750,000 customers across the United States.
  • Expanets has more than $1.4 billion in annualized revenues.
  • BellSouth provides telecommunications services to over 40 million customers in 18 countries worldwide.
  • BellSouth's revenue is $26 billion.
  • Expanets has over 200 sales personnel in its nine-state region.
  • Expanets was founded in February 1998 by NorthWestern Corporation.
  • Expanets is the nation's largest mid-market networked communications solutions provider.

Sources:

  • Business Wire, Aug. 9, 2000
  • Expanets: http://www.expanets.com
  • NorthWestern Corporation (NYSE:NOR)
  • BellSouth (NYSE:BLS)