Rearden Commerce today announced a three-year reseller
deal with the United Kingdom's Advantage Focus Partnership, a division of
Advantage Business Travel that includes 77 member agencies managing more than
$1 billion worth of business travel, said Rearden U.K. regional director Matt
Beck.
The partnership lays "the foundation for
further expansion into European markets" with the signing of Rearden's
third core distribution partner in the region after American Express and CTMS,
a Canadian company with offices in the United Kingdom and United States, Beck
said. The Advantage Focus agencies will sell Rearden's combined travel,
procurement and expense reporting solutions.
"From
an efficiency standpoint, we were able to plant the flag internationally here
in the United Kingdom much quicker," Beck said, noting that U.K. client
needs are similar to those in the United States, and therefore "little or
no customization" is required.
"There
are still your front runners willing to accept the 'annoyance factors' as we're
building out language as a whole," Beck added. "They're comfortable
with American English instead of the queen's English."
Beck described the U.K. expansion as the "tip
of the iceberg" of Rearden's European growth plans. Those plans "allow
us to attack that small market. The same way you have companies in the United
States that have offices in various states, in Europe they have offices in
various countries."
The Advantage Focus Partnership is part of
Advantage Travel Centres, a 30-year-old consortium that reported combined
annual group turnover of more than $4 billion for its 800 U.K. leisure and
corporate outlets.
Advantage Travel Centres corporate director Ken
McLeod said the Rearden agreement allows the consortium to provide
"best-in-class technology for our members, specifically in the challenging
area of mobile solutions for corporate travelers."
Advantage
Focus Partnership's "agencies run in size from a little under $10 million
to $100 million," Beck said. The target market for business travel
customers covers a "ridiculously wide range" and agency members include
niche ones, some of which serve high-touch, education and medical clients.
Beck
about a year ago helped to open Rearden's U.K. presence, to "build the
base, build awareness and prime the marketplace for a consolidation solution
that incorporates booking, procurement and expense reporting," he added.
The reseller deal comes five years after Rearden
Commerce enlisted 12 U.S. TMCs to market its technology platform. American
Express, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, J.P. Morgan Chase and Paychex now
are among more than 60 strategic partners.