PTC Starts E-zine Program

PTC, A FIRM THAT OFFERS product life-cycle management tools, has launched an e-mail newsletter program for its value-added resellers, enabling them to deliver material from a central content database.

It relies on Total Channel Communications, a service from e-mail vendor IMakeNews Inc. All content and data will be stored at IMN.

The system will facilitate VAR newsletters in several countries, including China, and in multiple languages, according to Greg James, PTC's senior director for worldwide channel marketing.

PTC has almost 350 VARs. They serve small and midsize businesses with sales of $500 million or less.

Some 10% of the VARs already had “regular, localized customized newsletters that they would send on a regular basis,” James said in an interview. But they varied in quality — some were PDF attachments sent by e-mail.

According to IMN chief executive David Fish, resellers can now distribute the e-zines under their own masthead to customer lists, using IMN's analytics to track response. The newsletters will link to customized landing pages.

The material archived in IMN's content database includes white papers, case studies, best practices, tips on using PTC's software, Webcast schedules and other items. Resellers can access and choose the material with a few mouse clicks, and add it to one of three available templates. Logos, articles and messages can be appended as well, according to IMN CEO David Fish.

One of the system's main requirements was that “it had to be easy,” said James.

On the back end, VARs will learn who opened what article, added Jeff Mesnik, IMN co-founder and vice president of business development. The result, he noted, is that they'll have a hot lead they can call.

The program was introduced last month at a PTC sales meeting in Orlando, FL. The firm reassured the VARs, who are reluctant to share customer data, that such information will be housed at IMN and that PTC would not have access to it. Reaction from the VARs was positive even before the event, James noted.

However, only a small number of licenses will be available at first. “It's a function of how many licenses I want to purchase because I'm covering the costs,” said James. “Also, I wanted to keep it manageable — I didn't want to take on 350 sign-ups all at once.”

The VARs will be in complete charge of their own newsletters. However, PTC might offer input if they're sending them too frequently or infrequently, Fish said. Frequency now ranges from biweekly to quarterly.

PTC may suggest adding content about particular product modules. “We'd recommend they include an article about it, and include a banner that we've also posted in the library,” James said.

PTC, a $750 million firm, also offers an “external” e-zine called PTC Express. It's sent to some 250,000 customers and prospects.

Waltham, MA-based IMN serves clients like Shell Oil, Wachovia, CitiStreet and ING.