Is Franchising The Way To Reach SMBs In Managed Services?

eChannel Line:

An Ottawa-based company is recruiting technology sales professionals and service organizations to sign on as franchisees to market and support its array of hardware, software and managed services in a specific sales territory.

The Utility Company aims to alter the way IT is delivered and consumed across North America with its Connected Office technology-as-a-service suite, which is targeted at small organizations with 5 to 100 users.

Connected Office covers five major business processes including sales, customer service, marketing, human resources and purchasing/budgeting.

‘Nobody has figured out how to service that market properly,’ stated Scott Jackson, director of services at The Utility Company.

The company has a 2-pronged approach the development of the Beyond Managed Services program for its network of franchisees, as well as alliances with large retailers and vendors to add managed/utility IT services to their current product line, but minus the pain of building and supporting it.

The Utility Company figures it has a formula to win back ‘disillusioned’ smaller corporate customers and generate new revenue for the IT industry at the same time.

‘The consumer is becoming a lot more savvy, and aware of the way that technology is important for them but they want to spend less and have a better value in services,’ Jackson explained. ‘So, if you look at any industry that exists where the easy money is all gone and it is becoming a complex business to make money, the franchise model starts to have prevalence.’

Full article.