The Utility Company, an Ottawa-based single-source provider of technology, communications and business management solutions for small and medium-sized businesses across North America, has announced the latest enhancements to its Connected Office Technology-as-a-Service Program.
Connected Office 3.0 offers a single-source solution that is focused on the five main areas of technology for business: IT (network, desktop, security and storage), business applications, Web/Internet, copier/printer and telecommunications.
"Those are the five major categories that small and medium businesses spend money on and what we do is bring in this technology-as-a-service model for all of those things in a single source provider model through our franchisees in the markets we have across North America," said Mark Scott, president and founder of The Utility Company.
Connected Office 3.0 is available now and is priced on a per-user, per-month fixed fee. New features include the 1-866-My-Utility "Per Minute" usage-based help desk that proactively support users with secure remote access to network and desktops for on-demand service and training.
"A big challenge with engaging the SMB market is 80 to 90 per cent of them don't understand what you are talking about at the basic level or are somewhat disillusioned with technology," said Scott.
Other new features of Connected Office 3.0 include VoIP service monitoring for quality of service of on-premise systems; printer/copier (MFP) service monitoring for service automation of network availability, device print status, toner, meter reads and error codes; and comprehensive security management that is designed to protect SMB's data and infrastructure focusing on the big three exploitation points perimeter, remote access and end-users.
In terms of communications, Connected Office 3.0 added a hosted VoIP service that delivers small businesses with the benefits of VoIP at a fraction of the cost and complexity and web content management that makes it easy to update web presence including design, hosting and maintenance.
New business management features include a web-based fully integrated sales, marketing and customer relationship management solution. Additionally there is also web-based accounting and reporting that is fully integrated with the CRM system.
Connected Office 3.0 also features a virtualization service to determine the lifecycle of current on-premise infrastructure and virtual service options. As well, version 3.0 offers network and security assessment, emergency support, onsite maintenance and end-user training.
Another new feature includes Utility Meter Reading that looks at how companies spend money in what area and how good they leverage technology.
"The result of [the Utility Meter Reading] is that the average business spends $360 per user per month on technology and utilizes a very small fraction of that because of inefficiency and that's because a lot of those different channels out there are offering stove pipes or certain pieces of the pie," said Scott.
He added the new features of Connected Office 3.0 were in response to listening to input from its 40 franchises across North America and from its customers.
"What we hear time and time again from customers is they want to move towards more of a converged or consolidated supply chain and are starting to deal with a single source provider like us to reduce complexity in its customer infrastructure onsite."
In addition, the Connected Office 3.0 menu of services include Classic (à la carte), Managed and Utility service level options along with the following service bundles such as Connected Office SOHO that manages desktop for small office/home office users; Connected Office Network that manages network devices; Connected Office web for web content management; Connected Office VoIP that offers hosted a Voice-over-IP solution; and Connected Office Business, which is a hosted CRM/accounting software service.
In addition to Connected Office 3.0, The Utility Company is also launching Beyond Managed Services 3.0 in early January. Beyond Managed Services 3.0 is a business model that leverages what the company calls "channel franchising" to aggregate the MSP market into the first national single-source technology provider in North America for SMBs. There are three levels to the program: BMS Entrepreneur is for technology sales and service professionals looking for a complete business-in-a-box to enter and prosper in managed services; BMS Affiliate is for value-added resellers (VAR) in IT and vertical channels that want an alternative to do-it-yourself managed service programs; and BMS Select is for managed service providers (MSP) that are looking to become a single-source provider and someday monetize their business.
As well, launching in the end of January is The Utility Company's Powered By Utility program that provides large resellers, telcos and retailers with the ability to re-sell its Connected Office portfolio as SKU-able managed services to their SMB customer base.
Connected Office 3.0 offers a single-source solution that is focused on the five main areas of technology for business: IT (network, desktop, security and storage), business applications, Web/Internet, copier/printer and telecommunications.
"Those are the five major categories that small and medium businesses spend money on and what we do is bring in this technology-as-a-service model for all of those things in a single source provider model through our franchisees in the markets we have across North America," said Mark Scott, president and founder of The Utility Company.
Connected Office 3.0 is available now and is priced on a per-user, per-month fixed fee. New features include the 1-866-My-Utility "Per Minute" usage-based help desk that proactively support users with secure remote access to network and desktops for on-demand service and training.
"A big challenge with engaging the SMB market is 80 to 90 per cent of them don't understand what you are talking about at the basic level or are somewhat disillusioned with technology," said Scott.
Other new features of Connected Office 3.0 include VoIP service monitoring for quality of service of on-premise systems; printer/copier (MFP) service monitoring for service automation of network availability, device print status, toner, meter reads and error codes; and comprehensive security management that is designed to protect SMB's data and infrastructure focusing on the big three exploitation points perimeter, remote access and end-users.
In terms of communications, Connected Office 3.0 added a hosted VoIP service that delivers small businesses with the benefits of VoIP at a fraction of the cost and complexity and web content management that makes it easy to update web presence including design, hosting and maintenance.
New business management features include a web-based fully integrated sales, marketing and customer relationship management solution. Additionally there is also web-based accounting and reporting that is fully integrated with the CRM system.
Connected Office 3.0 also features a virtualization service to determine the lifecycle of current on-premise infrastructure and virtual service options. As well, version 3.0 offers network and security assessment, emergency support, onsite maintenance and end-user training.
Another new feature includes Utility Meter Reading that looks at how companies spend money in what area and how good they leverage technology.
"The result of [the Utility Meter Reading] is that the average business spends $360 per user per month on technology and utilizes a very small fraction of that because of inefficiency and that's because a lot of those different channels out there are offering stove pipes or certain pieces of the pie," said Scott.
He added the new features of Connected Office 3.0 were in response to listening to input from its 40 franchises across North America and from its customers.
"What we hear time and time again from customers is they want to move towards more of a converged or consolidated supply chain and are starting to deal with a single source provider like us to reduce complexity in its customer infrastructure onsite."
In addition, the Connected Office 3.0 menu of services include Classic (à la carte), Managed and Utility service level options along with the following service bundles such as Connected Office SOHO that manages desktop for small office/home office users; Connected Office Network that manages network devices; Connected Office web for web content management; Connected Office VoIP that offers hosted a Voice-over-IP solution; and Connected Office Business, which is a hosted CRM/accounting software service.
In addition to Connected Office 3.0, The Utility Company is also launching Beyond Managed Services 3.0 in early January. Beyond Managed Services 3.0 is a business model that leverages what the company calls "channel franchising" to aggregate the MSP market into the first national single-source technology provider in North America for SMBs. There are three levels to the program: BMS Entrepreneur is for technology sales and service professionals looking for a complete business-in-a-box to enter and prosper in managed services; BMS Affiliate is for value-added resellers (VAR) in IT and vertical channels that want an alternative to do-it-yourself managed service programs; and BMS Select is for managed service providers (MSP) that are looking to become a single-source provider and someday monetize their business.
As well, launching in the end of January is The Utility Company's Powered By Utility program that provides large resellers, telcos and retailers with the ability to re-sell its Connected Office portfolio as SKU-able managed services to their SMB customer base.
