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Software
companies,
including
security
vendors, also
see a big
opportunity in
managed
services,
designing
programs around
delivering
applications as
a hosted
service. Such
companies
include
messaging
security vendor
Proofpoint Inc.,
an Invision
partner, and
Citrix Online,
which delivers
Web-conferencing
and
workstation-sharing
software through
a utility model.
Thousands of
VARs and
integrators have
started shifting
at least part of
their business
to the managed
services model.
Roye said
companies such
as Invision have
the upper hand
because of the
infrastructure
they have built
over the years
to handle the
remote
monitoring and
delivery of
services.
But he
doesn't view the
transition by
channel
companies to
managed services
strictly as
competitive
encroachment. He
sees an
opportunity.
Invision runs
a NOC (network
operations
center) and data
center at its
16,000-square--foot
Long Island
headquarters
that keep the
systems of its
1,000 or so
clients up and
running. But
there is room to
share some of
that
infrastructure
with VARs and
integrators
looking to
provide managed
services to
their own
customers. "Not
everyone can or
should make the
substantial
investment in
the facilities
and
infrastructure
to do this,"
Roye said. This
is a common
conclusion
reached by VARs
and integrators
as they delve
into managed
services. To get
started, they
partner with an
MSP or another
reseller that
has already
invested in a
NOC. Such was
the case when
Boston
networking VAR
NetTeks
Technology got
requests from
customers to
provide managed
security
services.
NetTeks
partnered with
MSP Netivity, of
Waltham, Mass.,
and their
partnership has
evolved to
sharing a number
of customers.
Invision partner
United Computer
Solutions, an IT
consulting and
services company
in New York, has
been doing
business with
the MSP for
about four
years.
"It started
with one
account, and
then it kept
building," said
Chuck Oucher,
director of
sales and
marketing at
UCS.
UCS leverages
Invision's
infrastructure
to deliver such
services as
e-mail and
security to its
clients. "Some
companies don't
have any IT; we
are the IT
company for
them," he said.
"We try to keep
everything under
one umbrella. If
anything goes
wrong, it's only
one phone
number, one
e-mail, one
phone call."
As the
relationship
with Invision
has evolved, UCS
also has
provided
networking and
other services
to Invision
clients when
necessary,
Oucher said.
John
DeMartino,
Invision's vice
president of
marketing and
business
development,
said the company
plans to launch
a formal partner
program in the
fall. The
company is still
working out the
details, but
partners will
have options on
whether to
co-brand
Invision
services or
simply resell
them.
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