As we’ve often discussed in previous articles, the conventional, capital purchase-based technology ownership model is outdated, and failing to keep pace with the realities of today’s business climate. With increasing reliance on technology, and technology that keeps advancing, keeping up can be cost-prohibitive for many businesses. Beyond that, the knowledge-base and resources required to maintain that technology place further demands on business owners.
With those ideas in mind, Managed Systems will play a huge role in the future of Tech Electronics. By offering businesses the ability to stay equipped with the latest and best technology for an affordable monthly fee, Managed Systems provide a constantly updating technological roadmap for the future.
But another equally crucial advantage is the opportunity to purchase a fully managed solution. With proactive monitoring and service support, this option provides peace of mind, all on the same monthly bill.
For more on why this is a huge deal, and a great way to sort out your technology service needs for the foreseeable future, we’re enlisting Sean Devereaux, our Director of Customer Base Sales.
One challenge as an MSSP is overcoming misconceptions, because it’s different from what customers are used to. What are some common ones you hear a lot?
Sean: I think the biggest misconception is that a fully managed system is complicated in some way. In reality, it doesn’t get any simpler. The way I like to think about it is, you’re just buying an outcome: “My technology works when I need it to.” It’s not a service contract, where you call us if something breaks. If there’s a potential issue, you never even realize it, because we’ve anticipated it and resolved it before it ever becomes a problem for you.
So, what does that look like in an everyday context?
Sean: You could really imagine an example for just about every kind of technology we offer, but a simple one would be with video surveillance. Have you ever heard a story where an incident should have been caught on surveillance footage, but wasn’t because the cameras weren’t recording, and thought “how did that happen?”
Well, if something goes wrong anywhere along the chain: video management system, server, power or otherwise, the recording functionality might be offline without you realizing it. When running a small business, most people don’t have time to check their surveillance system often enough to know that this is going to become (or already is) an issue. But with a fully managed system, we get that notification, address the issue and avoid that downtime entirely, without the problem ever hitting your radar and making your day more complicated.
Some customers don’t love the idea of a monthly payment as opposed to buying their technology outright. What are some of the advantages?
Sean: You have to think about opportunity cost, because the value of cash just can’t be overstated. When you buy a car, you finance it so that you aren’t tying up thousands in cash all at once, and that freedom allows you to spend money on other things you want and need in life. The same principle applies here.
Have you ever had some of your technology break or malfunction, and had to figure out how to allocate your cash between fixing/replacing the technology, versus investing in other things you want for your business? That’s a terrible choice to have to make! When you’re making monthly payments instead, you free up cash, which means you don’t have to pick one or the other. Choose both!
