Virtual Support Networks: Ten Tips for Delivering Managed Services to On-Site Systems

Overview The business of taking care of remote hardware and software has never been bigger:

• Managed systems and services for retail, point of sale, hospitality, and other distributed operations are a hot growth area.
• Enterprise help desks manage an increasingly dispersed array of hardware and software.
• Enterprise software providers are moving to managed services and other value added support offerings to preserve margins in the face of increasing price pressure.

Gartner estimates that managed services will grow at a CAGR of nearly 36 percent from 2001 to 2006. These opportunities are being driven by CIOs' need to manage cost and risk carefully. With research showing that 47% of IT spending going to total cost of support and maintenance (TCSM), outsourcing system management to specialists makes sense for the buyer. But where does it leave the provider?

Field service visits are very expensive, costing at least a hundred dollars for even the simplest issue, and much more for complex resolutions. Managed service providers wisely avoid "truck rolls" and field service calls if possible. But how?

A new class of technology called Virtual Support Networks, exemplified by WebEx SMARTtech, has arrived to fill exactly this need. Virtual Support Networks allow service providers to securely, scalably, and cost-effectively manage distributed installations around the world.

Read this DB Kay & Associates paper for more information about this unique opportunity for service providers.