MSPmentor

The Utility Company of Ottawa, Canada continues is building out a managed services franchise program for solutions providers across North America. The effort, known as Beyond Managed Services (BMS) 3.0, offers solutions providers front- and back-office support for the transition to managed services.

The Utility Company isn’t alone. A growing list of software and technology companies are striving to help solutions providers become MSPs through software-as-a-service (SaaS) programs. The business model typically involves solutions providers paying a monthly fee — rather than big up-front licensing costs — for hosted managed services software.

While The Utility Company focuses on a franchise model, other companies — such as Do IT Smarter — host specific technologies (such as Web Security via MX Logic and managed print services involving Xerox) that solutions providers can offer to their customers for a monthly fee.

The Utility Company’s latest offering, BMS 3.0, has three program levels:

• BMS Select — for MSPs that are “on the transformation treadmill” and are looking to become a single-source provider and someday monetize their business.”
• BMS Affiliate — for VARs and vertical channels that want an alternative to do-it-yourself managed service programs.
• BMS Entrepreneur — for technology sales and service professionals looking for a complete business-in-a-box to enter and prosper in managed services (and beyond).

The Utility Company is hosting a 2008 North American Tour to educate VARs about its business model. And MSPmentor will be in Philadelphia on February 7 for the latest Do IT Smarter managed services luncheon. For more information, check the MSPmentor Events Calendar.

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