AT&T’s Tech Support 360 service — positioned as a virtual helpdesk for small businesses — has attracted more than 100,000 small business customers since its launch in late 2008. Next up, AT&T plans to work more closely with Intel vPro technology in 2010. In the meantime I wonder: Are small MSPs running into AT&T in the managed services market?
This isn’t going to be a gloom-and-doom blog about big service providers stepping on small MSPs. Time and again, major broadband providers and telecommunications companies have attempted to offer PC support to small businesses. But many of those efforts have generated mixed results.
I suppose that could change if small businesses push for a single, predictable monthly bill for broadband, phone service, cable and PC support.
In AT&T’s case, the company claims to be gaining serious momentum offering virtual help desk and permission-based remote technical services to small businesses — 100,000 of them and counting. And in the first half of 2010, the AT&T Tech Support 360 service will “be the first U.S. service provider in the telecom industry to offer remote access support services built on Intel vPro technology,” according to a statement from AT&T.
So what exactly does the AT&T Tech Support 360 service offer today? AT&T says it provides:
“remote 24/7 support by U.S.-based technicians and includes setup, configuration, troubleshooting and performance optimization for PCs, laptops, Wi-Fi networks and peripheral network devices, as well as smartphone setup and configuration. Technicians troubleshoot computer hardware and software problems by remotely connecting to and accessing customer computers, diagnosing the problem and taking corrective action. Customers can get service by simply booking appointments by phone or online.”
One other question: If AT&T can’t resolve the problem remotely, whom does the company dispatch for on-site support? I wonder if it’s an OnForce service provider — but need to check on that.
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Posted In: Remote Monitoring & Management Software
Tags: AT&T Intel | AT&T managed services | AT&T RPAT | AT&T Tech Support 360 | AT&T vPro
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Recently had AT&T move in on another company’s client and convince them to switch to their service. Was somewhat suprised when we discovered the monitoring tool was installed by another MSP (not AT&T), so I wonder if AT&T is farming this out, if so, who is getting those contracts and is it nothing more than a big name teaming up with another provider and using their reach to displace local providers.
SDC: Thanks for the tip. I’ll be sure to follow up with AT&T to see who is responsible for all of the Tech Support 360 offerings.
AT&T has very little to do with this at all. The service is provided by Plumchoice and they whitelabel it for AT&T.
Matt: Thanks for the tip. I will check it out and see what AT&T has to offer.
-jp
I’m very skeptical that AT&T picked up 100,000 _new_ SMB clients in less than a year. I can believe that X PC’s (or phones?) shipped w/ their preinstalled app on it, or they bundled the app w/ Java, etc and they are assuming a percentage of them will use it at some point, possibly during a trial period. They could also be counting existing PlumChoice clients. I’d like to know what their definitions of “attracted” and “customer” are.
Supporting vPro is just swell, but it might be present on 0.0001% of the devices that they will try to service today, tomorrow and next year.
I’m with Ed on this one. I am very skeptical of ATT’s claims of 100,000. Makes more sense that they are counting Plumchoice’s solutions..
I think you are right on the mark with the 0.0001% market share of Intel VPro this is more a marketing play than anything.
Ed@5, Brendan@6, Lane@7: I’m following your feedback and will definitely follow-up with AT&T to get their more extensive perspectives.
PlumChoice http://www.plumchoice.com powers the remote tech support for AT&T’s Tech Support 360
100,000 is a big over exaggeration, maybe they are counting any businesses that have their phone service. I think http://www.zipinstallation.com is doing some of their field service and I hear the volume is very light and this is pre-”VPro” and this model still requires a level of in field support. I would love to see them have to prove the 100,000 comment
AT&T is selling Managed Services in the Small Business Market? I’m shocked!
Ok…we bump into them once in awhile around The Biggest Little State and nearby Mass., but we find that most Smaller Businesses seem to want to do business with, well, smaller businesses.
AT&T, Plumchoice (yes…they compete with each other in some areas), Dell, and a couple of larger regional outfits appear to lose deals due to size, believe it or not.
The feedback/feeling we get from clients and prospects is that they’re leery of service or lack of, from a big company.
100,000? Are they counting the termites at their clients’ sites?
Jim Van
Logicomm, Inc.
http://www.logicomm-inc.com
My experience going against ATT is the opposite of Jim’s. We have had a client or two drop our services and go with ATT citing “long term reliability and sustainbility”. I guess the clients feel that a large company is less likely to disappear or go under, especially in this rough economic time.
A good point, John, and I’d hate to be a newbie at this. Fortunately, we’ve been around since ’95, and in managed services since 2005, so we have the good fortune to be pretty networked and enjoy a good reputation in the business community. We’re also in a part of the country (Southern New England) where small businesses tend to work with each other more often than not.
Sorry to hear you’re losing deals to a company that essentially outsources everything in the managed services area…it’s AT&T in name only, from the little I’ve seen….
Just a note to all readers: I’m watching this comment string closely and will be sure to raise your questions/feedback when I follow-up with AT&T. Thanks to everyone for the feedback so far.
I dont see the relationship lasting very long between AT&T and Plumchoice. There is no exclusive agreement in place as you can see that Plumchoice services other telecom companies as well. Keep in mind, Plumchoice just closed a $14.7M round of funding. I would think that they would use this to capitolize on their direct model. Speaking of which; The services being offered by AT&T can be purchased directly by the client from Plumchoice for 10% less. AT&T does not have a grip on the Managed Services sector nor do I think they will anytime in the near future.
Ikehill: I’m not sure I’d call what Plumchoice/AT&T offer Managed Services. It’s more like a remote break/fix…the service is not at all proactive, and doesn’t include any sort of long range planning, except that one needs to plan on paying them for 12 months of standby service.
I agree that the 14.7 mill. should have a large effect on Plumcoice’s delivery model, and indeed, AT&T (the old (one,, anyways) has never really had a grip on any sort of service management for small business (this from painful experience), so I would question their longevity in regards to this offering…
Jim Van
Logicomm, Inc.
http://www.logicomm-inc.com
The $14.7M that PlumChoice raised is not going to their direct model,rather it is going towards staffing up AT&T as they just partnered with Radio Shack — but their service sucks, trust me!
http://solsie.com/2009/09/radioshack-teams-up-with-att-to-launch-availability-of-att-connectech-support-services-in-stores-nationwide/
Very much like what Circuit City was offering up until its demise. Very comforting. At least one can garner from all this info that these guys are falling somewhat short of offering true managed services..
Plumchoice will fail AT&T just like they did with OfficeMax. Officemax just fired Plumchoice this last week.
John@19: I will check out your Plumchoice/OfficeMax claim. Thanks for reading MSPmentor.
-jp
Nah, Support.com bought OfficeMax deal so they could have it with staples and office depot.
I must admit, the little blog about AT&T’s Tech Support 360 seems to have taken on a life of its own. I still have quite a bit of follow-up to do with AT&T, PlumChoice, etc.
as a VAR/MSP/solution provider supporting 200 small businesses for 13 years, I find it hard to believe that AT&T is actually doing what an MSP should be doing. For those of you who are also doing it, you know about managing vendors, handhelds, mixed pc operating systems, industry specific line of business software, remote users, etc etc and making it all work. Plus, proivding on going CIO advice understanding the business needs. Dollars to donuts the 100,000 number is donuts.