10 December 2007
by Paul Kunert
Intel is hosting a software solution stack that allows resellers to provide remote managed services to SMEs from a central point, that will be paid for on a monthly basis, with a commission passed to the partner.
The three-month trial of the Multi-Site Director portal is Intel’s first software-as-a-service (SaaS) push into the SME market, aimed at businesses with 10 to 100 users. It is to be used in conjunction with — although not exclusively — the vPro and Centrino Pro platforms.
"A big hurdle for resellers trying to sell services for the first time is the need to invest in business critical systems and management applications," said Dave Byrne, Multi-Site Director business unit manager at Intel, adding minimal channel training was required.
The stack, hosted by Intel’s data centre, will allow resellers to provide remote services through a web browser, including monitoring business critical systems, updating security patches, routine systems maintenance, managed desktop PC and server services, IT audits and helpdesk.
It refused to name the third party software providers, citing confidentiality clauses. "This is an Intel product with Intel’s brand, and Intel will be taking the money for it," said Byrne.
The plan is to charge each SME user a monthly licence fee but Intel refused to divulge pricing until the pilot phase concludes at the end of February when customers will be validated.
Setting up managed services was relatively straightforward, said one channel insider, but too few SME resellers had done it: "With Intel’s brand on this it could work; there is nothing as emotive as brand support".
Intel will market the service to partners and rely on them to promote it to users, which one reseller said would have less impact.
"It would have been nice to see some above-the-line marketing from Intel," the source added.
