Partner Case Studies

One-Person IT Shop Finds New Telephony Solution to Support Managed-Services Model »

Based in Clanton, Alabama, Professional Computing Solutions provides IT consulting services, including network support. The company is a one-person operation and a certified Microsoft® Small Business Specialist. Professional Computing Solutions relies on revenue from managed services and serves a steady client base of 50 small businesses. To expand into the telephony market, the company looked to Microsoft Response Point™ phone system software. Because many of the company’s clients ran Windows® Small Business Server, the ability of Microsoft Response Point to integrate with Small Business Server posed an opportunity to remotely manage clients’ phone systems. As a result, Microsoft Response Point meshes well with the company’s managed-services model, while meeting customer expectations for quality and providing attractive margins.

IT Firm Supports Managed-Services Model with Telephony Offering for Small Businesses »

Located in Anderson, South Carolina, Lighthouse Networks provides managed IT services to small and midsize businesses. With only four employees, Lighthouse Networks struggled to find an affordable telephony solution for clients that would support the company’s newly adopted managed-services model. Unable to partner with larger telephony companies, Lighthouse Networks decided to offer Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software, an easy-to-use, easy-to-manage phone system. With minimal training, Lighthouse Networks became a Microsoft Response Point specialist and quickly established five sales leads. The company remains optimistic that Microsoft Response Point will bring greater opportunities to its business. Not only is Microsoft Response Point a cost-effective solution for small-business clients, but the offering is projected to generate a quarter of the company’s revenue by 2009.

IT Firm Creates New Business Opportunity With Small Business Phone System Software »

Vowire is dedicated to delivering a variety of IT services and support to the small-business market. To add another line-of-business to its services and to meet the growing needs of its customers, the company sought an opportunity to get involved in the telephony market. After hearing about the advantages of Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software, Vowire soon completed product training and began selling the systems. With Microsoft Response Point, Vowire now offers a simple phone system that is low in cost, but high in usability and functionality. The company has already successfully deployed one system and anticipates many more. Microsoft Response Point has enabled Vowire to increase its market penetration with a new line-of-business that complements its services, while providing an opportunity for the company to develop value-added services.

IT Firm Enriches Customer Relations with Telephony Software, Develops New Solutions »

Based in Nashville, North Carolina, Harrison Technology Consulting provides IT services that are targeted to the needs of small businesses. Harrison Technology Consulting has three employees and partners with other companies to source specific technical talent. Although the company offers a range of IT services, it did not have a way to offer a phone system that small businesses could afford. In 2007, the company partnered with resellers of Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software. Harrison Technology Consulting now provides deployment and training services for Microsoft Response Point. As a result, the company has rapidly added a new line-of-business while delivering more comprehensive solutions to customers.

IT Firm Makes Large Strides in Becoming a Sole Service Provider to Small Businesses »

Allen Miller Computer Consulting is a small IT practice that provides managed and break-fix services for small businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky. To become a sole service provider, the company pursued the telephony market and explored open-source phone software options. Despite the low cost associated with open-source software, the process of supporting these products presented a challenge. Allen Miller Computer Consulting wanted a solution that was easy to manage and support. Through an IT conference, the company found out about Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software and immediately began training. The company sold four systems in five weeks and has five more in the sales cycle. Microsoft Response Point has been an easy source of income, and the company predicts the system will generate 10 percent to 20 percent of its annual revenue.

IT Company Dives into Communications with Ease, Extends Offerings with Phone System »

Carnes Group is a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner that specializes in IT infrastructure services and support. Although its customers demonstrated a demand for phone systems, Carnes Group chose not to spread its resources thin by becoming a traditional telephone company. However, by providing Microsoft Response Point™ phone system software, the company understood that it could take advantage of its existing skills to meet customers’ telephony needs. Carnes Group found the phone system easy and fast to deploy, and it now enjoys providing more comprehensive services for small and medium-sized businesses. What’s more, Carnes Group also offers Microsoft Response Point as part of its new Unified Communications and Mobility solution.

Feature-Rich Phone System Drives Customer Satisfaction, Sales for Small Firm »

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Lypp provides teleconferencing services to more than 300 customers. With experience in telephony, Lypp leaders understood the business could easily support phone systems as well, but the company needed a product that offered a price point and feature set that would benefit small-business customers. To meet this need, the company began providing deployment and support services for Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system software. Lypp found that the solution met customer needs, making it a perfect platform for building customer relationships and, ultimately, to drive revenue and traffic to the company’s other offerings. Further, the solution has proved easy to support for customers and Lypp alike, letting the company easily add a new line of business without the need for extensive support resources.