Professional Computing Solutions
One-Person IT Shop Finds New Telephony Solution to Support Managed Services Model
Partner: Professional Computing Solutions
Web Site: www.profcomputing.com
Partner Size: 1
Country or Region: United States
Industry: Professional services — IT services
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Partner Profile
A Microsoft® Small Business Specialist, Professional Computing Solutions has one employee and serves the small town of Clanton, Alabama. The company provides IT services, including network support and phone systems.
Software and Services
- Microsoft® Response Point™
- Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
- Microsoft Small Business Server
"For many of my clients, phones are more critical than computers. Not only is Microsoft Response Point phone system software extremely stable, but I can support it remotely should anything go wrong."
Andy Williams, Business Owner, Professional Computing Solutions
Company Profile
After retiring from the aerospace industry in 2000, Andy Williams moved to his hometown of Clanton, Alabama, where he soon established Professional Computing Solutions, a Microsoft® Small Business Specialist. The company is a one-person operation and provides IT consulting services for managing and maintaining networks. The company benefits from a steady client base of 50 small businesses, including many legal and medical offices that have 1 to 75 computers and run Windows® Small Business Server 2003.
To ensure that he can serve all his clients' needs with limited resources, Williams advocates managed services. He partners with other local companies to provide his clients with initial network cabling work, while he delivers the software, hardware, and support. "The majority of business at Professional Computing Solutions is driven through managed services," says Williams. "My customers expect that when they buy a new product, they just have to plug it in, and I will do all the rest."
Business Opportunity
To stay in tune with emerging technologies, Williams frequents technology blogs and other online publications. After reading a blog about Microsoft Response Point™ phone system software and its integration with Windows Small Business Server, he realized that the product would fit nicely into many of his clients' current IT configurations, while providing him with the ability to manage the system remotely through a VPN. Williams soon added the system as a new line-of-business.
"Becoming a provider of Microsoft Response Point was straightforward and easy," recalls Williams. "First, I participated in a series of webinars from Microsoft to learn how the product worked, and then I reached out to the original equipment manufacturer, Quanta, to locate a distributor in the area. Not long after, I became an authorized reseller and started working with a demo unit."
Go-to-Market Strategy
Benefiting from a strong base of existing clients, Williams has avoided an aggressive sales approach to Microsoft Response Point phone system software. For his small company, the product functions well as an ancillary offering rather than a means to drive new business.
"I manage the networks for almost all of my clients who run Small Business Server, so I am very familiar with their IP configurations, their Internet connectivity, and their current phone systems," says Williams. "So when I see an opportunity for a client to benefit from Response Point, I recommend it."
Although Microsoft Response Point is rich in features, Williams finds that the flexibility of the system is most attractive to many of his clients. When implementing the system at a local dentist office, he was able to easily disable the auto attendant feature so that the receptionist could manage the phone instead.
"This client is all about adding a personal touch to every call," says Williams. The same client does, however, take advantage of some of the more advanced features of Microsoft Response Point, such as call parking and the voice-activated user interface for call transferring.
Benefits
For Professional Computing Solutions, Microsoft Response Point phone system software has been more than just a product with the needs of small-business customers in mind; it also meets the needs of small IT services providers.
Fits into Managed Services Model
Managing services for 50 small businesses can be a challenge, especially when adding another product to the mix. The integration between Microsoft Response Point and Windows Small Business Server was a key factor in Williams' decision to provide the phone system software. Says Williams, "The fact that I can remote in to Response Point and make changes on the fly without driving to a client's site is extremely important to my business."
Meets Client Expectations for Stability
For many clients of Professional Computing Solutions, phones are the main channel for business and essential to operations. "Phones are more critical than computers for many of my clients," says Williams. "Not only is Microsoft Response Point phone system software extremely stable, but I can support it remotely should anything go wrong."
Both Williams and his clients find comfort in knowing that Microsoft Response Point and the other Microsoft products that it works with receive constant updates and support from Microsoft. "I have not had any real issues with Response Point, and with updates to both Response Point and Small Business Server, I only see the product getting better," says Williams.
Generates Additional Revenue
Microsoft Response Point has helped Williams expand his reach into the telephony market, enabling him to not only resell the base unit and phones, but offer services, such as implementation and training, as well. Says Williams, "The margins on the Quanta Syspine equipment are very attractive, but I still make more money selling the services for installation and maintenance."
Since offering Microsoft Response Point phone system software, Williams has completed one implementation and anticipates installing six to eight systems a year. "I could see as much as 50 percent of my client base on Response Point in the near future," says Williams.
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies.