From the Dealer Executive Desk
What’s better than providing a service to a growing number of loyal customers? Providing two services to those same loyal customers. . It’s certainly tempting, especially if the second service you’re thinking of adding falls within the realm of managed IT.
It seems like a natural fit, and therefore easy pickings for a managed print provider. After all, today’s printers and copiers have much in common with every other smart device: they require software to run, which requires updates; they’re vulnerable to cyberattacks; and they require regular maintenance to meet day-to-day needs plus occasional upgrades when those needs change. That sounds a lot like managed IT to an outsider’s ears.
In reality, managed print and managed IT speak very different languages. Marco has offered both for quite some time, but we’ve worked hard to get both teams to use the same words to describe essentially the same things. Managed print and managed IT also have distinct skill sets, processes and customer journeys. While the two fields are natural allies, a dealer might have a more difficult time than expected to align the two.
The temptation to create dual customers is strong, and Marco has successfully managed to provide both services. Unfortunately, dealers who may add managed IT will face challenges that Marco didn’t, simply because managed IT service providers must provide cybersecurity to combat exponentially growing risks.
With Risk Can Come Reward
A good entrepreneur recognizes opportunity where others only see a challenge. Providing cybersecurity is a requirement for entering the managed IT space, and it creates a high bar. However, it’s one that almost every managed print customer desperately needs, even if they don’t yet know it.
In fact, that knowledge gap could be an excellent starting point for you. Simply providing your customers with an accurate assessment of their current risk (at least quarterly if not monthly), as well as recommendations on how to reduce it, could add a key differentiator and help your business gain footing in the IT space.
If you’re thinking of providing this service, a good place to start is your own backyard. What are your current vulnerabilities? What are you doing to protect your own information? What investments are you willing to make internally? Is your company familiar with the cybersecurity recommendations of organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and is it currently compliant?
If you can’t reliably assess your own vulnerabilities, you’d be doing a tremendous disservice to any potential clients and could risk damaging existing relationships. And unfortunately, with cybersecurity threats increasing every year, a misstep may land your company’s name in the papers for the worst possible reasons.
The Journey Starts with an Awkward First Step
If your own house is in order, you may be ready to begin your journey into managed IT. You have a simple choice to make regarding how much to invest. You could hire specialized, full-time IT staff to install devices, monitor security and provide help desk services. Depending on your customers, that may require having someone on call 24/7.
If you’re not prepared to make that type of significant investment, there are plenty of third-party providers who can fill those shoes. Outsourcing is initially easier on the budget, but comes with other potential pitfalls. No third-party provider will have the same investment in your customers’ satisfaction that you do. And without your own IT staff, it’s difficult to assess if a third party is really delivering the level of care and security you’re promising.
Beware the Company You Keep
Dealers who successfully bundle managed print with managed/co-managed IT services have often simplified their business model by focusing on a single industry, such as dental practices, schools or government services. They can learn a single set of tools and provide specialized services that are easier to market. Other dealers focus on a certain business size; providing managed IT services to a small company is a different job than serving an enterprise-scale business.
Earlier, I alluded to the inherent risk in providing managed IT services. Cybercriminals are threatening organizations that wouldn’t have been worth their while just a few years ago. Now, they’re making billions from largely small- to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits that have no concept of the current risk.
While dealers who offer cybersecurity have a clearer path into the managed IT space and can help clients reduce vulnerabilities, those same clients can pose just as much risk—if not more—to an unsuspecting IT provider. For example, you may make excellent recommendations for tools and processes to improve security. But if your client refuses to make the investment and they become the victim of a cybercrime, your name could make the headlines right along with theirs. Adding managed IT services can bring increased customer loyalty, increased revenue and increased differentiation. But be patient and do your homework, because all that glitters is definitely not gold.
