Technology Reseller - v31

Question & Answers Why have Exertis set up this service - what trends have emerged to show demand? We have set the service up to allow our partners an easy access route into device as a service. We have built an easy to use, end user friendly quote and ordering portal. This will mean our partners can add more value to their customers. We are seeing partners utilising our recent acquisition of MTR, this means that a customer can trade in their existing hardware and offset the cost against a new lease meaning this is incredibly profitable and environmentally friendly. From the standpoint of a manufacturer, how are they adapting their traditional procurement methods to fall in-line with the introduction of “as-a-service” models? Vendors are fully bought into the “as-a-service” method, which means for us as a distributor we are in a great position to bring new deals, promotions and services to the traditional IT channel. How do as-a-service models overcome the typical challenges which SME’s encounter? Hearing stats such as 90% of small businesses fail in the first year due to cash flow was just shocking. “As-a-service” overcomes this issue by improving cash flow through monthly payments as opposed to paying in full at the point of purchase. In addition to this, we have built the site to work as an end user friendly quoting tool. This means that our partners can start using our as a service portal to quote, order, track progress and manage their customers. How is the perceived financial risk for the reseller managed to protect both reseller and end-user? The risk is managed by only dealing with world- class lendors. This means that when a lease agreement is taken out, there are terms and conditions in place which cover our partners and our partners’ customers. From a reseller point of view, agreements are taken out between the banks and the end user, this means that they are paid up front as usual and there is no financial burden against them and their finances. With the increasing trend of recycled devices, how does this model incorporate them? With our recent acquisition of MTR who are Samsungs’ official refurb house we can offer trade in against old units. Where MTR are giving costs, resellers can divide the money received for the trade in handsets and off set this against the net new fleet of devices. Because of this, we are seeing more and more customers winning deals by dropping their margin on the new devices but making the money back against trade in. What are your predictions on DaaS and how it will change the market? Consumers are already aware with the idea and proposition of leasing and “as a service” methods of procurement. It was only a matter of time before the transition between consumer and B2B happened. We predict that more and more vendors are and will start adopting the “as-a- service” model, this means that resellers will need to start adapting with the evolving market. How does the Exertis proposition differ from competitors? Exertis are in a unique position in the distribution sector, we have recently acquired companies with the likes of MTR and Kondor which allow us to offer trade in, in house. Not only that, we are partnering with accessories vendors, airtime brokers and on top of this, bringing exciting and value deals from our existing vendor account set. In addition to the above, we have an in-house NOC which allows us to add professional services, fulfilment, deployment, configurations and technical support at a competitive price because it is all done in house. This means that a customer can white label our support services onto their customer, which is a huge value add. How will Exertis look to evolve it’s DaaS offering? At this moment in time we have mobile, tablet, wearables and Lenovo notebooks uploaded into our portal. As we continue to work through the site we are adding our current vendor lines into the portal. The oasis will be to have the entire Exertis portfolio going through our “as-a-service” portal. As we are continuing to add our vendors into our portal, they are keen to push channel marketing as well as deals onto our customers to assist with the transition to “as-a-service”. We have already got some really exciting messages and deals in the pipeline ready to be brought to market and as we start gaining more and more traction, more and more deals and messages will follow suit. For more information contact your account manager or email [email protected] Andrew Jones, Business Development Manager discusses all things DaaS at Exertis Provides value added services Alternative to networks contracts Help fund large cost of sevices Address customers purchasing habits Speak to an expert Basingstoke 01256 707 070 Burnley 01282 776 776 store.exertis.co.uk