APC by Schneider Electric Expands Channel Support with Dedicated Practice for Managed Service Providers

ANDOVER, Mass., May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- APC™ by Schneider Electric, a flagship brand of the global specialist in energy management and automation, Schneider Electric, today announced the launch of its dedicated power and cooling managed services practice for partners, expanding on the existing APC Global Channel Partner Program. Aimed at assisting partners in evolving their business to meet growing customer demands and adjusting to changing market influences, this program includes technical enhancements, dedicated support, enablement, incentives specific to managed service providers (MSPs) and an overall improved partner experience. Through a specialized track in the partner program, MSPs will gain the ability to systematically monetize power and cooling within their business.

"As the modern IT partner is rapidly evolving and shifting focus from hardware sales to a more concentrated emphasis on service-oriented, recurring revenue streams, it is critical that we alter our approach and address them in a way that is relevant to this new business reality," said Rob McKernan, senior vice president, Global IT Channels, Schneider Electric. "Through the integration and optimization of our connected offers, and the refocus of our sales and support teams to address the MSP business model, we are creating a community of practice which speaks to and shows MSPs how to increase top line revenue and decrease operational costs by adding power and cooling to their managed services portfolio."

Today, many partners are facing growing market pressures dictating the need for business evolution. Increasingly commoditized storage and server hardware is compressing margins and driving the trend in shadow IT – a situation in which information-technology systems are purchased by departments and personnel without the approval of the IT team – creating significant security risks for the enterprise. At the same time, customers are demanding more specialized services than ever before, as internal staffing resources, tightening budgets and a widening skills gap drive the need for more robust partner support. Due to these customer requirements, managed services such as help desk support, network management, staff augmentation and many others are becoming more integral to the corporate IT function.

As partners meet these demands by moving to a more diverse managed services business model, the APC Global Channel Partner Program has evolved with them. The evolution of the business  dedicated to MSPs is aimed at assisting partners on their growth journey while also enabling them to realize additional revenue streams by helping them to drive reoccurring profitability from power and cooling in a more comprehensive, structured and simplified way. This is being done through:

• Expanded technical integrations of the APC Smart-UPS line of solutions with the most commonly used remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms and professional services automation (PSA) tools. This will allow partners to more easily collect, collate and assess data from these solutions across all customer installations for a better understanding of the product lifecycle, including serial numbers and replacement status, enabling smarter update and configuration services. Over time, APC will also be rolling out integrations of all its connected products – PDUs, three-phase UPSs, cooling and others – into these platforms for easier management by partners.

Additional key enhancements providing differentiated value to the MSP partner community include:

• Profitable Growth: To drive business for partners, APC will offer new incentives as part of the existing Partner Program, including financing and rebate options, to align more closely with the unique MSP financial business model.
• Specialized Enablement: To enable growth for MSPs in today's dynamic IT marketplace, APC's dedicated MSP track introduces specialized certification paths and sales trainings that align with partners' business needs.
• Streamlined Support: MSP partners will receive dedicated customer support needed to help them capitalize on their new business model.
• Improved Experience: MSP-specific resources which reflect the most critical aspects of their respective industries will be available via a dedicated MSP content hub.

Additionally, in an important step, APC has expanded its internal Global Channels organization in alignment with the new program, naming a dedicated lead for managed services. Jason Covitz, Global Director of Managed Services, will ensure all MSP interaction points are optimized to support the MSP business model and are expanded into the future.

To learn more, please visit www.apc.com/msp or contact your local APC representative.

About APC by Schneider Electric

APC by Schneider Electric, the leading global brand for integrated IT physical infrastructure and software, provides reliable power and availability solutions for IT and communications technologies. With the largest community of partners tailoring solutions for home and business networks, APC products enable individuals and businesses to anticipate the unexpected, protecting critical information and data.  It's certainty in a connected world. APC is a brand of Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and industrial automation. With revenues of ~$30 billion in FY2015, our 160,000+ employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable.

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