SaaS provider takes on Telstra with new managed exchange product
- 26 May, 2010 17:30
- Comments 3
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, Manage Protect, has launched its new managed exchange product.
MPexchange aims to provide value added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) with the ability to offer customers a fully functional and off-site Microsoft Exchange 2007 platform, according to Manage Protect managing director, Andrew Johnson.
He claimed it would cost up to $34 per user per month, depending on the product offering.
“It has a level of management, support and training that is geared towards MSPs and their needs,” Johnson said. “They tend to require a solution that lets them log into one console to manage all their customers. That makes it simpler and easier to provision services.”
He said the information was virtualised, co-located and backed up at least every 30 minutes to ensure a high level of redundancy. The offering was currently limited to Exchange 2007, but it already had 55 customers trialling the product at full price prior to the launch.
It suited organisations with up to 50 seats.
“Even during a scheduled outage, customers can still access their inbox and send/receive emails using a Web interface,” he said. “Our guys are looking at Microsoft Exchange 2010 and will probably implement it within a six month timeframe.
“We’ll have full support for iPhone and BlackBerry and the full gamut of everything our customers want to do via Exchange will be available.”
Johnson said Telstra’s Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) was a major competitor, but claimed it offered worse incentives for resellers and forced them to put Telstra branding on the solutions.
“What our partner have realised is that the Telstra offering has to be billed, branded and supported by Telstra,” he said. “That just doesn’t work for MSPs, who want to put their arms around customers and support everything they do.”
Johnson claimed Telstra’s offering didn’t support BlackBerry devices and didn’t offer channel partners enough of a margin to be worthwhile.
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Comments
Rod Bruem (Telstra Business)
Contrary to Mr Johnson's claims, Telstra's T-Suite does support Blackberry via our Microsoft® Exchange Mail - Enabled for Hosted BlackBerry® (BES) and Hosted BlackBerry® (BES) products.
Whilst BPOS itself (exchange online) doesn’t currently support Blackberry BES, we expect it will by July, with full integration.
It should also be noted that Exchange Online (BPOS) is based on MS exchange 2007 and is much cheaper than prices being quoted by Manage Protect for their offering. ($9.95 compared to $35 per user per month) -this could explain why they can offer good margins for re-sellers. Our preference is to focus on delivering affordable soluitions to small business.
Telstra will continue to innovate with Microsoft meaning customers will always have access to the latest features and functionality as a result – an issue hosted offerings need to grapple with.
Nick Rohe
Rod,
I note your comment on the comparison in pricing as the differential being the "good margins for resellers" and that T-Suite preference is to "focus on affordable solutions to Small Business".
Computer Troubleshooters as Australia's largest IT support franchise with around 90 locations focusing on Small Business, we were considering joining the T Suite Channel Partner Program. Your comments again make me nervous that Telstra regard VARS as ancillary to their needs and ultimately seek to replace our relationship with customers once we introduce them to T-Suite.
Maybe I am wrong but does seem to imply that it is an either or scenario, why not focus on good margins for re-sellers AND affordable solutions.
Nick Roche
National Director
http://computertroubleshooters.com.au
Andrew Johnson
Rod,
I agree with the points that you have made - and appreciate the correction with regard to blackberry's. We deliver our services 100% through our channel of MSP's and VAR's. We do not sell direct to the SMB market in the same way that you do.
We do this as we have a belief that SMB's buy from their trusted advisor -- being the VAR/MSP. We also believe that these SMBs are not as price sensitive as they are "value" sensitive, and the feedback on our pricing model has been very positive to date (from both SMB's and partners).
Our product is a premium "business-grade" product targeted to SMB's through the channel. It costs more than BPOS, as our partners have told us they are looking to deliver a premium service which integrates best-of-breed email filtering technology and online archive, as well as ease of deployment and management. This is what we deliver.
Our partners are trained, certified and supported to a high level with technical feet on the ground in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane. They also wrap high value support and services with the product which are welcomed by their customers.
I also agree with your statement that partners are able to make considerably more margin (without concern of losing the customer to another reseller) as the service is more expensive. You are 100% correct. They do!
Your sincerely,
Andrew Johnson
Managing Director, Manage Protect.
www.manageprotect.com
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