Prologue Or Sequel?

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HEATHER CLANCY

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Can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

It's not too hard to figure out what's implied by the phrase. Managed services platform provider N-Able Technologies is big into the term, although if you search the Internet, you'll find conversations cropping up elsewhere. Like Software-as-a-Service, HaaS supports the notion that a piece of technology doesn't have to be purchased outright. Rather, a customer could pay for the right to use the functionality and to receive all the service and maintenance around it for some predetermined term. The financing would also, in theory, be a no-brainer.

It's kinda like leasing a car or investing in a copier, which you wouldn't dream of buying without a service contract. It's a model with a family-tree connection to the way mainframes were "sold" and the world of "On Demand" espoused by IBM. You could deploy all sorts of hardware in this fashion—from notebooks to servers to network infrastructure. Heck, digital signage could also benefit from this approach"sort of like renting a billboard for a predetermined period of time.

The potential benefits to an MSP are many. For one thing, it can exercise much tighter control over the configurations it supports. And it will have a clearer view into where future purchases could be directed. There are other overarching implications. Consider, for example, the idea that some small businesses might be fine with using "preowned" technology or products, rather than being forced to invest in something brand spanking new that surpasses their true needs.

The challenges are equally weighty. Some smaller VARs have trouble managing their own cash flows, let alone their customers'. A dedicated expert from the world of financing or leasing—or a partnership with an expert—absolutely will be required. I'll point you to two of your own worth consulting for advice: Ramsey Dellinger, who left his MSP business to try his hand with a new venture called MSP On Demand (www.mspondemand.com), and Michael Drake with MasterIT (www.master-it.com). For Drake, HaaS already is a way of business life. Will it become one for you?

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Buzzword or worthy business innovation? Send comments to HEATHER CLANCY, Editor at CRN, at [email protected].