Utility Company Throws Switch On Latest MSP Wares
The utility computing company, launched by Mark Scott, the former CEO of MSP platform vendor N-able Technologies, released version 2.0 of its Connected Office service.
"Our goal is to change our SMB customers' technology investment and utilization experience by moving beyond technology operations to focus on leveraging technology to improve their business productivity in key areas such as sales, marketing and customer service," he said.
The Utility Company is currently engaged in a campaign to recruit solution providers to become new franchise operators, according to Scott. Three service levels of Connected Office are available: an a la carte offering for delivering proactive IT services; a managed, fixed-fee service; and a full-blown utility computing and network management offering.
For a franchise fee of about $30,000, The Utility Company provides practically everything that a solution provider would need to offer managed IT services and use-based utility computing to SMBs, Scott said. Franchise benefits include a sales and marketing program, back-office support (including billing, collections and human resources) and customer portals that connect to remote help-desk and remediation services. Franchisees also lease a Mini Cooper automobile donning The Utility Company brand, he added.
Franchise owners are paid by The Utility Company after it deducts its monthly network and support costs, a royalty fee and back-office expenses, Scott said. For example, $10,000 of gross monthly franchise revenue would typically net a franchisee 47 percent of that income, he said.