Apple Enterprise Push Gets A Boost From Stratix's New 'End-To-End' Services Offering
The mobility solution provider is launching its SmartMobile Services for Apple offering to provide an improved approach to enterprise mobility.
Mobility solution provider Stratix and Apple have "doubled down" on their partnership with a new services offering aimed at enabling improved enterprise mobility, a Stratix executive told CRN.
The launch of Stratix's SmartMobile Services for Apple offering builds on a partnership between the two companies that dates back to 2012 and comes as Apple continues to pursue greater inroads into businesses.
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The Mobility-as-a-Service offering brings together products from Apple and third-party providers; consulting and managed mobility services from Stratix, including 24/7 support; and Apple's own services—including Apple Professional Services, AppleCare and Apple Financial Services (AFS).
Apple and Stratix "have jointly doubled down on the partnership by making significant investments," said Gina Daniel-Lee, vice president of strategic alliances and partnerships at Stratix, in an interview with CRN.
The new services offering “really helps to provide a competitive differentiator for Apple and for Stratix together," she said. "There are very few [Apple] partners who can source the technology, fully support it end to end, repair the products, and then provide all of that in a really creative financial model by leveraging AFS. There are other partners within the ecosystem who may have elements of that, but very, very few that have that end-to-end capability."
Peachtree Corners, Ga.-based Stratix is an Apple Authorized Value-Added Reseller as well as an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and reports that it currently has more than 2 million devices under management.
"Apple has long been focused on the end-user experience—however, that end-user experience in the enterprise can be very different,” Daniel-Lee said.
Stratix’s SmartMobile Services for Apple "offers a really robust set of services designed to specifically fit the needs of the enterprise business customer—which Apple loves," she said.
Stratix’s capabilities include sourcing of Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads and Macs as well as on-site repair and replacement of Apple devices.
The solution provider also brings expertise in mobile device management expertise for large-scale deployments with Apple Business Manager, full life-cycle management and 24/7 support backed by AppleCare.
When it comes to Apple Professional Services and AppleCare, "many partners see those services from Apple as competitive," Daniel-Lee said. "But we see an opportunity to wrap our managed mobile services around that to create an even stronger offering. “
The value to the business customer “is having a single point of entry through Stratix—leveraging the strong brand and technology from Apple—for an end-to-end, total solution,” she said.
Stratix expects that the new service offering will provide major growth opportunities, both with existing and new customers, Daniel-Lee added.
"By aligning with Apple and wrapping our services around every single project and opportunity, we're able to create this pull-through of our services that provides a significant recurring revenue stream for us," she said. "Having the total solution helps us accelerate deals. So the Apple teams are eager to bring us in and work with us because we're able to significantly increase our pipeline and theirs and increase the opportunities for revenue for both of us."