APC wants its resellers to become MSPs

Energy management vendor aims to recruit resellers to MSP programme to combat 'shifting IT market'

Power management vendor APC by Schneider Electric hopes to encourage its resellers to be MSPs with its new programme designed to support partners making the shift into managed services.

David Terry, channel manager for APC UK and Ireland, said the new programme, designed to complement its existing partner programme, will help to financially support partners making the change.

"The programme is addressing the need we are seeing in the shifting IT market for MSPs," he said. "It is focused around people trying to move to a more recurring revenue stream rather than just product sales. It is designed to help them financially make that move."

To do this, Terry said that APC will be extending its terms of credit from 30 days to 60 days for select partners.

"Recurring revenue as a whole is a challenge; moving from a product environment to a monthly subscription-based income is tough," he added.

APC claims to be the market leader in the single-phase power market, with products covering UPS, cooling racks, power management, environmental products and software.

The programme, which APC claims is the first power and cooling MSP programme in the UK, also includes training support, support with remote monitoring, marketing support and business development funding.

"It is very much around looking to attract inquisitive people into the market - the small and medium VARs looking to move into recurring revenue," Terry explained. "There is no revenue requirement; we are not asking them to commit hard cash.

"MSP as a whole in the UK is at its early adoption. There are companies doing it very successfully, but we aren't seeing it from a power and cooling aspect so much yet."

Terry insists that the programme is open to existing MSPs as well, but APC is "not looking to just open things up."

"We want people who are committed, want to lead with our products and most importantly have that excellent customer service."

The new programme will launch on 17 May and APC is in the process of targeting partners to join, as well as working with its distributor to recruit its partners.