IBM South Africa today announced a new `price-aggressive` desktop management services model built for smaller businesses of 100 seats upwards and designed to eliminate the complex management of desktop PC systems while significantly reducing the total cost of PC ownership.
IBM Desktop Management Services provides small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) a flexible `pay-per-seat` service that includes hardware, software, services and financing. Savings to the customer are substantial. While seeing a significant reduction in the capital outlay upfront, customers simultaneously enjoy more flexibility in managing their desktop environment.
Since it has been estimated that approximately 80% of the total cost of owning a desktop personal computer is incurred in ongoing PC administration, this new offering is the ideal solution for businesses looking to operate more efficiently. It allows SMEs to lower their total cost of ownership without upfront capital investment, while helping to improve security, increase end-user productivity and gain more predictability in budgeting forecasts. While IBM technology and services reduce the total cost of desktop PC ownership, customers can focus on their core business.
What makes the offering unique to IBM is the model is designed to include technologies such as Rapid Restore, Easy Reference and Blue Base as part of the toolset. What this means in effect is IBM can deliver hardware, software and a comprehensive suite of end-to-end services. User are empowered to help themselves using for example, features such as Rapid Restore and Software Migration Assistant (SMA).
IBM Desktop Management Services is managed and delivered by IBM technical service professionals and includes the initial image creation and deployment, end-user data migration, ongoing management including maintenance, end-user helpdesk, automated backup/restore, asset reporting, anti-virus protection and software distribution and includes the option of IBM printers and online education modules for end-users. Pre-installed ThinkVantage Technology software tools help drive down IT support costs and increase end-user productivity by improving data security and providing a one-button help solution that allows users to access all IBM`s service and support offerings.
Technology includes IBM ThinkPad notebook and ThinkCentre desktop clients and eServer xSeries Intel based servers to help manage the environment. This hardware, combined with IBM`s ThinkVantage Technologies and IBM Global Services` managed services expertise, creates a simplified end-to-end PC management solution in an increasingly complex work environment.
"IBM Desktop management services meet the needs of our customers by providing them with scalable, modular solutions and a flexible, on-demand `price-per-seat` pricing model," says Oliver Fortuin, Executive, Personal Computing Division. "Automation of key components and the leveraging of shared resources through the Virtual HelpDesk knowledge portal are key value-add differentiators for our customers. Simply put, customers are positioned competitively because they get quality products and the support of technology-rich services at a low monthly price without the complexity and high costs associated with desktop management."
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