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Increasing the slice of the margin pie

Johannesburg, 12 Mar 2013

Want to make the move into the margin-rich world of managed services but not sure you have the time or capability within your business? Cisco's OnPlus is a simple to set-up and easy to use remote network monitoring and administration system that's designed specifically to help you break into managed support and cloud services.

In other words, Cisco's OnPlus Scanner is designed to keep your customers' business running, and yours profitable.

There are two different options available in the OnPlus family. The first, which is available for no charge, is the browser-based Cisco OnPlus Scanner application. This is capable of identifying a full network topology and the life cycle status and other details of attached devices, allowing you to perform an audit of a client's network and spot problem areas or opportunities for upgrades in a straightforward Web dash.

The second, Cisco OnPlus ON100 Network Agent, is a cost-effective hardware appliance, which has more advanced network mapping capabilities that allow you to identify and control all devices in a non-homogeneous environment from a single online dashboard. OnPlus ON100 streams real-time performance monitoring and device alerts via a secure connection to the cloud, giving you the ability to identify and respond to any client problems without leaving the office. That means hidden cost savings in terms of travel time and out-of-office cover too.

"Once the Cisco OnPlus ON100 Network Agent is installed," explains Marius Vermeulen, product and pre-sales manager for Cisco at Tarsus Technologies, "you have a secure connection to the heart of your customer's network. The online dashboard is fast and extremely capable, giving you control of multiple devices at the click of a mouse."

OnPlus ON100 Network Agent supports up to 1 000 users and is designed specifically for resellers looking to break into managed services.

According to Cisco's own research, fewer than 10% of resellers have a stable recurring revenue stream through formal service offerings. Yet with capital spending still low and businesses looking to cut in-house IT costs, managed services are often a perfect solution all round.

"It's a tough market for resellers," says Vermeulen, "and the secret to successful growth in this climate is to integrate yourself tightly into your customers' business processes so that you can help them thrive by predicting their needs. In turn, you'll win reliable new revenue sources through managed services and repeat business. Cisco OnPlus is an incredible new tool for doing just that."

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Tarsus Technologies

With more than 27 years' of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world's foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.

Tarsus strives to meet the channel's needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compile the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.

The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large rollouts. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.

With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.

Tarsus distributes a range of products from the world's leading manufacturers, including Acer, AOC, APC, Asus, Cisco, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Meissner, Microsoft, OKI Printing Solutions and Samsung.

Tarsus' head office is situated in Johannesburg with branches in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Tarsus has also extended its footprint into Africa with branches in Namibia, Botswana and Mauritius.

More information about Tarsus is available at: http://puruma.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6b6fa2e464972c8567da2318d&id=bc9e22a202&e=41ae459e54.

Editorial contacts

Gavin Moffat
puruma business communications
0860 PURUMA (787 862)
tarsus@puruma.com
Emma Blewitt
Tarsus Technology Group
(+27) 11 531 1000
eblewitt@tarsus.co.za