GlobalConnect dives into managed services

Unified communications integrator GlobalConnect Australia has launched a managed services arm for enterprise customers.

Two factors influenced the integrator's decision to introduce managed services, according to Pushkar Taneja, managing director, GlobalConnect Australia. Customers wanted to upgrade IT systems but lacked the capital, and they wanted to reduce IT expenditure for their current operations.

"Our business model has been in a capex (capital expenditure) environment. If someone wants to invest in technology today they have to have money in place to pay for it."

Now, "customers can go to opex (operational expenditure) and budget for a technology upgrade refresh over a long period of time," as long as four or five years,  said Taneja.

Although GlobalConnect's expertise is in unified communications, it was prepared to run other parts of an enterprise's environment and add backend support.

Taneja said GlobalConnect was funding customers' purchases through its own capital rather than debt. He added that the integrator would provide staff if customers required them to run their IT systems.

GlobalConnect would hire staff as necessary to fill customer-facing roles, said Taneja. Its engineers were being trained in accreditations for customers' vendors as required.

However, the integrator would retain a focus on the communications environment, "not on the desktop and PCs and laptops," said Taneja.

The global financial crisis had forced customers to find ways to cut costs without harming their operational abilities. That prompted conversations about how GlobalConnect could assist in reducing in-house expenses.

"A lot of customers are talking to us about what we can do. The last 12 months have created that environment because organisations have lost staff for various reasons. They need continuity of support and technology," said Taneja.

GlobalConnect Australia is a subsidiary of Avaya GlobalConnect, an Indian systems integrator which is 59 percent owned by Avaya.

GlobalConnect Australia had signed up with Juniper and Aruba Networks in the past 12 months to provide data networking. However, the integrator was picking up certifications in Avaya's data products which were added through the Nortel acquisition.

Data networking represents just 7 percent of total revenues, said Taneja.

"By combining the recognised ITIL-based framework with our own operational support expertise and tools, GlobalConnect can provide a standards-based, flexible model for delivering managed services to the market," said Taneja

"The most critical benefit of GlobalConnect Managed Services is it makes it easier for companies to adapt to changing business conditions while managing a predictable IT budget," said Taneja.