Opinion: Where the bleeping heck are you?

Forget submitting a video to a Tourism Board to clamour with thousands of other hopefuls to gain fame and fortune, there's a much easier way.

OK, so fame might be a little far-fetched but opportunities to generate a secure revenue stream for the Australian channel during these troubled times are certainly available.

Chances are that your business is already set up for them, and they're sitting on your doorstep but so far, only rising stars in the channel networks of Chile, Nigeria and Malaysia have taken them up.

As a web 2.0 enterprise software developer of cloud, SaaS and traditional asset maintenance and mobility management solutions, we're operating in a largely peerless market.

However, the Australian channel is still focusing on selling traditional hardware, and software topic du jour enterprise applications, such as CRM, Business Intelligence and ERP.

And, as we know, this year is going to be tough for IT spending.

Asset management provides the framework for organisations and managers to maximise the use and value of assets while controlling all aspects of the asset lifecycle from procurement and deployment through to maintenance and disposal of assets.

For channel partners, asset management is a value-add which is applicable to all industries.  It's a way of cementing a business relationship in the long term by providing an ongoing cost-savings service to new and existing customers.

Consider that the cost of acquiring and supporting IT equipment can account for as much as 30 percent of IT budgets, according to some industry estimates.

Apply that in multiples to industries with hardware in the manufacturing or mining industries reaching vastly beyond IT expenditure, and then you start to grasp the opportunities for asset and maintenance management.

It's recognised that 80 percent of revenue derived from existing clients is an ideal target for service-based organisations. 

Asset Management is an ongoing process and requires regular auditing and updating. An asset audit service may also be offered as a multi-year contract, providing a significant source of predictable revenue for resellers.

Resellers can provide a continuous cost-saving service ensuring they are in touch with their customers regularly.  This, in itself, ensures resellers are in the right place at the right time for further opportunities.

So, Australia, where the bleeping heck are you?