CRN Awards Highlight Value of UPS and Data Center Management Services for IT Solution Providers

As customers continue to build edge computing data centers to support Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing access, and other distributed applications, they face challenges inherent in managing these facilities, many of which have few or no IT personnel. But it’s also a situation that creates opportunity for IT solution providers armed with monitoring and management tools, including UPS management.

Solution providers that read CRN magazine recognize APC by Schneider Electric as an IT company that offers powerful monitoring and management solutions. The following two solutions were recently named Product of the Year:

• SmartUPS with APC SmartConnect: 2018 Product of the Year in the power management and tools category
• EcoStruxure™ IT Expert: 2018 Product of the Year in the IoT category and winner of CRN’s 2018 Tech Innovator Award in the same category

These products have two things in common: they enable remote monitoring and/or management of distributed data centers, and enable service providers to generate new, recurring revenue streams.

SmartUPS with SmartConnect: UPS Management Opportunity

APC SmartConnect allows Smart-UPS UPSs to report their status to our cloud-based SmartConnect portal, enabling customers or service providers to monitor their UPSs in real time. With customer permission, we can also deliver automatic firmware updates as well as lifecycle alerts and updates, such as when it’s time to replace batteries.

For solution providers with existing managed service provider (MSP) businesses, SmartConnect also integrates with leading remote monitoring and management tools including ConnectWise Automate and Kaseya VSA.

As solution providers sell Smart-UPS products, and package them with APC SmartConnect, they have the potential for generating recurring revenue in the form of UPS monitoring services. Monitoring UPSs on behalf of customers can be a valuable service, especially for those that have many distributed edge data centers with no IT staff. You’ll be able to ensure customers can keep their UPSs functioning as they should.

With its lifecycle alerts, APC SmartConnect also gives you the opportunity to sell replacement batteries, warranty renewals, and new models when UPSs near end-of-life.

EcoStruxure IT: Vendor-neutral Edge Data Center Management 

SmartConnect can monitor up to 25 UPSs for a single customer, making it a good entry level option. EcoStruxure IT Expert, on the other hand, can monitor and manage a virtually unlimited number of physical infrastructure devices, from UPSs, PDUs, and environmental monitoring sensors and cameras, to cooling systems and more – from Schneider Electric or just about any other vendor.

EcoStruxure IT Expert takes data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software and delivers it as a cloud-based service for distributed IT edge environments. For IT solution providers, it represents a new way to add value in a largely commoditized data center hardware market, while again generating a recurring revenue stream.

Here’s how it works: the EcoStruxure IT gateway (a virtual gateway downloaded in the customer environment) continually collects anonymized data from your customers’ data center infrastructure and combines it with data from all other EcoStruxure IT customers in our cloud-based data lake. There, we apply advanced algorithms to the data to detect trends, such as when a cooling system is showing signs of poor performance or impending failure. With predictive maintenance, you can save your customers money vs. the traditional scheduled (and sometimes unnecessary) maintenance. This makes you a valued resource, providing continual alerting to make your customer’s environment more efficient and reliable.

Thank You, Solution Providers – and CRN 

Winning these CRN awards is especially gratifying because, while CRN editors choose the categories and products to consider, solution providers ultimately vote on the winners. So, we’re glad that so many solution providers recognize the value that APC SmartConnect and EcoStruxure IT Expert bring to the market – and truly appreciate your support!

To learn more about Smart-UPS with APC SmartConnect and EcoStruxure IT Expert, visit our EcoStruxure IT for Partners website where you’ll find information on the opportunities both present and how to take advantage of them.