Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) has launched NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk for small businesses in North America, a security solution that is almost channel-ready, according to a company rep.
The NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk series launched about eight months ago. “We got into the ‘all you can eat’ subscription service,” said Ann Ruckstuhl, director of worldwide marketing for NortonLive. “We have a lot of consumers and frankly a lot of home based businesses that have lots of computers,” so a small business version was a logical next step.
The solution is an IT help desk service that supports a range of devices, from the computer itself to smartphones, cameras and printers, among others. The service provides support for diagnosis and resolution of setup, security, performance, maintenance and data transfer problems. “Basically, we’re their IT behind them,” Ruckstuhl said. “It’s very much not just provisioning the much needed help on an ongoing basis…it’s also a peace of mind,” she said.
“The market itself for services is very inefficient today,” for home-based businesses, Ruckstuhl said. Nearly 60 per cent of small business owners have experienced some sort of malware in the past three years, and 51 per cent of those owners had to pay a professional technology consultant to repair their computers as a result, according to the company. “It’s kind of mission critical. It is your livelihood.”
The subscription service is aimed at businesses with up to 10 computers, with a one-time set up charge and service fees paid either monthly or annually. Though the service is just up and running, Ruckstuhl said Symantec has a team ready to assist channel partners interested in selling the service. “We are completely open to work with channel partners.” Currently, smaller resellers can sell the product as-is and add to the service element, she added.
“We are looking to expand our business model to become more of a holistic solutions vendor for our target audience,” she said. “(The) service that comes along with that technology is also a part of our growth strategy.”
Part of that strategy will be here, she said. “Canada is one of the best performing economies, period. We want to be a part of that growth path.”