News
2/2/2010
Best friend? Remote services solve problems with reliability, staffing and skills.
When the recent global recession wreaked havoc on the demand for manufactured goods, drastic measures were taken. “Plants have scaled back their operating time,” says Steve Carlson, global product manager of InSite Services for Rockwell Automation (www.ra.rockwell.com). “Many that once ran 24/7 are now one shift only, so the production in that shift must be flawless.”
It’s not just in discrete manufacturing. “Equipment uptime and production levels are especially important in process plants,” adds Vlad Bacalu, product manager for Advanced Technology Services (ATS), www.advancedtech.com. “Very few customers have redundant equipment and, therefore, they can’t shift production to other equipment. This makes uptime essential.”
Consequently, the methods chosen to ensure reliable uptime increasingly involve third-party expertise. "Because there is increased pressure on manufacturers to do more with less, they are turning to solutions that maximize maintenance timeliness and effectiveness,” says John Schroeder, business development manager, Remote Services, ABB (www.abb.com). “Remote access typically provides significantly improved technical support response times. Having these services available 24/7 is hugely beneficial to manufacturers.”
Reducing downtime by even 10 minutes can generate significant cost savings. Some downtime incidents will be eliminated completely as a result of remote predictive maintenance services. Cost efficiencies are further amplified when remote monitoring equipment and software is bundled with a service contract, because it allows the customer to avoid the capital expense of purchasing the technology while also reducing associated labor and training costs.
Ease workforce constraints
Skills gaps in the employee base are widening because of high attrition and low replacement rates, and employers are challenged to keep up. “I think we will come out of the recession with the skills shortage more acute. Many companies cut personnel during the last 12 to 18 months, and those people are generally not going to come back,” predicts Jonathan Hakim, president, Azima DLI (www.azimadli.com). “Additionally, we’ve found that when companies launch reliability programs, they often are defunct in two or three years because it is very hard to develop and sustain the expertise internally.”
Remote services can support a move to the next level. “All of our predictive work is outsourced because we don’t have reliability experts or trained people in the field who can make the call on a unit’s overall mechanical status,” says Rasmus Dorrington, rotating equipment engineer for Colonial Pipeline Company (www.colpipe.com). “Some of our pumping units were installed in the early 1960s. We used to rely on preventive practices, but two years ago we began some basic predictive maintenance, including overall vibration readings, oil sampling and analysis on the mainline piping unit.” The Atlanta, Ga., facility recently added full-spectrum vibration analysis with help from Azima DLI.
“Greater skill sets and knowledge are required to support open technology, and it is difficult to maintain an adequate level of expertise at every site,” says Shawn Gold, remote services global program manager for Open Systems Services at Honeywell (www.honeywell.com). “For example, a distributed control system itself is not generally complex, but running it on top of a Windows environment increases the workload.”
Remote service providers fill the labor gap with a supplemental workforce. “We are keenly aware of our customers’ requirements to use their technology investments in the most cost effective way,” says Bruce Oyler, manager of Global Asset Reliability Services for Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com). “We augment plants that have complicated equipment, but lack in-house expertise, and we provide second-opinion services, which are good for resolving disputes about whether an OEM or the plant owns a problem. Our intent is to give our customers service capability where they lack the skill sets or funding to build a program internally.”
Support sophisticated technology
Keeping up with constantly changing and highly sophisticated information systems is an ongoing effort. “The technology in the plant is not getting any easier to support,” says Carlson. “Customers are increasingly installing control, manufacturing execution and process systems that are integrated together over the network and supply chain, which increases the complexity of the systems.”
Modern process control systems are built to gather a lot more data than in the past, and companies are drowning in data. “In addition, device costs are going down, particularly wireless technology, which leads to a greater percentage of plants being monitored," says Hakim. “This increases the premium on the ability to make sense of the data and makes remote monitoring services like ours more valuable.”
In general, corporate IT system administrators are concerned about protecting the data, while the process IT personnel are more concerned with protecting plant processes and consider a little data loss acceptable, according to Gold. "Our customers need someone who understands and appreciates the process considerations.”
Companies are trying to get more juice out of their assets, Hakim adds. “They want to harvest and centralize data to make better sense of it and have the data visible to the operating side of the plant rather than siloed in a maintenance department computer.”
Overcome security concerns
Although the benefits of the remote service model are easy to recognize, the primary sales and implementation barrier for remote online systems concerns IT policies and firewalls. They are, however, being overcome. “It is an urban legend that plants won’t allow remote connections. The IT space has been accessing enterprise business systems like SAP and Oracle remotely for years,” says Carlson.
“Data concerns are arguably more imaginary than real,” Hakim agrees. “What would someone do with a bunch of vibration data if they could get their hands on it?”
Like online banking, a cultural shift is underway, but security remains an issue for some. “We find our customers are cautious,” adds Gold. “They want to improve their maintenance and systems, but worry about security, trade secrets and relinquishing control. A minority immediately sees the value of remote services, but the majority is guarded, particularly if there is potential for a safety incident to occur or when critical distributed control systems are involved.”
To ensure the safety and integrity of customer information, remote service providers are taking active measures at multiple levels (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Honeywell’s security protocol is very restrictive with two-factor authentication, and all appropriate security standards are applied. The customer completely controls all data going in and out, and the information is segmented in a secure, isolated environment, even within Honeywell.
For instance, ABB’s secure remote access process is documented and shared with the customer. Key security measures include registered users with limited privileges, strong authentication, encrypted outbound-only communications and logs of all remote activities. Secure control room environments are offered for customers who require an additional level of security. In addition, the customer maintains complete control over when an ABB engineer is allowed remote access and what data is allowed to be viewed and transferred. The customer can monitor the entire remote session and end it at any time.
This approach is similar to the others but some customers still need convincing. “There remain issues with getting on the customer’s network to fully and automatically monitor their systems,” says Bacalu. He explains that condition-monitoring data is read-only and variables limit the data ATS receives. In most cases, the customer moves its own data into an ATS-specific data table, which is then transferred to the ATS network. In other instances, the customer’s control networks are separate from the IT networks and ATS ties directly into its control data. ATS does not send data to controllers or machines.
Remote service offerings are robust
The scope of available remote services has never been larger. From providing IT support and disaster recovery services to troubleshooting faulty Ethernet modules, a problem in a Cisco switch, or a data-dropping barcode reader, the possibilities for remote service abound. The services might fill niche skills gaps, as when electrical technicians lack expertise in batch management, historians and MES systems, or they might encompass the entire operation.
Some providers deliver across-the-board managed services for plant and IT assets, while others are dedicated to specific equipment condition-monitoring techniques. Depending on the customer, services might be provided at the corporate level via the corporate intranet or one-off at individual sites. Service contracts are most commonly for a term of one year or more.
Most remote service vendors provide some degree of monitoring, analysis and diagnostic services, and automatically notify the customer when corrective actions are required. If the customer needs assistance with a work task or repair, the vendors might provide phone or on-site support. At a few very large facilities, the vendor might staff service personnel on site.
“In automation systems, most support and maintenance that does not require a wrench or screwdriver can be handled remotely,” says Carlson. “Anything an engineer can do from a laptop in the plant, we can do remotely. If a screwdriver or wrench is needed, we’ll reach out to the plant floor technicians and guide them through the appropriate action. If they don’t have the necessary skills, we’ll dispatch field engineers with the right knowledge and parts so they can get in and out of the customer site quickly.”
Like Rockwell, Emerson personnel don’t normally do wrench turning, although they can oversee repairs or assist with certain types of repairs, such as manually realigning and balancing equipment. “As long as the customer can transfer data and we can read it, then we can analyze it,” says Oyler. “We watch for bearing condition faults, misalignments, imbalances, excessive temperatures, compressor or turbine efficiencies, motor condition and other key indicators.”
Full-service options
Rockwell Automation’s foundation for remote services is TechConnect Support, a network of customer support centers offering real-time phone support for software and technology, product updates and electronic tools. Remote monitoring and diagnostic services for process and drive systems were added, and by April 2009, a full line of managed services for the complete lifecycle of manufacturing technology was launched under the InSite Services brand.
InSite Services takes a holistic, site- or system-wide approach to managed services, with capabilities for remote and on-site surveillance, diagnostics, administration, knowledge management, optimization and visualization.
Six services
(Source: Rockwell Automation)
Most InSite Services contracts include the diagnostics, knowledge and surveillance services. Most customers add scope over the life of a contract, such as disaster recovery, system performance management and patch management. “We literally become a virtual extension of the organization,” explains Carlson. “With our global incident management system, global phone system, global knowledge base and remote technology, there is always a Rockwell resource available for any situation at any time.”
ABB likewise offers remote services for virtually all aspects of a plant, including automation, equipment health and performance, mechanics, electrification, electronics, production and quality. ABB’s Remote Diagnostic Services (RDS) solution consists of condition monitoring, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and predictive and preventive maintenance services. Remote optimization services for systems, processes and machines also are offered.
“ABB’s remote diagnostic services provide our customers with a cost-effective and efficient way to automate data collection, conduct network analysis or system health checks, evaluate and optimize control systems, and Web-enable the analysis and troubleshooting of plant equipment,” says Schroeder.
ABB has integrated its SupportLine help desk and Remote Connectivity infrastructure. This provides the customer with a single point of contact for both remote service and SupportLine requests. The integrated infrastructure also receives automatic notifications from assets. The same escalation process is used for both customer calls and automatic notifications.
“Honeywell has been using the Internet and dial-up capabilities for at least 10 years in a very structured way,” says Gold. The company’s Open Systems Services includes both onsite and remote system performance-monitoring activities. Honeywell also offers Loop Scout, which remotely monitors and reports on control system loop performance; Benefits Guardianship Maximum, which optimizes advanced process control (APC) performance remotely; and the Technical Assistance Center, which provides remote software and hardware support and troubleshooting.
The remote services generating the most interest include system performance monitoring and management, along with backup, antivirus, patch and release management services. “It doesn’t make sense for companies to do these tasks themselves if they lack the expertise to conduct complex analysis of multiple parameters,” explains Gold.
Honeywell’s unique expertise associated with its control systems enables them to develop very accurate and robust models to determine how a system is performing, its chance of failure and how to prevent problems from occurring. The learning process is continuous as new information is received from the company’s expansive customer base.
Emerson supports rotating equipment, including turbines, compressors, HVAC, pumps, motors, boilers, heat exchangers and cooling towers. The company’s Global Asset Reliability Services include remote predictive diagnostics of mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, instrumentation and control valves.
It performs remote machinery health monitoring using data from portable vibration, infrared and ultrasound devices, as well as online prediction and performance technologies. “For customers lacking adequate reliability engineers, vibration analysts or other skilled resources in house, we’ll teach them how to collect the data and analyze it for them,” says Oyler.
Emerson also performs remote services for some OEMs. For instance, a compressor manufacturer has Emerson monitoring its compressors at customer sites to support its extended warranty program.
Boston-based Azima DLI believes it is the largest independent condition monitoring service supplier in North America. Its Watchman Reliability Services organization monitors, gathers and interprets data on vibration, temperature and oil quality, and provides information to the customer on how to manage their maintenance most efficiently (Figure 2).
Azima DLI offers both online and handheld data collection, and most customers choose a combination of the two services. Online systems installed on-site enable the most critical assets to be automatically monitored (Figure 3). For less critical equipment, data is gathered on handheld devices and uploaded to central database for analysis and interpretation by Azima (Figure 4). “Both approaches are needed because even though the cost of remote monitoring technology has fallen over the years, it still does not make economic sense to install it on all equipment,” says Hakim.
Figure 4. For remotely supported on-site condition monitoring, plant personnel collect machine vibration data onsite using Windows-based tablet computers and then replicate this data to the secure data center through automated means.
Production information is also provided. “Once there is visibility into the number of products produced on a machine, the operator knows someone is watching and will try to produce more products, more efficiently,” explains Bacalu. The company’s long-term goal is to add product quality data to the mix and have the capability to measure overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) from afar.
Separately, ATS developed iTWatch Managed Services as a tool to manage the information technology (IT) assets within an organization remotely. The services range from monitoring, patching and optimization of PCs, laptops, servers and network equipment to data backup and replication services. “Because IT protocols are standardized, remote monitoring services drive efficiencies and save precious capital resource dollars,” says Bacalu. Volvo Construction Equipment deployed iTWatch services, including virtualization of its IT enterprise, saving the company millions of dollars annually.
Substantial growth in remote services is expected to continue into the foreseeable future as conditions force companies to view outsourcing as a value-added business model, and as security advancements and the passage of time make the prospect a little less foreboding.
The emergence and adoption of new communication standards will further expand the scope of assets managed remotely and simplify the task itself. Bacalu predicts, “The factory of the future will have a lot more equipment conditions monitored remotely and the equipment itself will call for maintenance based on parameters before an actual failure occurs.”
1/26/2010
iTWatch™ Managed Services Launches SecureWatch
Hoffman Estates, IL (January 26, 2010) – Advanced Technology Services, Inc. (ATS), the industry leader for production equipment maintenance, IT infrastructure support and industrial parts repair, has signed an agreement with CTH Technologies, Inc. to become a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution under the brand name SecureWatch. CTH Technologies is a leader in the data security arena.
About CTH Technologies
About
ATSAdvanced Technology Services, Inc. (ATS) improves productivity and profitability for many of the world's most respected companies and manufacturers. ATS makes factories run better through its managed services of production equipment maintenance, parts repair and innovative IT solutions including iTWatch™. ATS is headquartered in Peoria, IL with offices and service centers located in Greenville, SC; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Monterrey, Mexico; Puerto Rico; the United Kingdom and China. For more information, visit the ATS Web site at www.AdvancedTech.com.
For more information, please contact:
Kate Sternberg
1/11/2010
How can CIO's keep up with rapidly changing technology? The answer is to look outside the box... and into an independent IT organization.
How can CIO's keep up with rapidly changing technology? The answer is to look outside the box... and into an independent IT organization By William Stuckert, Vice President Advanced Technology Services, IT Division
With budgets decreasing and technology changes happening at ever increased speed today's CIO have their challenges. The CEO is looking to the CIO to save money, drive efficiencies and build systems and solutions that drive sales and revenue.
But this is quite a challenge given today's rapidly evolving IT technology. New technologies are constantly being introduced and carbon footprints are expected to get smaller. The green initiative has CIOs wondering if retrofitting their own data center is a better option than buying new green equipment. Should they virtualize? Co-locate? And with government rules and regulation constantly changing, storing and rapid retrieval of tens of thousands of archived emails and documents is costly. CIOs have a lot to consider, and a lot to keep up with. What is the answer? Turning to an independent IT organization to handle these tasks and keep up with the ever-changing pace of technology.
Today's CIO understands that consultative expertise resides outside their organization and that utilizing this expertise as part of an overall IT strategy is paramount to success. Outsourcing noncritical tasks and redundant services makes sense and save capital. By alleviating the burden and cost of a large IT infrastructure and its related support, the CIO can concentrate on building systems that will help the organization grow its business.
Co-located data centers, virtualization of servers, outsourced monitoring and management of IT assets, hardened and secure data backup and replication services, deployment of DLP software solutions and computing in the "cloud" are just a few ways today's CIO can take advantage of new technologies. Combining these initiatives with a working relationship with a trusted outsourced partner gives The CIO more flexibility, little fear of technological obsolescence, bleeding edge solutions and confidence that their IT will be up and running when it is needed. Leaving the CIO plenty of time to develop those solutions that help drive sales and revenue.
11/10/2009 CCB developed the new Nonprofit Managed Services Special Pricing Program with Advanced Technology Services IT Solutions as a valuable resource, and cost effective way for nonprofit organizations to purchase managed services. The new program, lead by CCB, includes 24x7 IT protection, remote monitoring, maintenance, security and support options that reduce the need for multiple tools and overhead costs. “In today’s current environment, nonprofit organizations are having to find ways to do more with less money and resources. By partnering with ATS IT Solutions, we are able to provide our customers with high-quality technology solutions at pricing that’s in-line with their IT budgets. iTWatch also helps save our customer’s thousands of dollars on a yearly basis through IT infrastructure maintenance and monitoring. This helps strengthen the non-profit and charitable community by being able to reduce those IT costs and allocating those funds in other areas of the business,” comments Chris Booth, CEO/President of CCB. “Having CCB partner with iTWatch is very exciting for ATS,” states William Stuckert, Vice President of ATS IT Solutions. “CCB is highly regarded in the charitable and non-profit sectors, which ATS will leverage to increase iTWatch’s awareness. We are thrilled to have CCB leading the nonprofit division of the iTWatch solution.” CCB’s Remote Managed Services powered by iTWatch services include: 1. Monitoring Services – Minimize downtime with proactive issue resolution 24x7. 2. Maintenance Services – Resolve performance, hardware failure and other issues remotely. 3. Security – Provide 24x7 server, desktop and backup protection via managed VPN, firewall and anti-virus, remote software patches and alerts on restricted file access. 4. Support Services – Access technical experts via 24x7 help desk support. 5. Virtual Server Services – managed platform on demand virtual infrastructure. 6. Remote Data Storage – online data backup & recovery. 7. Reporting – Proactive alerting identifies and tracks, issues effecting the security and performance and generate work tickets via iTWatch Service Center dashboard. 8. Security Assurance - Tier 4 Secure Data Center. To learn more about CCB Remote Managed Services powered by iTWatch, call (800) 342-4222, or visit us at www.CCBNonprofits.com
Consistent Computer Bargains, Inc. (CCB) Launches New Managed Services Special Pricing Program Exclusively For Nonprofit Organizations
About CCB
10/21/2009
IT Helps Firms Go Green, Save Money
"Nowadays you can get a server that looks like a personal computer," Penfield says. "It's amazing how much less energy they use while providing so much more functionality than the equipment of the past."
Penfield, whose research focus is the green supply chain, asserts that the availability of smaller, more energy-efficient IT hardware presents "a big opportunity for a lot of companies" to upgrade to newer equipment that can deliver an ROI in short order based on the energy savings.
"A lot of the servers and computers are using 50% less energy than previous generations of servers and computers," Penfield says.
As an example, Penfield points to his own campus. Earlier this year, Syracuse University, New York state and IBM entered into a pact to build a $12.4 million, 6,000-square-foot data center that the entities claim will be one of the greenest data centers in operation.
Among its green attributes, the data center will be able to run completely off the grid, thanks to an on-site electrical tri-generation system that will use natural gas-fueled microturbine engines to generate the electricity and cool the servers. All told, the data center is expected to use half as much energy as a typical data center, according to IBM and Syracuse.
A manufacturer doesn't need to build its own multimillion-dollar green data center to reduce the carbon footprint of its IT infrastructure. Green co-location data centers can accomplish that goal for manufacturers at a fraction of the cost, says Bill Stuckert, vice president of the IT Services Division of Peoria, Ill.-based Advanced Technology Services (ATS) Inc.
"There really is no comparison" in terms of cost, Stuckert asserts.
Manufacturers can turn to vendors such as ATS to run their servers in a green co-location facility for a monthly or annual fee. According to Stuckert, green co-location data centers offer a number of environmental benefits, including minimal building footprints; the use of low-emission building materials, carpets and paints; waste recycling; and the use of photovoltaics, heat pumps, evaporative cooling and other alternative-energy technologies.
IT can play an important role in greening manufacturers' overall operations as well. For example, Carlsbad, Calif.-based Enviance Inc. offers Internet-based software that helps manufacturers measure, monitor and manage their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Meanwhile, the Walldorf, Germany-based business software giant SAP AG earlier this year acquired Clear Standards Inc., which also makes Web-based software designed to track GHG emissions and other environmental impacts.
In September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that will require manufacturers emitting 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent per year to annually report their GHG emissions to the agency, among other stipulations. The rule could be a boon for software providers such as Enviance, whose CEO Larry Goldenhersh calls it "a sea change in regulatory enforcement."
"For those of you who are thankful the Senate hasn't passed climate change legislation (Sens. Barbara Boxer and John Kerry introduced a bill on Sept. 30, but at press time the legislation had not been passed), you need to keep your eye on EPA, because EPA has just passed a rule that's going to change your life," Goldenhersh says.
Beyond compliance, Goldenhersh sees several other drivers for the use of IT systems to help manufacturers green their operations, including what he calls "supply chain environmentalism." With consumer demand for green products growing, Goldenhersh asserts that companies -- especially those in the retail sector -- will be able to achieve a competitive advantage by using software to measure and manage their products' carbon footprints down through the supply chains.
"If all screwdrivers cost $1.39, but my screwdriver has 10 pounds of carbon and my competitors' have 50 pounds of carbon, I'm going to slap a carbon label on that screwdriver and say, 'Buy my screwdriver. Not only will it turn your screws, but it will save the planet for your kids and your grandkids,'" Goldenhersh explains.
8/31/2009 The days of expensive raised floor, high-cost data centers are a thing of the past. High-efficiency servers, solid state storage, green co-location data centers, and cloud computing are just some of the initiatives helping to drive down costs and green the environment. Green co-location data centers are characterized as data centers in which the storage, management, and dissemination of data occurs, and the mechanical, lighting, electrical and computer systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact. The number of co-location providers offering Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) based on cloud computing is a strong indication of future growth. Green co-location data centers offer: Building and certifying a green co-location data center or other facility can be fairly expensive upfront, but co-location offers substantial long-term cost savings on both operations and maintenance. Another advantage is that green facilities offer employees a healthy and comfortable work environment while enhancing corporate social responsibility efforts and improving overall relations with local communities. As I work with companies in a variety of industries, the most important factors considered when choosing a co-location provider include stability, security, savings, and convenience. Whether a company is racking up its own equipment in a co-location facility or just renting space on the co-location provider's servers, it is becoming very apparent that there are great benefits to be enjoyed by using the co-location center services. Eco-friendly co-location data centers will prove to be a lasting trend as their value shows itself for years to come. WILLIAM J. STUCKERT is vice president and general manager at Advanced Technology Services Inc., a provider of managed services of production equipment maintenance, information technology, and spare parts repair based in Peoria, Ill.
Driving Down Costs With Co-Location Centers
By William J. Stuckert
7/30/2009 International Association of Outsourcing Professionals recognizes ATS for service offerings in Mexico, leadership in retail and consumer goods and product manufacturing “At ATS, we make factories run better,” said ATS president Jeffrey Owens. “We do that through our customer-focused continuous improvement culture that utilizes employee involvement and the technical tools of quality.” Among the criteria that put ATS ahead of its contenders was the fact that ATS provides standard metrics for all activities taking place within customers’ facilities. Displaying these metrics provided the necessary validity that demonstrates ATS’ process create a tangible increase in asset performance. To date, ATS has accumulated over $4.6 million in savings for customers. “In tough economic times when manufactures are looking for innovative ways to increase cost savings and efficiency, outsourcing production maintenance can make a significant difference,” said Owens. “In both expanding and contracting economies, ATS’ value proposition delivers meaningful advantages to our customers. We add flexibility to manufacturers that helps them operate at lower levels when needed and to ramp up rapidly as production demand changes.” In addition to creating measurable value for customers, another set of challenges facing manufacturers and managed service providers that ATS has been able to overcome includes expansion into new regions and achieving success in other countries. ATS was named among the best five companies by region served for their work in Mexico in the IAOP’s raking of outsourcing professionals. ATS opened a Mexico headquarters in Monterrey, N.L. and has operations in three other Mexico cities to provide outsourced maintenance in that country. ATS has been providing asset maintenance for customers in Mexico for the past five years and has aggressive plans to now expand its footprint in the area. “To be recognized on an international level for our services in the manufacturing industry and our commitment to make factories run better, directly reflects our core values as well as our dedication to and partnerships with our customers,” said Owens. “We are proud to be recognized by the IAOP.” 2009 marked the fourth annual ranking of the world’s best outsourcing service providers by the IAOP. Companies who submitted applications were ranked according to 18 criteria including revenue growth, customer references, management capabilities, demonstrated competencies, number of employees and the skills and training of their workforce. The applications were reviewed and scored by a panel of independent judges, all industry experts that use outsourcing services. Companies included on the list come from around the world and represent the full spectrum of outsourcing services including information technology and business process outsourcing, facility services, real estate and capital asset management, manufacturing and logistics.
Advanced Technology Services Takes Home Three Awards
In Annual Global Outsourcing Ranking
About Advanced Technology Services
About IAOP
6/19/2009
Outsourced Remote Management Profit Metrics
5/27/2009 The first program of its kind, the MSPAlliance Accreditation Program for MSPs is the Managed Services Industry’s only benchmark-based program, measuring specific criteria, such as financial status, business practices, client references, service delivery processes and more. The MSAP exam is a very comprehensive exam that tracks and measures a company's professional and business capacity to serve its clients. “We look forward to having an industry leader like ATS join the alliance, said Charles Weaver, president of MSPAlliance. “ The ATS iTWatch Managed Services Program will be a great resource to our MSP members.” “We are excited to receive this honor from the MSPAlliance, said William Stuckert, IT Solutions Vice President, ATS. “This accreditation reinforces the benefits of iTWatch as a “market leading” new service model that sharpens our customers’ competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.” iTWatch Managed Services is designed exclusively as a managed solution to provide enterprise customers with the most cost effective management of their IT infrastructure 24x7. The solution, consisting of 11 rings of service, manages customers’ IT environment over the Internet resulting in an unlimited range of unique managed services, providing extraordinary levels of performance and availability for enterprise customers.
ATS’ iTWatch™ Managed Services Program Receives Prestigious Accreditation From MSPAlliance
About MSPAlliance:
5/1/2009
Advanced Technology Services (ATS) is proud to be a member of the MSP Alliance Accrediation Program with its award-winning iTWatch Managed Services.
The MSPAlliance’s Managed Services Accreditation Program (MSAP) is the only best practices and standards-based program specifically created for the managed services industry, ensuring that their clients will receive the highest quality of reliable service.
The MSPAlliance Accreditation Program for MSPs is the Managed Services Industry’s only benchmark-based program, measuring specific criteria, such as financial status, business practices, client references, service delivery processes and more. The MSAP exam is a very comprehensive exam that tracks and measures a company's professional and business capacity to serve its clients.
11/17/2008
Advanced Technology Services, Inc. Named to the Inc. 5,000 and the Global Outsourcing 100
5/26/2008
Tech Data expands managed services portfolio with ATS
5/19/2008 At its TechSelect Partner Conference in Las Vegas last week, Tech Data unveiled a program with IBM Global Financing for solution providers to offer managed services. VARs can now structure contracts with customers on a monthly or quarterly basis for hardware, software and services under a single contract. With IBM (NYSE:IBM), solution providers now get paid by IBM up front for a project, allowing them to more quickly recoup their investments, while the end user pays IBM on a recurring schedule. Financing is available for deals as low as $1,000 and projects under $300,000 do not require solution providers to submit end-user financials, according to the distributor. "In the long run, managed services enable resellers to build margin and enhance profits, but inadequate financing stops many MSPs before they begin," said Joe Quaglia, senior vice president of U.S. marketing, in a statement. In addition, Tech Data has expanded a partnership with Advanced Technology Services (ATS) to provide the company's ITWatch managed services that include monitoring, maintainance, security and support. ITWatch offers on-site support by ATS staff or through an ATS partner, an important option for solution providers that want to get into managed services but don't have the infrastructure, or to partners that want to expand their offerings beyond their local reach. "We spent several months going back and forth, productizing this into something that will work," said Barb Miller, vice president of government, technical and integration services at Tech Data. "We talked to resellers, we did our due diligence. One of the things they have that is unique is remotely monitoring, management and the ability mediate on site." John Farley, director of new business development at Hoffman Estates, an Ill.-based ATS, said it was Tech Data's idea to include an onsite component to the managed services offerings. "The key to the whole thing is the relationship we have with Tech Data, We went there with the mindset: here's the product here's how we want to sell it. They said you have a great idea, this is how we're going to sell it. ATS had an approach, Tech Data had an approach to the channel and we put it together," he said. Using ATS through Tech Data, solution providers can begin offering managed services in less than 30 days, said Jack Freislinger, director of professional services at ATS. ATS has 2,000 people available to cover onsite calls on behalf of MSPs, Miller said. "Tech Data picked a national partner that has credentials. When we offer a service to the VAR, it's not a service that will blow up or come back to haunt them. We've been offering services to VARs for 15 years now and we are really selective in picking partners," she said. Also at the TechSelect conference, Tech Data said that more than 150 VARs have signed up for managed services through Zenith Infotech, a Warrandale, Pa.-based MSP platform vendor. It's a number that makes Zenith CEO Akash Saraf happy. "Tech Data's value is offering more than what we can do. We have a NOC for partners. We have offsite backup service. But [Tech Data] has financing, print management, the things we don't do," Saraf said. Mark Steiger, CEO of DLP Technologies, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has offered managed services for two years. He said any time a distributor like Tech Data can help evolve his model, the better. "Any time they can understand our business more to work with MSPs, it's nothing but a plus for us. There's not a business that stays the same. It's important that we see ways to change and increase revenue, to do things better," he said.
Tech Data Adds Financing, Onsite Support For MSPs
Tech Data (NSDQ:TECD) estimates that 80 percent of its solution providers aren't engaged in managed services offerings yet, but it's a figure the Clearwater, Fla.-based distributor hopes to reduce following the latest developments in its MSP initiatives.
5/16/2008 CHICAGO, IL -- May 16th, 2008 – Advanced Technology Services (ATS), a leading provider of IT infrastructure support services, today announced the extension of iTWatch Managed Services out to Managed Service Providers (MSPs). As a certified Level Platforms Hosting Partner, ATS now provides MSPs and resellers with access to Level Platforms’ award winning Managed Workplace® technology delivered via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, iTWatch Managed Services. Existing MSPs or resellers looking to enter into managed services can leverage a powerful combination of hosted remote monitoring and management, NOC services and onsite remediation directly from ATS, developed around their customer’s unique needs. Advanced Technology Services' goal is to help resellers lower their cost of delivering a high performance IT experience to their end customers allowing them to apply a greater portion of their IT budgets on higher value services offered by the reseller. iTWatch Managed Services augment a reseller’s traditional element-based technology, allowing them to outsource expertise on various IT technologies while still maintaining the customer relationship, critical to a reseller’s success. Powered by Level Platforms’ Managed Workplace Hosted, iTWatch is designed exclusively as a managed solution to provide customers with the most cost effective management of their IT infrastructure 24x7. ATS’ iTWatch provides end-to-end monitoring and management of a reseller’s customer’s IT infrastructure over the Internet, providing extraordinary levels of performance and availability. Level Platforms is the market leading remote monitoring and management software vendor with over 2500 partners in 29 countries choosing Level Platforms’ Managed Workplace software to provide remote managed services to their SMB customers. The hosted offering from ATS allows MSPs to immediately optimize their technical resources and provide superior service to their customers, resulting in improved revenues and profitability. It also enables the MSP to provide an additional range of fully integrated service offerings by leveraging the extensive collaborative services integration features of the Level Platforms product. “Teaming with LPI has allowed ATS to build a premier managed service offering, iTWatch Managed Services. Level Platforms has the knowledge, technical support and platform to support our short and long term service goals,” commented William Stuckert, Vice President of IT Support Services for ATS. “Our partnership with Level Platforms allows ATS to be at the forefront of new technologies for our clients.” “Our hosted SaaS software solution adds value to the very extensive and proven ATS offering by allowing full integration of the reseller into the value chain,” said Peter Sandiford, CEO for Level Platforms. “As a certified Hosting Partner, ATS now has the ability to augment their offering to extend managed services out through the channel while providing unique services that add value to their offering.” For more information on the ATS offering and iTWatch, visit http://www.atsmanagedservices.com/. About Level Platforms
ATS Extends Industry Leading MSP Service iTWatch™ to Reseller Partners Launches Hosted Level Platforms Offering for MSPs
Level Platforms is the leading provider of managed services software for IT solution providers servicing small and mid-sized end customers through its award-winning remote monitoring and management software, Managed Workplace. Managed Workplace provides everything a managed services provider needs to remotely monitor and manage their end customers' IT networks through a single web-based central dashboard. For more information, visit Level Platforms at http://www.levelplatforms.com/
Jill Deiss
Tel: 309.693.4061
jdeiss@advancedtech.com
www.advancedtech.com
Level Platforms
Tel: 613-232-1000, extension 183
cmiyazaki@levelplatforms.com
http://www.levelplatforms.com
5/16/2008 iTWatch remotely monitors the health of critical systems company-wide through the Internet. This provides issues and required updates in real-time allowing for immediate solutions that are handled remotely – maximizing reseller’s customer’s uptime and performance. iTWatch Managed Services consists of three pre-built packages; basic, complete or deluxe, with the option to add on additional services including data recovery, email archiving, onsite support and more. All in which the reseller can brand their own. “This is a great opportunity for IT service providers to expand their geographical reach with fewer resources,” comments ATS IT Solutions Vice President, Bill Stuckert. “ATS provides resellers with the ability to remotely manage their customer’s IT infrastructure anywhere in the country over the Internet. ATS also has the ability to provide onsite services to those customers if a solution can not be remedied remotely. Through leveraging ATS’ technicians, our partners will have the ability to focus on maintaining their current relationships and growing their managed solution business, not fixing it.” As a reseller of iTWatch Managed Services, all of the work has been done from the infrastructure being built, the services defined to the development of marketing material. These benefits create profitable new service models that sharpen reseller’s competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market. To learn more about becoming a reseller of iTWatch Managed Services, email itwatchsales@advancedtech.com or visit www.atsmanagedservices.com.
ATS Offers Resellers A Solution To Building Their Own Branded Managed Service - iTWatch™ Managed Services
5/16/2008 CHICAGO, IL -- May 16th, 2008 – Advanced Technology Services (ATS), a leading provider of IT infrastructure support services, today announced the extension of iTWatch Managed Services out to Managed Service Providers (MSPs). As a certified Level Platforms Hosting Partner, ATS now provides MSPs and resellers with access to Level Platforms’ award winning Managed Workplace® technology delivered via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, iTWatch Managed Services. Existing MSPs or resellers looking to enter into managed services can leverage a powerful combination of hosted remote monitoring and management, NOC services and onsite remediation directly from ATS, developed around their customer’s unique needs. Advanced Technology Services' goal is to help resellers lower their cost of delivering a high performance IT experience to their end customers allowing them to apply a greater portion of their IT budgets on higher value services offered by the reseller. iTWatch Managed Services augment a reseller’s traditional element-based technology, allowing them to outsource expertise on various IT technologies while still maintaining the customer relationship, critical to a reseller’s success. Powered by Level Platforms’ Managed Workplace Hosted, iTWatch is designed exclusively as a managed solution to provide customers with the most cost effective management of their IT infrastructure 24x7. ATS’ iTWatch provides end-to-end monitoring and management of a reseller’s customer’s IT infrastructure over the Internet, providing extraordinary levels of performance and availability. Level Platforms is the market leading remote monitoring and management software vendor with over 2500 partners in 29 countries choosing Level Platforms’ Managed Workplace software to provide remote managed services to their SMB customers. The hosted offering from ATS allows MSPs to immediately optimize their technical resources and provide superior service to their customers, resulting in improved revenues and profitability. It also enables the MSP to provide an additional range of fully integrated service offerings by leveraging the extensive collaborative services integration features of the Level Platforms product. “Teaming with LPI has allowed ATS to build a premier managed service offering, iTWatch Managed Services. Level Platforms has the knowledge, technical support and platform to support our short and long term service goals,” commented William Stuckert, Vice President of IT Support Services for ATS. “Our partnership with Level Platforms allows ATS to be at the forefront of new technologies for our clients.” “Our hosted SaaS software solution adds value to the very extensive and proven ATS offering by allowing full integration of the reseller into the value chain,” said Peter Sandiford, CEO for Level Platforms. “As a certified Hosting Partner, ATS now has the ability to augment their offering to extend managed services out through the channel while providing unique services that add value to their offering.” For more information on the ATS offering and iTWatch, visit http://www.atsmanagedservices.com/. About Level Platforms
ATS Extends Industry Leading MSP Service iTWatch™ to Reseller Partners Launches Hosted Level Platforms Offering for MSPs
Level Platforms is the leading provider of managed services software for IT solution providers servicing small and mid-sized end customers through its award-winning remote monitoring and management software, Managed Workplace. Managed Workplace provides everything a managed services provider needs to remotely monitor and manage their end customers' IT networks through a single web-based central dashboard. For more information, visit Level Platforms at http://www.levelplatforms.com/
5/16/2008 “Remote managed services enable resellers to expand their geographic reach farther than ever,” said Tech Data Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing Joe Quaglia. “Resellers can provide managed services to existing customers’ regional offices or even recruit new clients in other parts of the country. Resellers need to be mindful, however, that their unmatched ability to deliver local touch and dependable service is their greatest strength in the marketplace. By partnering with ATS, our customers are not only able to deliver hosted managed services, but they can confidently back their service agreements with nationwide on-site technical support to quickly address issues that can not be resolved remotely.” “ATS has more than 20 years of experience providing a wide array of technical services in the public and private sectors,” said ATS Vice President of IT Support Services Bill Stuckert. “We introduced iTWatch late last year to help businesses and government agencies enhance the value of their IT investments through improved operational efficiencies and service levels. Through Tech Data, we’re engaging the channel to build a strong partner base that will enable us to grow our business and help resellers generate recurring service revenue.” iTWatch Managed Services support Windows, Linux and Unix operating environments. Services are sold per user, per device and are available in three levels of coverage, which managed services providers (MSPs) can deploy to satisfy a wide range of end-user needs or leverage to complement existing service offerings. MSPs also have the option of partnering with iTWatch to handle all the monitoring and issue remediation on their behalf, or use the iTWatch Service Center dashboard to monitor alerts and take corrective action themselves, maintaining complete control over the end-user relationship. iTWatch Managed Services available through Tech Data include: To learn more about iTWatch, call (800) 237-8931, ext. 64257, or send e-mail to tdoncall@techdata.com. About Tech Data
Tech Data U.S. Offers VARs More Choices When Selecting Managed Services Partners IT products distributor teams with Advanced Technology Services to offer resellers hosted, private-label managed services with national on-site technical support
About ATS
IT solutions through an award-winning remote monitoring service, iTWatch™ Managed Services. iTWatch manages and supports data, networks, onsite technicians, disaster recovery, patch management, help desk and much more in efforts to assist IT providers in servicing their small, mid-sized and global enterprise clients. ATS employs over 2,300 people across the US and Mexico. ATS IT Solutions is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, IL. For more information please visit www.atsmanagedservices.com.
Founded in 1974, Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ GS: TECD) is a leading distributor of IT products, with more than 100,000 customers in over 100 countries. The company's business model enables technology solution providers, manufacturers and publishers to cost-effectively sell to and support end users ranging from small and medium businesses (SMB) to large enterprises. Ranked 105th on the FORTUNE 500®, Tech Data generated $23.4 billion in net sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.techdata.com.
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