Managed Services Really Are Right For You

By The Business Solutions Network

In writing this month’s articles for Business Solutions, I’m reminded that you don’t need Fortune 500 customers or to be a networking IT VAR to offer managed services. Take, for instance, EMV, a payment processing security initiative with an upcoming deadline. While EMV’s deadline is, at this point, a one-time event, the standard is really part of a larger conversation around payments security in general. There’s no foreseeable end to the concern around payments security, particularly not when merchant data breaches continue to hit the mainstream news.

In speaking with some payments experts, it became clear that payments security could be a great monthly recurring revenue generator if only a VAR was willing to create some bundles for customers. Imagine a service where the customer gets always-up-to-the- latest-standards PIN pad/payments terminals, regular security audits, and updated software. Perhaps you throw in some networking equipment like a firewall and antivirus. The customer gets an “always-compliant” payments system, and you collect a monthly check. Rather than treat EMV and PCI deadlines as one-time events, turn security into a service and charge for it!