Schneider Electric Partners with Distributors to Offer Managed Power as a Service

CANALYS FORUMS 2021 EMEA — Schneider Electric has partnered with distributors in the U.K., Netherlands, Germany and Austria to deliver managed power as a service (MPaaS).

It made the announcement Wednesday at Canalys Forums 2021 EMEA.

Available through ALSO, Ingram Micro and Tech Data, managed power as a service combines Schneider Electric’s APC Smart-UPS, and monitoring and dispatch services. It aims to help partners create their own as-a-service’ offer with flexible finance options from the distributors.

Schneider argues that managed power as a service will open up more cash flow for partners. This will enable them to add greater value to customers and reduce their operational costs. They can also increase recurring revenue streams via real-time remote monitoring and management services.

A Schneider spokesperson said managed power services “are an increasingly important differentiator for IT channel partners.”

“MPaaS is increasing recurring revenue streams for MSPs. According to IDC, 80% of end users plan to deploy more IT services at edge locations. And 40% of end users plan to outsource their edge initiatives. This trend will fuel the demand for MSPs to offer MPaaS, and managed power services in general. We will keep supporting IT solution providers in their efforts to establish managed power services, in order to capture new opportunities.”

Overcomes Customer Challenges

IDC states that 40% of end users plan to outsource their edge initiatives. Yet as dependency on critical power and hybrid infrastructure grows, downtime has become more prevalent. Research by the Uptime Institute found 75% of respondents believe downtime could be preventable with better management, processes or configuration.

Schneider says managed power as a service overcomes key customer challenges. These include the need for real-time visibility across distributed IT and critical power sites and greater access to trained IT support. It also addresses the need to manage costs more effectively. Further, it provides a way for channel partners to address a new market requirement for backup power protection in remote edge sites. It claims predictable reduced costs of up to 59%.

The solution includes APC Smart-UPS. This is a single-phase UPS model with preinstalled network management cards for secure, remote monitoring. The EcoStruxure remote monitoring offers real-time performance data with proactive recommendations. It also provides monitoring and dispatch services, offering 24/7, expert IT support to minimise downtime and business interruptions.

The finance terms from distributors includes contract lengths at one-, three- and five-year terms.

Schneider says managed power as a service will be available in other countries across Europe in the coming months.