Fixed Wireless Business

Telework Part 3: iPass Sells a Telework Package

When we asked how an ISP would offer a telework package, those who know referred us to iPass, whose customers include most of the major U.S. pharmaceutical companies.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Managing Editor [September 5, 2006]

When iPass bought GoRemote late last year, Glenn Fleishman said that although the merger made sense, "it's always a bit of a shocker when two highly competitive rivals merge." A Forrester Research report said that the merger would be good for customers.

ISPs knew both Redwood Shores, Calif.-based iPass and GoRemote (formerly GRIC) as both customers and vendors. Both specialized in roaming, products that some ISPs purchased to offer to their customers and that some ISPs sold to GoRemote and iPass.

Clay Tucker is a sales manager at iPass who came from GoRemote. He says his division has gone from success to success. "Our business model continues to improve as we incorporate new technologies that iPass has brought to the table. We have incorporated 150 fixed broadband providers into our managed network, allowing iPass to deliver the most extensive footprint available in North America."

So, if you're a leader, how did you get to be one?
The company started with big companies. It displays the logos of several major businesses in its list of case studies, but Tucker says the company became well known when large pharmaceutical companies starting use it: household names like Johnson and Johnson, Novartis, and Schering Plough.

When selling to smart people, use the soft touch
Tucker says that the product sells itself—to companies that have tried to build a nationwide telework network on their own and know how tough it is. "I don't try and snow job anybody. If they've already tried to do it themselves, they understand what we're offering. It's not overly complicated."

When selling to a well-educated IT team, it's all about credibility, Tucker says. He says, "iPass' Home Office product sells itself to companies that have tried to build a nationwide telework network on their own, and have dealt with the complexity of each carrier having a unique method of order processing, escalations, and issue resolution." Experiencing this pain first-hand has helped them understand the value of what iPass delivers by managing such a network.

A company that operates in just a piece of the United States may be able to deliver connectivity to all of its home offices, but the challenge grows with the company. "We're managing a significant number of ISPs on the customer's behalf, providing industry-leading SLAs including (among other details) on time installation, MTTR, Availability and Latency," he says. "It's something an individual IT team either can't do or doesn't want to do."

"It's challenging enough to have your IT staff managing a dozen ISPs. Supporting, say, 1,000 teleworkers across the country can require upwards of 70 to 90 different providers. We maintain a database of information on each carrier that includes such data points as escalation path, order and troubleshooting process, past experience, and performance. We take ownership of all issues, drilling down to real time status and trouble ticket resolution. The larger your dispersed workforce, the more value we add to your IT staff. You could do it yourself, but the question that is always asked is 'what is the best use of time for your IT staff?'"

The product
The company's iPassConnect product features software that gets downloaded to the home office computer. "Now we can follow a laptop out of the home on to EV-DO cellular or to a Starbucks hotspot. A customer can push a button on the software client on the laptop to obtain authorization. The customer doesn't receive a bill, and the IT staff gets an audit trail."

As a result of this and other features, Tucker says iPass averages 1.6 calls per user per year.

Other iPassConnect features include:

• Pre-Connect Security and Internet and VPN Auto-Disconnect (ensures user has firewall, IDS (if any), and anti-virus turned on)
• Secure Wi-Fi Networking
• Background Updates
• Billing by Cost Center (track usage by department, project, or domain name)

In addition, customization is, of course, available.

Customer education
Tucker says that customer education is an issue.

For example, while "many CFOs feel that homes already have broadband in place, and companies can take advantage of this," Tucker recommends that the company pay for broadband.

"It's an extended office. You want to control the environment."

Does Tucker recommend business or residential service? He says it depends on the AUP. "For example, many cable companies says that if you're running a business, you should by the business class service."

So there's no inherent advantage to business class service? "We as a company are buying business class service. We add value to the network with troubleshooting, call answering, but we also benefit from using the business class service. We're not selling residential circuits. When the carrier gets an order from us, they know it's a business line."

In addition to the improvement of a company's productivity, Tucker says that telework is a public good. "There are inherent contributions to air quality, traffic reduction, quality of life, and employee retention, along with improvements in business continuity, disaster recovery, and epidemic coverage."

—End

 

Telework Part 1: What it is and Why it Sells

Telework Part 2: What You Need

Telework Part 3: iPass Sells a Telework Package

>Telework Part 4: Jobs for Disabled Veterans