There are times when the enterprise markets take a lead from what is happening in the consumer world, the best example being the move from CAPEX to OPEX billing models.
Through a smaller, more manageable fee per month, vendors, manufacturers and providers have been able to sell the solutions businesses need, whilst rolling in software to complement hardware and automatic updates, as well as a support package that regularly helps the IT department.
But the move to offer a subscription model often goes unreported. Such a transition has happened with the Intel Unite® solution, collaboration and content sharing software, which is now offered as a subscription service either direct to consumers or through their MSP partners.
Brian Cockrell, Intel Unite product owner and Co-Founder, said that the subscription-based software they are offering is benefitting more than just the finances of their customers, adding that the Intel Unite solution can work with businesses to fit their unique needs and the technology they are currently using.
“With the use of the cloud, this newer model for subscriptions means we can easily provision existing PCs that businesses have today,” said Cockrell. “As long as the computers are running Intel® Core™ i5 or greater processors, they can sign up for a cloud service without having to retrofit rooms with all new equipment. With the subscription model, it’s an incremental cost and businesses are able to more easily add to and scale the solution to add new systems, rooms or collaboration spaces”
Flexibility
Cockrell went on to describe the flexibility at the heart of the Intel Unite solution. The hub software can run on any Windows 10 PC with an Intel® Core™ i5 or above processor, which includes mini-PCs, desktops, laptops, and all-in-ones. There is a large and growing ecosystem of off-the-shelf app integrations that provide just-in-time tech. If an app isn’t available for a specific need, developers and MSPs can use the publicly available SDK to create custom apps.
These apps can take many forms, such as an integration that turns on lighting when people enter the meeting room and dims it when a presentation commences.
“Our vision for Intel Unite has always been a solution with robust core capabilities along with an open platform that allows for nearly limitless customization,” said Cockrell.
“We created the SDK so if there is a capability that isn’t currently available, an end user or an MSP could create their own app. As a result, we’ve started to see integrations that go beyond just whiteboarding or document cameras”
New channels of revenues
Using the SDK that Intel Unite provides, the MSP market has been able to build on its platform to offer more to their customers.
“It became apparent that partnering with MSPs was the fastest and most efficient way to scale our business,” said Cockrell. “Intel provides tools and incentives, and the flexibility of the Intel Unite solution gives our MSP partners the ability to offer additional peripherals and services to their customers, including configuring meeting rooms in bespoke ways and creating their own apps for the Intel Unite solution.”
