Level Platforms Powers Gateway® EMEA Managed Services

Gateway launches comprehensive private-branded managed services offering for Dealers, IT consultants and IT Solution Providers servicing small and midsized customers.

May 20, 2009

Birmingham UK – May 20, 2009 – (From Channel Expo 2009) – LPI Level Platforms Inc., the global leader in remote monitoring and management software for solution providers and managed services providers, and Gateway® today announced the launch of a multi-year relationship to bring Managed Services to Partners and Dealers in Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

Based on its award-winning product, Managed Workplace 2009, Level Platforms and Gateway will provide Gateway Managed Services as a comprehensive solution targeted to tens of thousands of IT consultants, dealers, systems integrators and solution providers supporting the IT environments of millions of small and midsized business throughout the region.  Gateway Managed Services provides not only a comprehensive online business solution but also planning, support and business development services to assist in the achieving the dramatic business benefits of managed services adoption. Gateway will integrate its Managed Services into its Business First Partner programme as well as offering the solution through its distribution partners thereby delivering the first comprehensive EMEA-wide managed services solution in the industry.  

In today's difficult economic environment, small and midsized businesses (SMBs) can rely on managed IT services to help them achieve lower and more predictable IT support costs and to improve IT resiliency and efficiency in their day-to-day operations. Gateway Managed Services enables its Partners to deliver efficient IT Services remotely so that their customers can enjoy new value-based services delivered under a monthly services agreement, as opposed to paying larger unpredictable amounts on a less efficient on-site and per event basis. The Gateway Managed Services platform provides a complete toolset that aids in managing the security, reliability and compliance aspects of IT infrastructure, thereby reducing risk to customers’ assets and business operations.

Gateway Business First Partners and Dealers who use Gateway Managed Services to deliver managed IT services for their customers receive many extraordinary benefits:

• Comprehensive tools to introduce new recurring revenue services
• Remote monitoring and automation to dramatically reduce costs of delivery
• Comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge of customer asset and application performance to identify new opportunities to improve the customer’s IT environment
• More satisfied customers based on proactive problem identification and remediation

Gateway Managed Services includes comprehensive reporting on operational status, system performance, IT health, network security, and compliance and asset management that solution providers use in regular consultative business reviews with their customers. The overall impact for customers is a reduced risk and lower cost of owning IT, as well as peace of mind that regulatory and contractual requirements are being managed in addition to allowing internal resources to focus on core business operations.

“By delivering a comprehensive hosted platform, Gateway Managed Services allows our Dealers and Partners to avoid costly up-front investments typically involved in deploying managed services”, said Kevin O’Donoghue, EMEA Product Business Manager of Gateway®. “The Dealer’s business benefits from Gateway Managed Services with stabilised revenue, reduced operating costs and a competitive advantage through a differentiated and own-branded pro-active support model that translates into worry free computing for their customers.”

The Dealer’s customers benefit from predictable and affordable IT costs; faster problem resolution and reduced downtime; and a broader range of valuable services from the Dealer they trust. Customers will enjoy increased productivity as they are freed from managing and maintaining the performance of their complex IT infrastructure themselves. They will also benefit from the proactive management of IT risks and cost-saving system optimisations that their Dealer is enabled to deliver with branded Gateway Managed Services.

“We are delighted to be working with one of the world’s leading and most innovative computer manufacturers to bring the benefits of managed services to IT solution providers throughout the region”, said Jeff Campbell, VP Strategic Accounts for Level Platforms. “Gateway Managed Services partners will benefit from the industry’s most comprehensive managed services platform now in use by more than 3000 IT solution providers in 30 countries, with enhanced features designed specifically for the EMEA market.  Leveraging our Strategic Account Engagement model, we will help Gateway deliver proven technical and business support services to help accelerate adoption and ensure long term strategic advantage for Gateway’s partners.”

The Gateway Managed Services solution provides the following features:

• Alert Monitoring
• Problem Resolution and Remote Control
• Automated Patching
• Service Automation, Script Deployment
• Asset Management
• Configuration Management
• Detailed and customisable reporting and performance monitoring
• Training and Technical support
• Business and Marketing support from a dedicated Gateway Business First Partner Manager

All of these features are delivered as a complete hosted service so there is no requirement for the Gateway Managed Services partner to purchase local hardware or software, and with Managed Workplace’s open architecture and agentless design, IT solution providers are able to discover, monitor and manage all devices without the need to deploy agents. The Gateway Managed Services solution is offered in an all inclusive per-site pricing model that provides all the solution features, functionality, maintenance and business support services providing everything a service provider needs to deliver a comprehensive managed service and support the growth of the managed service business model, with complete flexibility to establish their own market pricing.

“We have identified managed services as a key growth area for our business“, said Gavin Rose, Managing Director of NS Optimum. “This model allows us to provide customers with an environmentally sound and proactive service with more predictable IT costs. Having evaluated several tools we found Gateway Managed Services to offer the most comprehensive and cost effective system to deliver these values, creating a good partnership for the future.”

Gateway Managed Services is available immediately. To begin realising its benefits, please contact Gateway representative Philip Ashkar (philip_ashkar@gateway.com).

About Level Platforms

With 3000 Partners in 30 countries, Level Platforms is the leading provider of managed services software for IT solution providers servicing small and midsized end customers through its award-winning agentless remote monitoring and management software, Managed Workplace.  www.levelplatforms.com.

About Gateway

Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, California-based Gateway has been a technological pioneer, offering award-winning products and world-class services to customers worldwide. Gateway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer Inc., the world’s third-largest PC company. See www.gateway.com for more information.
© 2008 Acer Inc. All rights reserved.

Gateway, the Gateway logo and the black and white  symbol are registered trademarks or Gateway Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the properties of their respective owners.

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Media Contact
Anna Chipilova
Tel: +1 613 232 1000, extension 181
Email: achipilova@levelplatforms.com

Philip Ashkar
Mobile : + 44 751 559 6407
Email : philip_ashkar@gateway.com

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