Software that Saves Cash - Better Software License Management
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Distributors, too,
offer services to help partners capitalize on business optimization
opportunities. Tech Data’s MyOpportunityTracker and MyLicenseTracker
help solution providers identify and close software licensing deals
more easily, as well as providing valuable services to customers, says
Stacy Nethercoat, TechData’s vice president of software.
Nethercoat says one
way for resellers to increase revenue and profits lies in helping their
customers ease software licensing issues, making it easier to procure,
manage and keep track of those licenses. Since many resellers struggle
to develop and maintain their own infrastucture, they often don’t have
the systems and personnel to effectively deal with their customer
software licensing issues.
MyOpportunityTracker
shows resellers the current state of their customers’ infrastructure
portfolio, and identifying opportunities for license renewal, including
software licenses, hardware warranties and service-level agreements.
The tool maintains information from most of Tech Data’s vendors,
including current part numbers, software revisions and program changes,
letting resellers know if and when a customer’s licenses will expire
and prompting them to renew.
“MyOpportunityTracker
takes the complexity and the onus off of our resellers to keep track of
all this information themselves. It provides them with every piece of
information they need to capture that renewal,” Nethercoat says. Of
course, the customer also benefits by avoiding expired software
licenses, hardware warranties and services agreements, and renewal
penalties.
Nethercoat adds that
MyOpportunityTracker can open up potential annuity streams with
existing customers as resellers track customers’ licenses over time.
“While it’s still
important for our solution providers to generate new business, if they
have a pipeline that’s already existing, like licenses, they need to
make sure they capitalize on that opportunity,” she says.
And, she adds,
solution providers have benefited: There have been more than 450,000
opportunities generated through MyOpportunityTracker, including service
renewals, software licensing and hardware warranties.
Opportunities are
everywhere, and when it comes to your customers’ bottom line, it can
pay to look closely at internal business problems as a way to drive new
revenues. Focusing on consistent pain points and delivering services
that can help customers make their businesses more cost-effective is a
winner no matter the economic climate.
“If you’re offering services to customers that can show a direct financial benefit, customers will care,” says Haq.
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