Qwest, IBM Roll Out Latest Managed Services

Qwest this week launched two new managed services solutions as part of its ongoing alliance with IBM to create and deliver remote
IT services for businesses with fewer than 15,000 employees.

The services – Qwest iQ Managed Security Service and Qwest iQ Network Management Service – will be sold both through Qwest’s Business Market Group’s direct sales force and through the company’s network of fee-based referral partners, according to a Qwest spokesperson.

IBM provides the operational engine behind the services, which will be hosted in the IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) data centers and overseen by IBM’s certified technical engineers for 24/7 monitoring.

The objective behind the Qwest-IBM partnership, first announced last June, is to bringing a bundle of managed IT and communications services to medium-sized businesses.

“When we announced our relationship with IBM, we showcased that Qwest would design and deliver new solutions that let customers redirect their operational dollars to strategic initiatives and make IT a competitive differentiator rather than a cost center,” Eric Bozich, vice president of Qwest Business Markets Group Product Management, said in a statement.

The two companies are touting Qwest iQ Managed Security Service’s ability to slash the cost and complexity associated with on-premise security solutions.  Qwest iQTM Network Management Service is a network monitoring and management suite that combines services and products. It is also pitched at a solution that will enable customers to control costs, boost network performance and ensure compliance, according to Qwest.