Meet Your New Rival: Comcast
The VAR Guy has warned you for several months: Cable companies will wind up competing with VARs far more frequently in the months ahead. The latest example: Comcast is offering a set of managed IP services to small business customers. It’s a smart move by the cable provider. But the approach makes you wonder: How long before they offer managed security and other capabilities tied to IP services?
Skeptical? Comcast is the nation’s largest cable operator. And it’s starting to understand key Internet opportunities that many small VARs already offer. Just this week, Comcast introduced business e-mail and document sharing services to small and mid-size organizations. The services are based on Outlook, Exchange Server 2007 and Sharepoint. Yes, Sharepoint — which has been a goldmine for some VARs. The services are free for two to eight users, with fees of $3.99 to $6.99 per month for additional users.