SMB technical support market to exceed $20 billion by 2015

Parks Associates today released a new white paper, "The Opportunity for National Brands in SMB Technical Support Services," forecasting growth opportunities in the tech support market for small and medium businesses (SMBs).

The U.S. market will exceed $20 billion by 2015, according to Parks Associates, which notes the 2008 launch of AT&T's Tech Support 360 as a significant milestone in this market because this service was the first to integrate communications, data services, and technical support on a nationwide level.

Written in cooperation with PlumChoice, a pioneer in the delivery of remote technical services in the next-generation Service 2.0 model, the white paper draws on data from SMB Demand for Technical Support Services, a survey of owners, managers, and IT support decision makers from U.S. SMBs.

"SMBs' technological needs are getting increasingly complex, with mobile devices creating new challenges and the cost-benefit ratio tilting toward professional technical support," said Kurt Scherf, VP, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates. "The cloud, virtualization, and greater flexibility via remote access are all key trends driving this market. National service providers, with their existing footprint, are in a prime position to seize this market opportunity."

Parks Associates' research found that more than 35% of SMBs have used professional technical support for server issues, the most problematic area for SMBs. However, new mobile technologies are starting to command more support attention. SMBs lose approximately 3.2 hours per month troubleshooting mobile phone issues, while they lose 3.4 hours to server issues. As a result, more than 30% of SMBs desire remote technical support for their company mobile phones.

“Mobile technologies such as smartphones and tablets are becoming part of the SMB technology landscape in an irreversible way. As a result, SMB support requirements have changed remarkably from just a few years ago, as Parks Associates research indicates,” said Josh Clifford, VP, GM, Business Services, PlumChoice. “We are pleased to partner with the firm on this insightful paper as we strive to support national brands in building revenue while delivering on the customer satisfaction and retention potential associated with evolving technical support needs.”

Download "The Opportunity for National Brands in SMB Technical Support Services" at www.parksassociates.com/smbsupport. Contact [email protected], 972-490-1113.

ABOUT PLUMCHOICE
PlumChoice is setting a new standard of customer care with its Service 2.0 approach that has reinvented the way technology care is provided to connected homes and small businesses. As the largest independent technology care provider in the industry, PlumChoice pioneered the remote technical services business in 2001, providing 24x7 online repair and assistance for digital devices through local industry-certified agents. With the addition of its patented SAFElink™ service relationship platform, PlumChoice now offers a fully integrated and highly secure solution for service providers and other business partners, working under their brand names to provide them with new sources of revenue and cost reduction. PlumChoice's services can be delivered remotely or on-site as a one-time incident, bundled with products/services, or subscriber-based solution. Covered devices include PCs and Macintosh® computers, laptops, netbooks and mobile phones, TVs and home theater systems, routers and servers, networks, security systems, consumer electronics, software, peripherals, iPhones® and other devices. For more information, visit www.plumchoice.com, call 1-866-811-3321 or email [email protected].

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com
 

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