That happens: At the end of October 2023, DATEV cancelled its ‘DATEV VIWAS’ virus protection completely. This news created a need for action for tax consultancies, auditing firms, lawyers and their IT service providers. For Christopher Hinrichs from triPlus Systemhaus, this was a welcome opportunity. As an IT service provider, he has long relied on Securepoint Antivirus Pro. This allows him to offer his customers a trustworthy alternative. In this interview, Hinrichs reports on his experiences from the preparation of the offer to the successful implementation.
‘As we have very close contact with our customers, the discontinuation of the product was not a critical moment for us. Our good dialogue is currently paying off. Many of the tax consultants and law firms that now need new anti-virus protection have been protected by a firewall for years and we informed them of the discontinuation at an early stage,’ says Christopher Hinrichs. As an IT service provider, triPlus Systemhaus sees itself in the role of consultant. ‘Some customers don't even realise what tasks good antivirus software fulfils,’ explains Hinrichs. It is an important component of a functioning IT security concept. This is demonstrated by the constant development of malware such as viruses, malicious programmes and encryption Trojans. ‘The use of an antivirus solution reduces the digital attack surface and provides important basic protection,’ continues Hinrichs.
Data protection as a key persuasive argument
For Hinrichs, there are two typical customer groups. On the one hand, there is the customer group that is already convinced of the benefits of IT security solutions. On the other hand, there are tax consultants and law firms who still need a lot of convincing about IT security in general - and who are not yet using new virus protection. ‘Some customers say that they don't need virus protection or that they are unsure. All customers in the industry are in no doubt that their customers' data must be secure. This requires reliable data protection,’ explains Christopher Hinrichs.
For Hinrichs, a solution ‘made in Germany’ is the central argument in favour of switching from VIWAS to Securepoint Antivirus Pro. The use of functions that ensure integrity, confidentiality and availability is highly relevant for customers overall. ‘We make it clear in discussions with customers that we rely exclusively on Securepoint as a manufacturer of IT security out of conviction. Our customers then consider their requirements to be fulfilled,’ says Hinrichs.
For triPlus, Securepoint Antivirus Pro is easy to manage via the cloud and is powerful. Christopher Hinrichs is also very satisfied with the simple implementation: ‘The changeover and configuration of the scan profiles worked without any problems. This is a great product that is absolutely convincing.’ triplus uses the solution for 1,024 end devices in different company sizes.
Managed services ensure follow-up business
Managed services are a business model with great potential for system houses and IT service providers. When switching to Securepoint Antivirus Pro, triPlus customers receive the Unified Security Report on a weekly or monthly basis in more than eighty per cent of cases. The report visualises the security status of all of a company's devices and services. According to Hinrichs, many customers from the tax consultancy and law firm sectors take a close look at the report and actively approach their employees about the content: ‘This generates follow-up business for us. It's a good way to monetise.’ As an IT service provider, triPlus Systemhaus relies entirely on Securepoint in the area of security, the managed services sector is a rapidly growing segment.
Providers of managed services have lower sales costs. Securepoint products in the service model make the business flexible, says Hinrichs: ‘We can utilise managed services well, simply and profitably. That is important to me. The regularity of turnover and the price per user are absolutely convincing.’ The system house's return on sales has grown in leaps and bounds since focussing more strongly on the service business. Christopher Hinrichs explains how this works: ‘We don't have to sell complicated and time-consuming extensions with service, but can convince our customers more easily with pure IT security and other services, such as the report. This increases our margins overall and the system house has predictable sales. For me as a businessman, it doesn't get any better than this.’
Managed service providers (MSPs) can generate stable income by organising their own offerings. Rental and service offerings enable a flexible response to fluctuating customer requirements. For customers of a system house or IT service provider, managed services mean that IT security solutions and maintenance are available as a simplified complete package. Securepoint supports system houses and IT service providers with a holistic portfolio for managed services: easy-to-administer, easy-to-use solutions for IT professionals combined with comprehensive support services.
IT security solution and specialised trade partner
triPlus Systemhaus GmbH
Raiffeisenstraße 50
29640 Schneverdingen
Phone: 05193 / 98 01 0
Mail: info@tri-plus.de