Jim's Computers adds local email security provider

Half of franchisees sign to sell Aussie vendor's MPmail.

The national network of Jim's Computer Services, a division of Jim's Group, has added Manage Protect's MPmail managed service to its franchisees' offerings.

Over half of the 85 national franchisees have signed agreements with the Australian software-as-a-service email security provider to resell MPmail. The remainder should sign in the next six weeks, Andrew Johnson (pictured), Manage Protect's managing director, said.

Jim's Computer Services - an offshoot of the franchise Jim's Mowing - primarily provides on-site IT repairs for small businesses and franchisees sell hardware and software. Individual franchisees deal directly with vendors and not all want to resell the same products and services, said Johnson.

"Working with a franchise is very different. We've spent six months learning and working with Jim's to understand how they work. Some franchisees provide managed services some are value added resellers. It's really exciting and challenging for us," Johnson told CRN.

Manage Protect offered Jim's Computer Services franchisees two engagement options depending on the level of desired involvement. Franchisees can be a managed services provider or value added resellers.

"Our per seat per month pricing model suits the small business market [that] Jim's Computer Services franchisees deal with," said Johnson.

Jim's Computer Services has been growing organically ever since its launch in 2001, Andrew Hart, national franchisor manager for the company said. "We're not aggressively out there trying to put on a whole lot of people on, it's probably three or four [new franchisees] a month," said Johnson. Jim's Computer Services has also adopted the service to protect its own franchise email system.

Hart said Manage Protect's mail filtering service had features that "none of the others do", such as disaster recovery. 

"One of the things that suited our model for service and support that we're dealing with an Australian business. When a customer's email is down you need to call help straight away," he said.  

Training has taken place in New South Wales and Victoria and is scheduled to take place in the other states shortly. Franchisees have also been supplied with technical and marketing collateral, said Johnson.