AWA Move Into CE And SMB Services Market
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IT services group AWA has spent more than $700,000 researching the consumer and SMB service market prior to launching a new CE and SMB franchise services model.

According to AWA Chairman John Dougall the market is growing fast and AWA is looking to position itself as the “technical services” experts in these markets. Currently partnering with several major CE brands like Apple, Samsung,  Telstra, and Cisco who also own Linksys AWA is also looking to partner with retailers, builders or CE or CEDIA specialists who want to sell CE or SMB technology with AWA providing the ongoing service.

Said Dougall “In the Enterprise market we have over 500 IT service specialist so we have in place the infrastructure to handle service operations, however in the CE and SMB markets we saw a need for a seperate operation staffed by individuals with specific SMB and CE expertise.. This allows us to partner right across the spectrum with both vendors who want to sell a product and we deliver the service support to the smaller markets.”

He added”we have already spent $700,000 researching the market so we have a good idea of the potential”. Currently AWA provide services for

To service this market AWA is rolling out a national franchise network of mobile and centre-based technicians to provide installation and support services around IT and CE products. Managing director, Mark Rainbird, said the idea was given momentum by its acquisition of consumer electronics (CE) services company, Telefix, in March last year. He pointed to the convergence of IT, CE and communications products as opening up support opportunities in the smaller end of town.

 

AWA has predominantly focused on the commercial sector. Rainbird said dealing with the home and small business market required a different mentality. He cited out-of-hours support and a hands-on approach as key.

“The feedback we’ve been getting, particularly from our OEM partners [like HP and Cisco], is that there were concerns about our lack of ability to provide support to home and small business users,” he said. “Some saw this as an inhibitor to sales of their products.

“In our research of the market we realised there were thousands of service providers in the home and small business space but it’s very fragmented. Services are highly variable and there are no real standards.”

Two AWA franchise options are now available: mobile services or service centres. Mobile service franchise owners will be given a specific territory to cover and work on-site. The service centre franchises will be branded AWA and operate as back-to-base facilities. Rainbird said there would be some overlap between the two models and expected operators to work together.

Franchisees needed to outlay an initial investment of $60,000. This covered training (worth about $30,000) as well as working capital, vans and tools, he said.

Applicants will need to show experience in either IT or AV, and undertake training. This includes completing a mandatory six-week course which AWA has developed in conjunction with TAFE. It covers small business skills as well as technical modules in IT and AV.

In return, franchisees will be supported by AWA’s logistics and back-end infrastructure, including call systems, parts management and accounting and finance.

Rainbird said AWA had worked with local company, Geotech, to determine the number of territories across the country. He identified 230 franchises in metro areas. In the long term, the company hoped to also establish franchises in regional and remote locations.