Microsoft Office Opens Business Opportunities for Value Added Resellers December 9, 2010 Abstract: Value Added Resellers (VARs), which include Microsoft Office and related software, solutions, and services in their portfolio, sell deals that are nearly twice as large as VARs that include Open Office and related software, solutions, and services. Microsoft Office sales and services can lead to additional business. As one VAR says, The value of SharePoint is much easier with Office in place. Sponsored by:
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CONTENTS Executive Summary... 4 Comparison: Microsoft Office and Open Office VARs... 5 Microsoft Office Business Opportunities... 7 New Opportunities... 11 Conclusion... 12 Appendix A: Summary of Participating Value Added Resellers... 13 Appendix B: Definitions... 15 Appendix C: About Value Prism Consulting... 15 Appendix D: About This Study... 16 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This whitepaper presents key findings from interviews with 25 Microsoft Office and Open Office value added resellers (VARs) that resell software, develop custom software solutions, and deliver deployment and business consulting services: 1. Value Added Resellers (VARs) business models are constantly evolving. Market forces are challenging VARs to reconsider their revenue sources. As reseller margins drop to near zero, many VARs simply exit reselling and focus on providing services, thus really becoming Value Added Providers. 2. Net Revenue for Microsoft Office deals (projects) is twice as big as that for Open Office deals (see Figure 1 below). Microsoft Office deals have higher gross margin and VARs focused on Microsoft Office solutions and services are also more profitable than VARs offering Open Office solutions and services. 3. Microsoft Office VARs have been expanding into new, higher margin services, including system integration with other Microsoft Information Worker (IW) and LOB technologies, hosting, change management, and training. Technology services firms interested in expanding into new lines of business should investigate selling solutions and services related to Microsoft Office based on the larger deals and higher profitability related to up-sell and cross-sell opportunities in areas such as: Microsoft SharePoint Server and Exchange Server services, Cloud Services, including Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS), which will become Office 365, Hosting, for customers not interested in cloud solutions such as many public sector customers, Providing Microsoft Office plus Line of Business (LOB) Solutions such as CRM or ERP, Microsoft Office add-on or integrated software development, and Microsoft Office-focused training. Figure 1 Average Office and Open-Office deal size by Net Revenue components and total. Overall, Office-focused deals are nearly twice as large. 4
COMPARISON: MICROSOFT OFFICE AND OPEN OFFICE VARS For value-added resellers (VARs) working with small to midsize customers providing technology-related services, reselling software does not provide the business and profit opportunities it once did. With the onrush of cloud services and larger reseller service firms moving down-market, smaller resellers are being squeezed by cost-conscious customers and low-cost competition. Office-focused technology firms generate more revenue and sell larger projects. However, these changes have also created opportunities for smaller VARs to develop new and valuable lines of businesses customers that have signed up for cloud services, but need personalized assistance; that have purchased and deployed a new software solution, but need specialized training or help customizing it properly; or that have a niche need that requires specialized software development and customization. All interviewed VARs have a few key characteristics in common: Most businesses, regardless of Microsoft Office or Open Office focus, do not sell just desktop productivity software and services. However most, if not all, of their solutions and services can, and usually do, include some Office or Open Office sales and services. Most businesses sell a variety of solutions and services, including desktop deployment and support, database development, email or VoIP services, or other specialized services such as SharePoint Server deployment and development or desktop support contracts that include Open Office. Most businesses that do resell software have seen this line of business shrink in recent years. Only a few businesses that have some sort of unusual regional difference that allow them to compete with larger resellers have seen growth in this business. The following key differences between businesses that focus on Office versus those that focus on Open Office (or Open Source) were identified: These businesses reported a greater variety of opportunities to integrate those solutions with other technologies. Technology firms that sell solutions including Microsoft Office more often provide a greater breadth of services. In particular, these technology firms generate more revenue and sell larger projects. Open Office is difficult to use, and there is not as much opportunity to sell software and services, says one of the larger VARs interviewed. 5
Also, while some VARs said they would remain exclusively committed to Open Source, most VARs saw Microsoft Office and other solutions as a business opportunity. Microsoft provides helpful marketing support and is an industry leader. It has a strong community from which we can recruit knowledgeable staff, said one VAR. Microsoft has the best partner program, says another. Microsoft provides helpful marketing support and is an industry leader. It has a strong community from which we can recruit knowledgeable staff. Overall, businesses that focus on Open Office solutions do sell projects and achieve at least break-even (if not healthy) profitability, because the projects are smaller and have fewer up-sell or cross-sell opportunities. Even at equal revenue, many Open Source firms will have to spend much more time, effort and money on management and sales activities. Microsoft Office VARs have greater opportunities for larger and longer projects, which can lead to better profitability through greater margins and reduced selling costs. See Error! Reference source not found. for an overview of all participating companies charted according to the margin of the deals discussed versus the percentage of revenue attributable to Office or Open Office software. Higher deal margins, in particular, were reported by many more businesses that include Office solutions rather than Open Office. Even when looked at as a percentage, nearly half of Office VARs estimated margins of 50% or greater, compared to only two Open Office VARs. Open-Office Partners Office Partners Figure 2 Businesses studied by percent average deal margin and percent average Microsoft Office or Open Office portion of deal revenue. 6
MICROSOFT OFFICE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Microsoft Office VARs close significantly larger deals. Microsoft Office to Open Office deal comparisons are based on net revenue total deal revenue minus any pass-through license costs to a software company, such as Microsoft Office license costs paid to Microsoft (though the margins kept by the software reseller is included in net revenue). Therefore, larger deals are not a result of including software license revenue. Instead, this increase is based on sales to larger mid-market customers and by providing a more comprehensive solution of software and services complementary to Microsoft Office, such as SharePoint Server or Dynamics CRM as well as additional services such as deployment, customization, and training necessary to help customers implement the solution. The value of SharePoint is much easier with Office in place. All interviewed VARs that include Microsoft Office in their solutions and services estimated an average deal size of a little more than U.S.$50,000, with more than three-quarters of that revenue attributable to customized software development and additional services. Comparatively, VARs that include Open Office in their solutions and services have an estimated average deal size of about U.S.$30,000. As one European VAR said, We identified the need to offer more customized change management consulting and training services to show companies how to get more out of new functionalities; as the more fully-integrated and functional productivity application, a Microsoft Office focus was the obvious choice. Businesses looking to enter the technology services arena or expand their existing lines of business should consider Microsoft Office and Microsoft- Office-related solutions that complement each other and lead to natural cross-sell opportunities, such as: Selling SharePoint Server and Exchange Server software and services - which often lead to a Microsoft Office upgrade or sale as well. Selling Microsoft Dynamics CRM or ERP solutions and services - the LOB data can be delivered to end users in many ways with Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server. Selling hosted solutions - including Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS) and the upcoming Office 365 the online SharePoint, Exchange, and communications solutions integrate with the latest versions of Microsoft Office and can lead to upgrade sales and services opportunities. Developing and selling software solutions that extend or complement Microsoft Office or SharePoint Server can lead to 7
sales of your own product, plus sales of and services for Office and SharePoint. Selling training services - demonstrating the newest features of and business opportunities with Microsoft Office can lead to upgrade and cross-selling opportunities. Selling Microsoft Office software licenses as a service complementary to other lines of business listed above. SHAREPOINT AND EXCHANGE Microsoft Office VARs that focus particularly on providing SharePoint and Exchange solutions and services estimate closing very large deals more than U.S.$150,000 on average in Net Revenue. Often these deals lead to additional opportunities either at the time of the deal or as a follow-on project to implement additional solutions, such as a SharePoint deal leading to Exchange, CRM, ERP, or custom database-driven solutions. As one VAR said, The value of SharePoint is much easier with Office in place. For example, a successful VAR deal might involve selling, deploying, and helping a customer implement a SharePoint Server solution to improve document management processes and policies. The deal may include some software sales some deals won t include any software sales at all, instead coming in after the customer has licensed the software, but now need expert help implementing the technology correctly. It would include significant software development and customization, from implementing already-developed pre-packaged software add-ons, developing software glue code for a customized solution integrated with other LOB systems, or customized SharePoint templates, Web pages, and pre-configured pages such as document libraries and lists. Then the Figure 3 Net Revenue by component. Deals that include Microsoft Office create significant revenue especially when combined with related solutions, such as SharePoint Server or Dynamics CRM. 8
business provides necessary planning, deployment, training, support, and other services to implement the customized SharePoint solution. ERP AND CRM VARs that sell services and solutions that include Microsoft Office as well as CRM or ERP applications also estimate closing very large deals about U.S.$140,000 on average in Net Revenue. These deals include a greater percentage of revenue from software resale (to license the CRM or ERP application), but, like SharePoint or Exchange deals, also include significant development and services revenue. A typical LOB solution deal includes the core product, such as SAP or Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and custom development and solutions necessary to integrate the LOB application with other systems. Additional solutions and services may also be included such as SharePoint, Microsoft Office, and SQL Server databases to read data into the LOB system and make that information accessible via an Intranet site or directly in Office Outlook calendars and task lists or Office Excel spreadsheets. As one CRM-focused VAR said, Microsoft Office is the best solution for our customers Office integrates well with the operating system, Exchange, Dynamics CRM, and other solutions. HOSTING AND OUTSOURCING One of the newest and most exciting lines of business is hosting which could include investing in a datacenter and hosting management, or reselling ( white labeling ) existing hosted services (such as BPOS/Office 365 or Microsoft CRM Online) with additional services or support. Microsoft s commitment to the cloud helps VARs sell a broader set of solutions. As one VAR said, The Cloud is a very important opportunity. There is a huge trend from customers to identify and select the right functionalities by roles and license, and deploy and manage only those functionalities. The Cloud is the future of software sales, says another. Microsoft Office is the best solution for our customers Office integrates well with the operating system, Exchange, Dynamics CRM, and other solutions. The Cloud is a very important opportunity. There is a huge trend from customers to identify and select the right functionalities by roles and license, and deploy and manage only those functionalities. A successful VAR can sell scalable customization, integration, and training services to help a customer properly implement hosted SharePoint and integrate it with Microsoft Office (which may include an Office upgrade sale). By leveraging and reselling an existing hosted service (like BPOS and Office 365), this is a great opportunity for VARs to jump in to this line of business with much lower investment and risk. There are many hosted services in the market, and many customers will need additional help understanding, configuring, and properly implementing these complex hosted technologies. 9
SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT Several interviewed VARs developed custom software, either as a service customized for each customer, or as a pre-packaged solution sold to and configured for many customers. In either case, custom software solutions integrated with SharePoint Server, Microsoft Office, or even Microsoft Dynamics CRM or ERP applications lead to software sales as well as deployment and integration services. A VAR starting in this line of business could develop an add-on that connects certain aspects of Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server in a new way, and not only leverage a large Office and SharePoint user base, but save time and money on software development. One VAR shares, Thirty-to-forty percent of code can be eliminated because we are developing things on top of what is already part of Office. A VAR can then sell this software and implementation services along with Office or SharePoint sales and services. TRAINING Most VARs offer training services; however, few VARs position their training offering as change management services by tailoring training content to specific users, identifying hero users to promote change and adoption of new functionalities. While the deals are relatively small (average deal size less than U.S.$30,000 ), successful VARs leverage training to build significantly larger solution sales. Our user-tailored training leads to additional projects such as change management services around Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange migrations, says one VAR. Whether as a lead or value-added service, training is a valuable business that can be used to demonstrate the value of a solution to close a sale or as a strategic service to help customers deploy and adopt new technology solutions. Thirty-to-forty percent of code can be eliminated because we are developing things on top of what is already part of Office. Our user-tailored training leads to additional projects such as change management services around Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange migrations. DESKTOP DEPLOYMENT AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES Desktop deployment and software sales remain a large line of business for interviewed VARs services including desktop provisioning, new or upgrade operating system deployments, and Microsoft Office deployments. However, while contributing the largest total revenue, this line of business brings in the lowest revenue per-deal and one of the lowest margins. In fact, this category drags down the average deal revenue measured in this study significantly the average deal size, not including desktop deployment and management services, is more than U.S.$90,000. While these deals are smaller, it may be strategically important to provide software sales as a way to more easily sell other services, such as higher end consulting or training. Our desktop licensing business helps drive all our other services software development, 10
services related to portals, BI or CRM, and technical consulting services for security and infrastructure, describes one VAR. The VARs that resell software today do so because they built up a significant regional business in the past and have the momentum to keep steady or slowly grow in this area. But these VARs are also investigating new lines of business in complementary or new areas, such as providing management consulting services that help a customer understand the business case of a more advanced solution and demonstrate the value of an integrated solution such as SharePoint (along with the higher margin deployment and integration services). NEW OPPORTUNITIES Businesses looking to start or expand into technology services for smalland mid-sized customers should consider the following services: Reselling Microsoft online services such as BPOS (soon to be Office 365) is a large opportunity as the market for cloud-based services continues to expand. Once customers turn on the service, they often are at a loss what to do next. VARs should consider offering high-margin services of configuring online services such as customizing Microsoft SharePoint sites, integrating with other existing software and systems such as CRM or Microsoft Office, and providing ongoing training or support services. As an added bonus, businesses can enter the online services market with little overhead there is no datacenter to deploy for a hosted service of your own, and even internal IT costs can be reduced by using the same online services for professional training and software development. Businesses that already sell ERP and CRM solutions should consider expanding their services to include Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Office and take advantage of up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. Customers that deploy CRM or ERP systems often have need of a portal solution for sharing documents, information and reports from those CRM or ERP systems, or need the latest version of Microsoft Office to connect CRM contacts and calendar information to Outlook. And since the customer base for SharePoint and Office is much greater, by offering SharePoint and Office services alone potential CRM or ERP sales opportunities can be uncovered. Selling specialized services as a core business or part of a portfolio of broader offerings will provide opportunities for higher-margin projects. Many interviewed VARs that focus on Microsoft Office solutions provide basic Office and Microsoft SharePoint deployment services. They use them 11
as an entry to sell a variety of services. Training or change management services are often higher-margin projects. Developing a software add-on leads to not only software sales revenue, but can also lead to implementation and support projects or long-term contracts. CONCLUSION Business opportunities for VARs are changing as larger reseller firms sell more and more to medium and small businesses and take software licensing business away from Value Added Resellers. Additionally, market forces such as new cloud and virtualization technologies challenge VARs to reconsider their portfolio of offerings. VARs should consider the following: Net Revenue for Microsoft Office deals (or projects) is twice as big as that for Open Office deals. Net Revenue for Microsoft Office deals (or projects) is twice as big as that for Open Office deals. Unless there s an existing, mature software resale business, VARs should consider providing other services (or a mix of resale with custom software development or services). In other words, since resale competition is even greater for VARs, because large resellers license software to the same customer base, VARs can free up resources and effort trying to sell and deliver low margin licensing deals. They can focus instead on high-margin services and be a Value Added Provider, not a Value Added Reseller. Many of those lines of business are based on integration with other IW and LOB technologies, and lead to higher-margin services such as hosting, change management, and training. In comparison, while Open Source projects can be profitable, they are often smaller and focused on one or a few products, not a solution based on a tightly integrated set of products. 12
APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATING VALUE ADDED RESELLERS A mid-sized value added reseller based in Germany providing consulting and outsourcing services and focuses on Office migration and SharePoint configuration services for large customers in government and manufacturing sectors. A large solution provider and outsourcer based in central Asia focused on system integration, asset, and desktop management. It also provides hosting and other managed solutions to customers across all industries and sizes. A mid-sized value added reseller based in Singapore focused on SharePoint and Exchange deployments and customization for upper-midmarket customers. They also provide infrastructure and security management services. A small consulting firm based in Germany focused on business case consulting and software reseller services for mid-market size customers. It provides customers a business case for an Office deployment, as well as selling the software. A small Italian ISV focused primarily on ERP solutions and services for smaller businesses. A Latin American solution provider and software reseller to midmarket and enterprise customers. It also provides additional services that include consulting, custom software development, and Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange hosting. A mid-size value added reseller based in Northern Europe focused on software resale and providing IT services to mid-market size customers, including via their Web storefront. A small training firm based in France focused primarily on user-specific training as well as change management, migration services, and custom solutions. A mid-sized solution provider based in New Zealand focused on custom SharePoint and Web design and development for mid-market and large size customers. A large value added reseller in Australia that provides custom solutions including integrated communications, as well as outsourcing and managed IT services for larger customers. A small hosting firm in Australia that resells Microsoft s online services to lower-midmarket customers across all industries along with customized deployment and consulting services. A small CRM solutions provider based in Singapore providing customized CRM software and data mining services. A small value added reseller in Greece that delivers IT consulting, SharePoint and Exchange deployment, and customization services to upper-midmarket customers in specific industries such as financial services and telecom. 13
A medium-sized training provider based in Latin America focused primarily on Office Client training and custom software development. A small education services technology provider based in Greece focused on high technology applications for museums. A small sized CRM solutions provider based near Germany providing custom CRM software and services across all customer sizes and industries. A small strategy and technology consulting firm based in Italy focused primarily on assisting customers with their IT strategy planning and implementation, as well as ongoing support for migration, system integration, and maintenance. A small sized custom software developer in Eastern Europe focused on providing Open Source solutions and services, including development, training, and support. A large solution developer based Belgium, with branch offices across Europe, focused on the financial services industry, which also provides some Open Office training. A large implementation services firm based in the Netherlands that delivers advisory and implementation services to customers across public sectors. A small sized solution provider based in Germany focused on database solution development and Web development. A small IT services firm based in Switzerland focused primarily on providing Open Source ERP solutions and services, but also provides outsourced IT support and hardware and software sales. A small solution provider based in Latin America delivering server-side solutions and services (typically communications services) and support for customers across all industries including government, healthcare, and education. A small value added reseller based in France focused on tailoring free software solutions for small businesses, especially in the education sector. A medium-sized strategy and outsourcing provider based Germany, which also provides IT strategic planning, hosting, custom software development, and maintenance and support services for their customers. 14
APPENDIX B: DEFINITIONS VAR Deals: VARs were interviewed about specific deal types they provide. In most cases, this was not a catalogue of the total VAR services portfolio (i.e., they provide services and solutions we did not ask about). During the interview they were asked to provide information about all deals associated with Office or Open Office so it is assumed that all other deals a VAR might engage in are not relevant to this Office or Open Office analysis. Gross Revenue: Total revenue collected from a deal. Net Revenue: Gross Revenue minus resold software costs (which itself equals total software resale revenue minus margin this is the amount paid to a company such as Microsoft for the license cost of a product such as Office 2010). Deal Margin: Deal revenue minus direct project costs. Deal margin expressed as a percentage is calculated as margin divided by net revenue. The term Margin is used in this report this is mainly gross margin which includes COGS, overhead, reinvestment, other costs, and profit. Profit Margin: Company profit divided by total net revenue. Note this is not the same as Deal Margin, because Deal Margin is only net of direct costs and before any additional COGS, R&D, and other Overhead costs. APPENDIX C: ABOUT VALUE PRISM CONSULTING Value Prism Consulting is a valuation and management consulting firm that provides services to a broad range of clients worldwide. Our Management Consulting Practice assists clients with business case development and decision support analysis. Our solutions measure the results of various options related to business process improvement, capital and major budget spending decisions including infrastructure upgrades, and the value of new product introductions. Visit www.valueprism.com for more information. 15
APPENDIX D: ABOUT THIS STUDY In summer and autumn of 2010, 25 small to mid-size Value Added Resellers (VARs) were interviewed to talk about their Microsoft Office and/or Open Office business focus and the software and services they provide their small and midmarket customers. These firms provide services and solutions across one or more of these three key lines of business: software reselling, developing software or providing custom software services, and providing consulting and other custom services. Value Prism Consulting interviewed these firms in person or by phone, and interview results were collected to compare VAR business results and profitability, especially related to Microsoft Office or Open Office software, depending on the VAR s main focus area. Both groups of VARs were asked about one or more types of deals they generate related to Microsoft Office or Open Office resale, solution development, and/or services. Information about 47 separate deal types was collected, along with additional VAR information and feedback on being a solution or services provider or reseller and working with Microsoft and/or the Open Office community. Interviewees were from Asia, Latin America, and Europe (covering Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe), and grouped based on significant current Microsoft business or current Open Office (or general Open Source) business. Some firms provided services in both. They ranged in size from 2 employees to 300. See Error! Reference source not found. for an overview of all participating companies by location and size. Figure 4 Businesses studied by region and total employee size (Shaded bars denote Open- Office/Open-Source focused businesses) 16