Key Learnings from Past Intel vPro technology Pilot Deployments
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Self-Administered SMB Intel vPro Technology Activation Program designed for?
The program is designed for two types of service providers:
- Managed Service Providers who already utilize a remote management console software application, such as N-able's N-central or Level Platforms's Managed Workplace.
- PC Deployment Services Providers that integrate PCs into their customers' PC management applications but do not provide ongoing management themselves
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How will my company benefit from the program?
The program provides a number of benefits:
- Detailed guidance on implementing Intel vPro technology's advanced capabilities, which builds your company's skill sets and can increase your ability to grow your services business.
- The potential to enhance your Service Level Agreements by maximizing the value of your management console application.
- The potential to lower your costs, boost your margins and increase your customers' satisfaction.
- Potential exposure of your business through features on Intel websites and Intel-published case studies.
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How will my customers benefit from the program?
Fully utilizing Intel vPro technology allows you to deliver more managed services value to your customer. This increased value can include lower IT costs, less downtime, improved business capabilities, the freedom to focus on more strategic IT issues, and better data and business security.
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What support is available for program participants?
Support for participants is available from a number of sources:
- Use this web page for answers on "how to execute" questions that are not covered in the SMB Intel® vPro™ Technology Activation Guide.
- For questions not resolved by this web page, see the Intel vPro Expert Center at communities.intel.com/community/vproexpert. There, you can search previous questions or post a new one.
When To Use: For issues regarding integration of you Intel vPro technology-based PCs with your management console that are not covered in the appropriate Integration Guide or Use Case/Test Case Guide, this is the place to get detailed information.
- For questions not answered through the Intel vPro Expert Center, you can email Program Support at activation@intelmsp.com
When To Use: If you are at a customer site implementing your Intel vPro technology-based systems and you have an urgent question, this is the place.
NOTE: There is a 24-hour turnaround for all questions submitted via e-mail.
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How long does the program run?
Program materials will be available on Intel's managed services portal (msp.intel.com) through the end of 2008. Participants can submit their activation pilot results and ROI information through December 31, 2008.
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How can my company maximize the value that we get from the program?
A number of tactics can help you get the most value-in terms of skills gained and increased sales success-from your activation pilot.
Choose the right customer. Carefully selecting your activation pilot customer can ease the deployment of your pilot and result in data that will help you sell more managed services. Your reported results will be based on "before" and "after" data, so considering any potential pilot customer's situation and experience before the activation pilot can help you maximize the resulting value you deliver and, subsequently, the value you can communicate to future sales prospects.
- Choose a customer that will benefit significantly from remote services, in terms of lower cost, decreased downtime, and increased peace of mind. Primary services include software updates, anti-virus updates, back-ups, and system performance maintenance.
- Choose a customer with limited IT skills that will benefit from your much broader skill set.
- Choose a customer that has some awareness or concern about their exposure to security threats (viruses, malware, and data security).
- Choose a customer whose situation will allow you to measure the results of your activation of Intel vPro technology.
Measure performance before and after your activation pilot. Measured results are the key to creating a powerful sales story that you can use going forward. The ROI Table in the program's Reporting Form requires you to measure and record key parameters (such as average time to resolve a problem and time-to-patch-saturation). In addition, there are many other ways that you might measure value, depending on your business model and your given customer's situation. Measured (or estimated) value always carries more weight with sales prospects than generalized descriptions of benefits.
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How much does it cost to participate in the program?
The Self-Administered SMB Intel® vPro™ Technology Activation Program and its associated materials are free. Your costs will include the necessary hardware and software to execute the program.
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How long does it take to execute an Intel vPro technology activation pilot?
The time it takes to execute the program will vary depending on your circumstances and customer. In past Intel vPro technology pilots, six to eight weeks has been a reasonable time span to select and educate the customer, order equipment, configure and install the hardware and software, manage the infrastructure for a reasonable period of time, and report results.
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Who in my company should be involved in our activation pilot?
At a minimum, you should identify two key players:
- A technical owner for the activation pilot, responsible for design, deployment, management, measurement, and reporting.
- A sales development owner, responsible for the proposal to the customer, managing the customer relationship and customer expectations, and creating the value story from the activation pilot results.
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What kind of customer should we deploy our activation pilot with?
See "How can my company maximize the value that we get from the program?" above.
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What hardware and software is required to run an activation pilot?
You will need a management console from N-able, Level Platforms, or SyAM; a network infrastructure (including a server or dedicated PC that hosts the network agent inside your customer's network); and at least one PC based on Intel vPro technology. Note that for your activation pilot to qualify for consideration for promotion by Intel, your activation pilot must include a minimum of five Intel vPro technology-based PCs and be deployed at a customer with a minimum installed base of 20 PCs.
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How can we qualify for follow-on promotion by Intel?
Qualifications to be considered for Intel promotional activity include:
- Successful activation of a minimum of five Intel vPro technology-based PCs, per the procedures in the SMB Intel vPro Technology Activation Guide, at a customer with a minimum installed base of 20 PCs.
- "Activation" is defined as utilizing at least one Intel vPro technology Use Case to manage the PCs remotely.
- Complete the Reporting Form for your activation pilot, including hard data or quantified estimates of cost savings and productivity gains (including time saved).
- Upon approval by Intel of promotion of your pilot experience:
- Agree to participate in interviews.
- Gain your customers' agreement to participate in interviews.
- Signed Legal Releases (from both you and your customer) for promotional use of developed materials.
Selection of activation pilots for promotional activities will be at the sole discretion of Intel.
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What desktop and laptop PCs can I use in the pilot?
An updated list of desktop and laptop PCs with Intel vPro technology can be found at www.intel.com/buy/vPro.htm.
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What are common technical challenges or mistakes to avoid?
- Ensure that the correct revision of BIOS is installed on the PCs. Refer to http://communities.intel.com/openport/docs/DOC-1421
- If you use Static IP addresses in the customer network, be sure to use a different host name in the MEBx than you do in the OS.
- If you use DHCP to assign network addresses, use the same host name in MEBx as in the OS.
- Network scans can be slow. Be sure to select an IP address range that is as small as possible in order to accelerate scans.
Note that additional best-known-methods from enterprise customers can be found on the Intel vPro Expert Center at
http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-1247
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Key Learnings from Past Intel vPro technology Pilot Deployments
Make sure your entire team understands the objectives and the potential benefits of your pilot deployment. Intel vPro technology has the potential to positively affect many facets of your customer's operation, including not only their IT operations but their business capabilities. Involving both technical and sales development team members helps insure that your pilot is designed and executed in such a way that all of the potential benefits are developed, measured, and communicated.
Select the right pilot customer. By carefully selecting the customer with whom you deploy the activation pilot, you can maximize: the skills and capabilities your company gains; the value received by the customer; and the potency of the proof points and the ROI story that you develop for further promotion. Consider customers that: a) have business needs and challenges that are shared by others in your target markets; b) understand the true potential of IT for their business; and c) are willing to share insights and results from the activation pilot experience.
Measure pre-pilot parameters. Measured values are more compelling than estimated values, and carefully estimated values are more compelling than generalized values. The more measurement you can accomplish, the more powerful your resulting value story and promotions will be. Solid estimates are useful, but measured parameters are best. Take the trouble to measure the operational parameters required by the program (see the Reporting Form on the program website). The payoff-in terms of a greater ability to sell services-is worth it.
Take full advantage of program materials. The materials available to you in the Self-Administered SMB Intel® vPro™ Technology Activation Program are designed to give you extensive step-by-step guidance and result in quality configurations, deployments, and operations. Become familiar with the appropriate configuration and deployment guides before you start.
Conduct a formal post-pilot interview with your pilot customer. After you complete the deployment of your activation pilot and you and the customer have a reasonable amount of experience with the managed Intel vPro technology-based PCs, conduct a structured interview with the customer and record their responses. Not only will this help you gauge the customer's level of satisfaction and uncover further opportunities, but it will give you specific benefit statements in the customer's voice that can be powerful elements of your sales and marketing activities.
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