OneVision, providers of a turn-key service platform for the CEDIA channel, believes that to be successful in navigating the evolving industry landscape, custom integrators must put exceptional service at the core of their value proposition. The company sees adoption of a Remote Systems Management (RSM) platform as vital to this transition. Choosing between offerings from Control4, Domotz, Ihiji, and SnapAV, however, is not always easy. That’s one of the reasons why OneVision created, “The Insider’s Guide to Remote Systems Management: A Comprehensive Analysis of Modern RSM Platforms for Technology Managers,” a digital resource that provides feature definitions from each company, along with analysis of the business impacts of each feature and insider tips about how to best leverage them.
The guide consists of a downloadable ebook that provides definitions of more than 50 different features that comprise a modern RSM platform and an accompanying “RSM Master Feature Matrix,” which is an always-up-to-date, online comparative tool highlighting how the major RSM players handle each feature. The matrix was done with full participation from the four manufacturers, so it is 100-percent vetted.
“When we look at the trends taking place in today’s connected home market, it’s clear the future of our industry belongs to companies who lead with service,” said Jason Griffing, partner development manager at OneVision and co-author of the ebook. “Adopting an RSM platform in your business is one of the best ways to provide a truly differentiated client service experience, and to do it in a very efficient manner.”
The problem that OneVision saw was that too many integrators were overwhelmed at the choice on the market, and ended up with paralysis. This, the company believes, has limited the adoption of RSM across the industry and consequently hindered the industry’s ability to implement effective service strategies.
OneVision wanted to fix this problem because they believe that the more integrators adopt RSM within their company specifically, and think about service as a key driver of value and revenues in their businesses, generally, the better it will be for the industry as a whole.
“We are big believers in the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats,” Griffing said. “Ultimately, our goal with this project is not to convince readers which platform is the best, but rather to give them the tools they need to make that decision on their own so that everyone can move forward with implementing the best RSM solution for their business.”
OneVision hopes that its guide succeeds in getting more companies to adopt an RSM platform, in turn improving the overall service experience provided by the industry, driving more business into the hands of the established CEDIA channel, as opposed to new market entrants.
One of the biggest challenges in creating the guide lay in establishing a framework that would accurately compare the products on the market, while also being digestible for the reader. “A real challenge we faced early in the project was in figuring out how to compare the platforms in such a way that readers could easily grasp the key differences between platforms but that also captured the subtle, but critical differences between each company’s strategy and philosophy.” he said. “ We went to great lengths to lay out a framework that not only provides a nuanced view of the platforms, but is also easy for the reader to follow and understand.”
After establishing the framework for their guide, OneVision’s original plan was to source all of the data themselves by conducting an exhaustive in-house feature review on each platform. This only served to reinforce their notion of how badly the industry needed this resource. “Diving into the research, it became immediately obvious just how difficult it is for an end-user to compare these platforms side-by-side,” says Griffing. “We realized very quickly that the key to this project’s success was to achieve 100-percent manufacturer participation. We are very proud to have done so, and are extremely thankful to the manufacturers for their participation.”
OneVision believe that this guide will be invaluable for anyone in the industry, whether they are just getting started evaluating platforms, or have already picked one and are looking for guidance on how to best implement the technology.
“Readers will come away from this guide with a new understanding of and appreciation for all of the ways RSM as a whole can help them improve their client experience and drive operational efficiency,” he said. “Perhaps most importantly, they’ll have the tools they need to move forward with the platform of their choice, confident that they’ve made the best decision for their unique business needs.”
To download your free copy and get started, visit onevisionresources.com/rsm .