Continuum Adds 24/7 Service Desk Support

Continuum has expanded its Service Desk offering to include round-the-clock end-user support and more CRM integration, according to the company.

The addition allows managed services providers to provide a continuous Level 1 and Level 2 call center experience without having to use their own resources, according to Boston-based Continuum.

The company surveyed its MSP partners and found a pent-up demand for outsourced help desk services from hundreds of respondents, said CEO Michael George. Continuum also discovered that MSPs wanted 24/7 support, white-label customization and the ability to elevate Level 3 problems if necessary, George said.

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"All this must occur while ensuring the highest quality end-user experience and customer satisfaction,’ George said in a statement. "Our partners pay a low monthly fixed fee that is a fraction of what it would cost them to build and staff their own help desks. We are able to do this because of our investment in technologies and the economies of scale derived from spreading our costs across tens of thousands of end users."

With Continuum, MSPs can choose a white-label service option in which Continuum technicians act on behalf of the MSP to the MSP's clients. In addition, Level 3 service calls are integrated into the company's RMM platform and NOC, which is staffed 24 hours a day by more than 450 certified technicians to handle server or desktop service issues, according to George.

Using Service Desk, Continuum's technicians coordinate Level 3 issues and maintain an assigned ticket until the issue is resolved, according to the company.

Service Desk support is available for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, as well as network and printing connectivity issues, email setup and configuration of iPhone and iPad mobile devices, according to Continuum. In addition, it can handle administrative requests such as password resets, new users and mailbox setups.

Continuum also offers an after-hours option for service providers that still wish to maintain first-contact service calls during normal business hours.

Meanwhile, Continuum said it will direct 8 percent of its new Service Desk revenue to the new Continuum Veterans Foundation, which will divide financial support among several non-profit organizations focused on finding jobs for military veterans.

"We believe it is very important to give back to the community we serve and have made helping veterans transition into the civilian workforce our cause. Returning military personnel have technical skills and leadership abilities that promise to serve their IT employers well," George said in a statement.

PUBLISHED JULY 31, 2012