EGuard Rolls Out Stand-alone Digital Media Offering

EGuard Technology Services has spun its digital media offering into a stand-alone product for small and midsize businesses that don't need network management capabilities.

The Washington, D.C.-based managed services provider had for the past three years only made its Total Web Care digital media product available to customers purchasing Total IT Care, which managed everything from the end user's firewalls and routers to desktops and servers.

But eGuard Founder and President Khaled Farhang said he was increasingly encountering businesses, such as restaurants or hair salons, that wanted eGuard's help with web or social media matters but had virtually no infrastructure management needs because they owned just one or two computers.

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"We still want to help these clients," Farhang said.

Total Web Care can help SMB clients with everything from social media integration and pay-per-click services to website redesigns and access across all platforms, Farhang said. It also can help end users improve their search engine optimization results and their visibility to potential clients, and align their brand message across all channels, he said.

EGuard will be able to offer stand-alone Total Web Care at a much lower price than the full Total IT Care package, which Farhang said should allow the MSP to attract a broader customer base.

EGuard has just under 100 clients right now, and has been experiencing annual growth rates of 20 percent to 25 percent since introducing Total IT care in 2008, Farhang said. He expects the stand-alone Total Web Care product to drive an additional 10 percent of growth each year for eGuard.

EGuard conducted a soft launch of its Total Web Care product a few months ago and has already attracted two new clients, Farhang said. Most of eGuard's customers are based in and around Washington, D.C., Farhang said, though some have remote offices in the Southeast or Northwest.

The move should have little to no impact on margins because eGuard's network management and digital media businesses yield roughly the same margins, Farhang said.

The Total Web Care business employs a monthly recurring revenue model, with pricing based primarily on how strong a business wants its digital footprint to be, he said.

EGuard is one of the only MSPs of its size capable of both managing IT, and helping with web and digital media.

Farhang said many of his competitors are more break-fix shops, while eGuard focuses more on business consulting and engagement, allowing the firm to proactively incorporate IT solutions into the existing daily routines of their end users.

PUBLISHED NOV. 18, 2014