Aliant service a move in war for control of digital home: observers
A bevy of new services from Aliant aimed at helping customers with common computer and consumer electronic woes is an attempt to secure a firm beachhead in the war against cable companies for control of the digital home, says a University of New Brunswick business professor.
"This is less about the home support side of the business and it's more about them getting a stronger foothold in the home," says Dan Doiron, a business professor at UNB Saint John and director of UNBSJ's E-Commerce Training and Research Centre.
Doiron says while Aliant and other telecommunications firms have done a good job connecting homes to the Internet, including allowing multiple computers to access the web, none have done much to help users share resources over between computers within the home.
Such shared services could include printers as well as other devices, he says. Sharing resources is common in the workplace but less so in the home.
"People just don't know how to do it," he says. "Either you have a friend to do it or you just don't bother."
Helping customers with their computer and electronics in the home can help Aliant make a move towards providing television-based services, says Doiron.
"Once the TV is effectively connected to the Internet, it starts to open up a whole new world for them of providing some neat and competitive services that will hurt the cable companies," he says.
Doiron says Aliant's entry into the residential IT support arena won't likely hurt smaller players like Geeks Unlimited, which also offer to help home users with their computer and consumer electronics issues.
The services, known as Aliant Expert, include a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week help desk called Online Expert that provides advice and guidance not only for computer and Internet-related questions, but also for common consumer electronic problems such as getting digital cameras to work.
In addition to the online help desk support, the expert package includes a virtual visit by an Aliant expert called Remote Expert.
Remote expert allows customers to have common PC problems such as viruses, spyware and device troubleshooting done virtually using remote desktop software.
If a customer requires a technician to do physical work - such as installing new hardware or hooking up devices to the broadband network - they can secure the services of a Home Expert within 48 hours of placing a request.
Kurt Scherf, vice-president of Parks Associates, a Dallas-based IT market research firm, says while many telecommunications firms are offering remote troubleshooting support, no one providing the breadth of support services Bell Aliant is delivering.
"The closest thing to it is what British Telecom has been doing for a year-and-a-half now with a service the call Home IT Advisor," he says. "Part of it is the remote IT support, either by phone or by web chat, they also do have a service that they will send a technician to the home, but my understanding is the scope is limited to more of the broadband or home computing aspects."
Scherf estimated the U.S. market for digital home support service, which can include everything from remote technical support to in-home computer set-up as well as troubleshooting and assistance in setting up consumer electronics such as televisions and digital cameras, could grow to a US$2 billion industry over the next five years.
A comparable figure for Canada would be roughly C$200 million.
Joe Mosher, Bell Aliant's vice-president for residential markets, says the idea for the expert program came from customers.
"We were getting a lot of calls from customers asking 'how do I hook up my camera', 'how do I hook up my iPod'," he says.
With all manner of devices - from televisions to TiVos and video game consoles, from computers to refrigerators and other home appliances increasingly plugging into residential broadband networks, there is a need for expert technical help in the home, Mosher says.
Aliant first introduced its expert services a year and a half ago and has been gradually expanding its Home Expert program, which first started in Moncton.
The Home Expert service is now available in Saint John, Moncton, Edmundston, Miramichi and Bathurst.
The service is set to launch in Fredericton this month.
Mosher says Aliant is the first telecom company in North America to offer such a comprehensive residential consumer electronics support program.
Mark Goldberg, an Ontario telecom industry analyst, says the Aliant program mirrors Bell Canada's efforts to offer comprehensive technology support services to small and medium-size businesses that don't have an in-house IT staff.
With Aliant battling cable companies for home phone, television as well as high-speed Internet customers, the expert program may provide it with an edge, says Goldberg.
"It strikes me as what we would call a 'sticky service'," he says. "Bundling a tighter relationship with the customers in an increasingly competitive environment is a good thing for any communications company."
Other phone companies in Canada are also using their networks to provide more services to consumers, including home security, he says.
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan's telephone companies have taken a strong interest in providing home security system installation and monitoring service, he noted.
"When there's an alarm condition you're reaching a pool of operators. What kind of company do you know that (kind of work) sounds familiar too?" says Goldberg. "That might be something to watch for (from Aliant)."
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
