Staples' Thrive Offers Backup And Network ServicesStaples' Thrive Offers Backup And Network Services

With a wink and a nod to its roots as a no frills provider of office supplies for SMBs, big box behemoth, Staples is rolling out Thrive, a three-service offering that purports to hit the "Easy" button for IT operations.The troika of IT services is provided by Staples subsidiary Thrive Networks (try finding any mention of Thrive on the Staples site), an 85-person IT services firm that claims a customer base of more than 300 small and midsize companies.

The Thrive rollout includes:

Though Thrive is pushing the new services from Staples a quick review of the firm's capabilities reveals a broader suite of services including VoIP and business continuity planning. The backup offering is actually provided by EMC subsidiary Mozy, putting Staples in the position of aggregating rather than actually providing these services. Nonetheless, Thrive (or Staples) is dropping the important SMB code words. Case in point, Thrive president Jim Lippie's comments about the rollout:

"Small and medium-sized business customers and suppliers are increasingly savvy, with high expectations for immediate and personalized service and support. But while expectations are rising, SMBs are also under pressure to do more with the same or fewer IT resources. With limited IT staffs and their own set of unique storage challenges, it's really critical that they protect their most valuable asset - their information. That's where Staples Network Services by Thrive comes in - we can take all of that worry off their plates, make IT work without them having to think about it, and give them the peace of mind that comes from knowing they're fully protected."

With an estimated $500 billion SMB market, Staples is savvy to move into this market, time will tell if the offerings deliver on their promise.

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