The results are in… our 2013 customer survey is complete. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the questionnaire – your feedback helps us ensure we are developing in the right direction and that our product improvements are of the most value to you. Opengear has historically provided out-of-band management solutions that were utilized as alternate access methods during network problems. Our customer survey told us our product uses are changing.
Regular access
One third of our customers regularly use Opengear solutions for accessing their remote equipment, and 73% of our customers use them for non-emergency situations. Out-of-band solutions are typically only used during network downtime, but our solutions are used regularly. This was the most satisfying result of the survey. We strive to provide high performance solutions that solve customer problems. Corporate access to remote sites has become critical in the age of hosted applications, and our customers are regularly using Opengear solutions in this environment. This is directly in line with our strategy of providing the most feature-rich, cost-effective, flexible solutions for secure remote infrastructure management.
Our best attributes
Customers responded that our solution features, ease of use, and access capabilities are the top reasons they continue to purchase Opengear solutions. 94% surveyed responded that our product was easy to use. This feedback directly aligns with our corporate focus. We are the only company innovating with new products (for instance the Opengear IM7200), and we pride ourselves in providing solutions that easily fit into any size enterprise.
Modem versus cellular access
34% of our customers rated modem access important while 42% rated cellular access as important. Cellular access to remote infrastructure is not a trend, but a growing reality with long term viability. Carriers, customers, and partners have requested reliable cellular access to remote equipment in both primary and failover modes of operation. Opengear has targeted cellular access with solutions and partner relationships. Our recently-announced Opengear and Sprint partnership also underpins this strategic movement in the industry.
Network equipment management
86% of customers use our products to manage switches, routers and firewalls. Customers have used our solutions to manage network equipment for years. This is not new information, but confirms the importance of this application.
In addition to the high-level overview above, you have given us specific feedback. We will review every comment to ensure we hold ourselves accountable to the high standards you expect from Opengear. Our customers are passionate about Opengear products and we will continue to listen for your feedback so we can continue to grow our solutions with the advanced features that best serve our customers.
