Industry leader Automatic Data Processing,
Inc. is taking its ASP model and making it work for Internet service
provider America Online,
Inc.‘s small business subscribers.
The deal announced Wednesday lets ADP get its hands on
potentially millions of small businesses that use AOL as
their storefront. Netscape and CompuServe subscribers are included in the
deal.
Jim Martin, Netscape senior vice president and general manager, said the
alliance is a boon for his ISP’s small business users.
“Finding effective payroll and human resources solutions can be complicated
for small business owners and many of these business owners look to the AOL
brands for resources,” Martin said. “We are happy to offer these
businesses best-of-breed services, such as those ADP provides, to help
streamline operations. We believe this agreement with ADP will benefit
small businesses by providing the knowledge, special offers and products
they need.”
ADP is a $6 billion brick-and-mortar human resources and payroll company
which leveraged its market dominance to the Internet with last year’s
launch of the Emerging Business Services Division, offering a suite of
payroll and HR solutions.
Brad Smith, ADP emerging businesses services division vice president and
general manager, said the bricks-to-clicks transition has opened the
floodgates on sales.
“The Emerging Business Services Division has become the core of our
company’s success,” Smith said. “People who are looking for customized
services need only talk with our customer support professionals who can get
them set up with one of our solutions.”
Successful, indeed. Last year, Smith said, the company brought in 80,000
new clients to the small business division, many of whom took care of their
business using the Internet. According to in-house numbers, three out of
four ADP clients want to conduct their business online.
Its proprietary Solution Profiler gives online businesses real-time,
customized price quotes for the services it can provide, ranging from
online recruiting to tax regulatory management.
The services are tailored to meet the demands of today’s businesses, Smith
said. Clients can either take advantage of the various services by phone,
through a web-based interface or using the software provided by the company.
Smith said the company is plans to include other major industry companies
with similar relationships. It has already made a similar arrangement
earlier this month with Microsoft, providing its online support services to
vCentral users.
