There is a famous line I recall from the hit HBO series “The Sopranos,” that ended in mid-2007, about having fun where you can find it. When I recently interviewed executives from both Concur and Regus, I couldn’t help but think that we should all find synergy where we can. That is – the recent partnership between Concur and Regus is true synergy.
Here’s the context: Regus is an office-sharing firm (think day offices and executive suites) that has recently expanded to over to 1,500 locations worldwide. I extensively tracked Regus in the 2007-2008 timeframe and have used its offices as a “Gold” member (it’s kinda like having an airline lounge card and I can pop into any location to work). Regus even accommodated parts of my Microsoft/HP worldwide tour in 2007 providing the venue for my Dublin, Ireland event.
Meanwhile, Concur has the travel and expense management workflow down. Specific to the Regus agreement, the company’s TripIt travel planning solution, teamed with Regus, makes for the perfect trip. Think about it. You have your business travel covered end-to-end from itinerary to expense management to business work space accommodations.
“With the number of mobile workers increasing each month, the timing of this partnership couldn’t be better,” explained Michael Haas, Regus’ Director of Partnerships shared with me. “These days we are all working on the go and are expected to be efficient no matter where we are. Our newest partnership offers the tools every business professional needs to support that expectation.”
As part of the agreement, Concur Small Business Edition customers will receive 12 months of Regus’ Preferred Businessworld Membership, giving them access to more than 1,500 business lounges in 100 countries. Regus’ lounges provide road warriors with unprecedented access to professional drop-in locations where they can work, hold a meeting with a client or colleague, or relax with a cup of coffee in-between appointments. Additional discounts are available on 12-month office and virtual office agreements.
In turn, Regus customers will receive a 45-day complimentary trial to Concur’s Small Business Edition. With Concur’s integrated travel and expense system, managers get greater visibility into company spend, while providing their employees with a simple, expense reporting tool.
“We are excited to partner with Regus to arm our business customers with another valuable way to help them be more productive,” said Tim FitzGerald, Senior VP of SMB Business Development at Concur. “In today’s always-on work environment, having access to convenient work space around the globe is a useful benefit that we are thrilled to offer our small business customers.”
Like I said – it’s all about synergy and you have that here with the Regus/Concur teaming effort.
