8 Ways Eaton Is Helping Partners And Healthcare Workers Combat Coronavirus

From donating face shields to healthcare workers to giving away its power management software for free, here are eight ways Eaton is helping the world fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Eaton’s Motto: ‘Lead Through Example’

Eaton is pulling out all the stops in enabling channel partners, businesses and medical workers make it through the coronavirus pandemic unscathed.

The power management kingpin is doing everything from giving away its power management software for free, to developing a touchless tool that helps medical workers avoid contact with surfaces and slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Out of all the things you’re seeing from a community perspective – us creating 3D touchless tools and providing face shields to hospitals, channel partners and our employees, and masks to first responders – it’s our job as an organization is to be in front and to lead through example and lead through being present. Our whole team has done that,” said Curtiz Gangi (pictured), vice president of sales for U.S. channels for Eaton’s data center segment. “I’m really proud to be part of this channel organization and this company.”

Here are eight ways Eaton is helping channel partners and various industries combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Free Power Management Software

Eaton is giving channel partners its Power Management Software for free, which can be deployed, configured and utilized remotely. Both of Eaton’s Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) and Visual Power Manager Essential (VPME) software is free for partners to provide to customers through Nov.1.

“Those features are now available in our software that partners can utilize to help their clients around installing the software remotely, configuring their devices so they have remote outlet control, and being able to reboot devices remotely in case there are lock-ups because you still want people to be productive during this [pandemic],” said Eaton’s Gangi.

COVID-19 use cases for IPM are around business continuity with automatic remediation and remote monitoring of a customer’s power devices. If an issue occurs, IPM can automatically resolve them based on predefined policies created by IT managers before the problem happens such as triggering VM migration, power capping, load shedding and, if necessary, a unique shutdown that protects from data corruption and difficult restarts from hard crashes. Customers and partners can easily deploy IPM on any network connected Windows PC.

VPME provides remote monitoring of all brands rack mount power devices. The software offers remote control, firmware and configuration to push Eaton devices to assist in management and power cycling of equipment without the need to travel to the site. VPME also provides automated alert reactions with script triggers and full user management so teams can access everything or only what they need.

Power Management Software Resources

Eaton is helping to quickly enable partners to sell its free Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) and Visual Power Manager Essential (VPME) software through new resources including software demos.

The company is offering IPM training videos as well as an IPM Quick Start Guide that includes step-by-step instructions. Eaton is providing an VPME Essential Quick Start Guide for partners that also includes easy to follow instructions and videos to help partner get trained. There are also online manuals available for partner for both IPM and VPME. Additionally, Eaton is hosting a weekly open Q&A session for channel partners.

“So partners have capabilities around virtualization and the core data they can gather, then in the long term, they can talk to their clients about integrating the software as a subscription for them moving forward,” said Gangi.

Touchless Tool To Help Medical Workers

Last month, Eaton activated its 3D manufacturing expertise to rapidly developed a touchless tool that helps medical workers avoid contact with surfaces and slow the spread of COVID-19.

University Hospitals in Ohio collaborated on the design and development of a new four-inch touchless tool that resembles a plastic wrench and is intended to help medical workers grab door handles, turn faucets and push buttons on phones and other devices without touching surfaces. Eaton provided the first batch of touchless tools to University Hospitals, where doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and other healthcare workers are using the device. The tool enables University Hospitals to help address concerns associated with contracting the new coronavirus from contaminated surfaces and reduces the number of times healthcare workers need to change protective equipment.

“To help fill critical needs of our healthcare workers during this crisis, we moved from concept to production in a few short days,” said Srinivas Garimella, global head of the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence at Eaton in a statement. “This kind of speed and adaptability reaffirms the power of additive manufacturing, and I am proud of our teams across the company who stepped up to help local communities.”

Rapid Creation Of 360,000 Face Shields

Eaton supported Ohio medical workers by using its manufacturing expertise to fulfill an order for the rapid production of 360,000 reusable face shields to fight against the coronavirus.

Eaton recently collaborated with multiple hospitals, state agencies and a local custom plastic injection molding company to rapidly produce the critical equipment at scale.

“Ten business days ago, this project was just a concept. Today, we’re moving forward with production and looking to expand further,” said Michael Regelski, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Electrical Sector at Eaton in a statement in April. “By leveraging our advanced manufacturing capabilities and strong network of partners, we’re helping Ohio quickly respond to current inventory challenges and maximize accessibility of critical personal protective equipment resources for front line teams combatting COVID-19.”

Donated Face Shields

The first batch of the face shields made at Eaton’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Southfield, Michigan were donated in early April to hospitals in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Michigan.

Eaton worked closely with Cleveland’s Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network group, MetroHealth System and other healthcare providers to evaluate initial samples and refine the design of the face shields. Eaton is now rapidly scaling up production of face shields to more traditional manufacturing methods to deliver the volume of face shields needed to meet the demand of healthcare systems across the country.

“We greatly appreciate Eaton’s donation of face shields, which will protect caregivers on the front lines and help reduce the spread of the coronavirus,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Akram Boutros in a statement last month.

Extending Financing To 90 Days With No Interest

Eaton is extending its financing from 30 to 90 days, interest free, specifically for partners in the company’s flagship PowerAdvantage Partner Program. The offering is effective until Dec. 31, 2020, and is available at distributors Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex and ScanSource.

The new 90-day interest free financing for partners was created after hearing concerns from the channel that projects were being stalled due to customer cash flow uncertainties stemming from COVID-19.

“We wanted to get that log-jam out of the way and make the partners feel more conformable. So we pay the interest on that 90 days. We wanted to make sure the economics of our channels continued and we didn’t see projects stalled,” Gangi said.

“We are telling partners, ‘We understand the situation you’re in. You may not get your loans from the government. Your clients may not have cash flow for the next 90 days. So why not take your distribution terms and extend them by 90 days and give yourself some relief,” he said.

Eaton’s PowerAdvantage, which received a five-star rating in CRN’s 2020 Partner Program Guide, is a three-tier program that offers discounts, joint marketing planning, loyalty programs, point-based rewards, marketing development funding, online tools and rebates, to name a features.

Helped Build New Wuhan Hospitals

In February, Eaton helped complete the construction of two new field hospitals in Wuhan, China in just 10 days. Eaton, its electrical contractors and distributors were part of the construction project at the new Huoshenshan and Leishenshan Hospitals that delivered an additional 2,500 hospital beds to the front line of this global health emergency.

Earlier this year, an urgent request came to Eaton from the regional utility, Wuhan Power Supply Bureau. Both Huoshenshan and Leishenshan Hospitals needed help connecting to utility power. In a matter of days, Eaton and its partner helped connect the main power supply at both hospitals and provided the medium-voltage cable accessories supporting intelligent and reliable power distribution. Eaton solutions are now powering the hospitals, enabling medical teams to diagnose, treat and monitor more patients.

“Working in the field complicates access to a steady and reliable power supply, which can be a matter of life and death when critical medical equipment is involved,” said Howard Liu, president of Eaton’s Electrical Sector for Asia-Pacific region in a statement. “Eaton is committed to providing high-performance solutions to everyday heroes on the frontlines – on typical days and in moments of crisis.”

Matching Employee Donations

Eaton is matching 2:1 any donation employees make to organizations providing COVID-19 relief. To goal is to help provide even more funding for organizations and groups providing medical services, relief supplies and vital support and services in the communities where Eaton employees live.

“Out of all the things you’re seeing from a community perspective – us creating 3D touchless tools and providing face shields to hospitals, channel partners and our employees, and masks to first responders – it’s our job as an organization is to be in front and to lead through example and lead through being present,” said Eaton’s Gangi. “Our whole team has done that.”

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