…there's got to be another way. – The Who (“Who Are You?,” 1978)

I have a few observations about the person that first coined the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” First of all, this person obviously wasn’t an English major, however, neither am I, so that is quickly forgiven (by me, at least…probably not by an English professor). More importantly, I’m also betting this phrase wasn’t first typed using a PC or Mac, nor distributed via email, or shared via any other network-based technology.  If it had been, the phrase most likely would have read, “If it ain’t broke, prepare for it to break…and at the worst possible time.”

Now it’s not that I’m a pessimist, it’s just that I’m amazed by the way technology has taken over our lives (especially in the business world) and how quickly our day falls apart when these technologies fail us. Even those employees who claim to be “old school” or “technophobes” simply can’t function once their email isn’t working or they can’t access the server.

This reliance on technology by businesses today has even changed the way technology geeks (and wannabe geeks) behave. As little as five years ago, IT support companies simply sold their customers a “block” of time (usually 5 or ten hours to a block) and waited for the client to call when something went wrong. In today’s technology-reliant offices, this “break/fix” business model just simply doesn’t cut it.  Minutes must seem like hours to the business owner watching staff sitting idle because they can’t access email or applications and files on the server.

As you might have guessed, I have a solution for this dilemma: Managed Services. And I can sum up the differences between managed services and the “break/fix” support model of yesterday with two words: “proactive” and “preemptive”. As a New Frontiers Managed Services client, you can expect our team of engineers to treat your network as if it were our own. We're constantly evaluating your network to assure it remains reliable and secure. Our software is monitoring your network 24x7x365, searching for issues and alerting our engineers before these issues become work-stopping problems. This same software also allows our technicians to offer immediate remote help desk support to end users on your network, as well as scheduling after-hours application of patch releases and security updates. And on the rare instance that a service technician needs to come on-site to deal with an issue…well, that’s covered, too.

So if the fear of finding out exactly what an hour of downtime will cost your business isn’t enough to make you seriously consider managed services, I hope you’ll consider this: How much would it benefit your business to know exactly what your IT expenses will be each month? At New Frontiers, we simply manage your network for a flat monthly fee, and in many cases the total cost of this service can be less than you are currently paying for the break/fix support you’ve come to accept as the norm. And doesn't it just make sense to budget for a team of engineers and technicians with a wide array of specialized skills to manage your network for less than the cost of a single IT employee or contractor?

I’m pretty adamant in my belief that this is the best way to assure your network remains healthy and secure, but if you’re not yet a believer, I hope you’ll contact me and let me know what I’ve missed.

I'm hoping to hear from you soon.

Brian
bmerson@centricbiz.com

...What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been - Grateful Dead ("Truckin'",1970)

So I’ve now got a full year under my belt in business technology sales, and oddly enough, I’m feeling the need to talk (O.K., write) about it. Those of you who know me, probably remember that I spent 11 years in the office equipment industry, which is where I built some great client relationships.  In the early summer of 2010, I made the move to New Frontiers Solutions, a local CLEC (Competing Local Exchange Carrier…or “telephone and internet service provider” to those of us who despise acronyms) with an IT division specializing in managed services (more on this in an upcoming blog…I promise!). I realize now, that back then, I had no idea what I was getting into.

As a sales rep for a local copier company, I was certain that my knowledge of the equipment and technologies I sold, along with my firm belief that customer service is always first and foremost, was enough to put me at the very top of my field, and no one was better at this job than I was. (O.K., I realize that was borderline cocky…but it’s my blog, no sense in being falsely modest!)

My new career, however, is very different. Now, each and every morning as I walk through the front doors at New Frontiers, I fully realize that I’m the dumbest guy in the building. The network engineers and technicians that I work with are at the very top of their field, and it’s a great feeling to know that my efforts are backed by such a competent staff.  However, from a sales perspective, at least two dilemmas arise from this: First of all, sometimes it seems there are simply not enough hours in the day to completely familiarize myself with all of the voice, data, communications and network technologies that our engineers are capable of providing to our clients. Secondly, many of the clients I work with, and possibly the ones that could benefit most from these technologies, know even less about these technologies than I do…and that’s the main reason for the effort behind this blog. (I know, I know…it took me long enough to get here!)

My hope is, that by blogging every few weeks about one of the technology solutions that I offer, maybe some of my clients will be able to take advantage of the hours I spend each week doing research and bombarding my grey matter with information about these technology-related products and services. And who knows, maybe my ramblings will generate some feedback and discussion with my clients (and prospective clients) regarding the topics about which I’ve blogged.  And maybe…just maybe…the information found here will cause one of my clients to pick up the phone and call me on my direct line at 240-675-9725 to discuss how these technologies could benefit their business or organization. (C’mon, don’t look so shocked…I warned you in the first sentence that I was in sales!)

Here’s hoping that my blogging serves some purpose for you.

Brian
bmerson@centricbiz.com