I'm also in the same boat; work for a few different orgs as a subcontractor if you will. They have the clients and farm out the work to those of us with the necessary skill sets. We do everything from desktop to WAN. I used to work in the enterprise space but prefer SMB; you get more accomplished. :-) I think the contractor exchange idea might work; I've seen a few of them but they never seem to go anywhere. Not sure why; it sounds like a decent idea... My guess is that the model is more of a "we'll find the clients and send you the work" thing instead of your model...
*********************** Charlie Kaiser charl...@golden-eagle.org Kingman, AZ *********************** > -----Original Message----- > From: Adam Greene [mailto:maill...@webjogger.net] > Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:05 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Managed Services > > Yeah, I suspect there are a lot of people on this list who > could act as really good subcontracting resources for each > other .. between us, there's a ton of expertise ... would > make us all stronger. Wouldn't it be neat to set up a > sobcontracting exchange of some kind? Post a note -- "I need > this kind of help, who can help me? Willing to pay hourly" > etc. and get a few bids in return ... set up good ongoing > relationships with each other ... > > Hmm ... how could this become a viable business model for the > one who sets up / hosts the exchange? > > Anyways, I think I'm taking this OT ... (!) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Michael B. Smith <mailto:mich...@owa.smithcons.com> > To: NT System Admin Issues > <mailto:ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:53 AM > Subject: RE: Managed Services > > Feel free to contact me off list. > > I do a lot of subcontract work for other consulting companies. > > ________________________________ > > From: David Lum [david....@nwea.org] > Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:33 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Managed Services > > > > And then there's us SMB consultants who do the same > thing for shops that can't afford their own IT employee, > we're cheaper than a FTE. Shawn I like your comments as well. > > Sometimes as a SMB consultant, *I* would like to be > able to instantaneously contact some expertise w/out paying > Microsoft $250 and waiting more than a month to get it back > when they've deem the fee wasn't necessary (not that I've had > this happen *twice* in the last month or anything..). > David Lum // SYSTEMS ENGINEER > NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION > (Desk) 971.222.1025 // (Cell) 503.267.9764 > -----Original Message----- > From: Adam Greene [mailto:maill...@webjogger.net] > Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 6:26 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Managed Services > > Hey Shawn, > > Getting in here a bit late ... as a managed services > provider, I concur that > there's quite a market for these. So many companies > don't have the time or > want to invest in the staff to manage their IT > infrastructure. In many > cases, the cost of entry for establishing in-house > services (like an > Exchange server) is also prohibitive for smaller > businesses. Paying a > monthly fee for things like this, and knowing that the > service provider is > going to take care of the patching, A/V, updates, etc. > seems to take a > significant load off the plate of small business owners > whose main focus is > to provide their own services, not perform IT work. Virtualized > datacenter-hosted services like these are our fastest > growing service > offering. > > Hope that helps and have fun ... > > Adam > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Shawn Everett" <sh...@tandac.com> > To: "NT System Admin Issues" > <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> > Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 5:43 PM > Subject: RE: Managed Services > > > > One of the things we do quite well is to complement > an existing company's > > IT staff. > > > > Are they going on vacation? > > Need a few extra bodies for a big project? > > Need another resource to bounce problems off of? > > > > We market ourselves as just being part of the team. > We're not here to > > rightsize or downsize anyone. Interestingly we have > never kicked out an > > existing IT person in an organization. > > > > Thanks to everyone on an off list for the comments > and tips about managed > > services. I'll be reviewing them in more detail over > the next couple of > > days. > > > > Shawn > > > >> Completely understand this but oddly enough I'm > seeing a trend where > >> internal IT orgs are exploring options, not senior > management due to > >> overall workload or new business initiatives. > Again, managed services > >> from ANYONE is not a one size fit all; thanks for > the comments. > >> > >> Shook > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Tim Vander Kooi [mailto:tvanderk...@expl.com] > >> Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 10:40 AM > >> To: NT System Admin Issues > >> Subject: RE: Managed Services > >> > >> Or be "rightsized".. > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org] > >> Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:28 AM > >> To: NT System Admin Issues > >> Subject: RE: Managed Services > >> > >> "what could any of you accomplish if you didn't have > to deal with > >> monitoring, patching, AV, backups, hardware, event > log review, security > >> traffic analysis, storage and OS care and feeding?" > >> > >> I could quit :-) > >> > >> David Lum // SYSTEMS ENGINEER > >> NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION > >> (Desk) 971.222.1025 // (Cell) 503.267.9764 > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Andy Shook [mailto:andy.sh...@peak10.com] > >> Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:14 AM > >> To: NT System Admin Issues > >> Subject: RE: Managed Services > >> > >> (Disclaimer: > http://www.peak10.com/Managed-Services/default.asp ) > >> > >> Shawn, > >> My company and job role aside, managed services have > a large value > >> proposition in the right scenario. I talk to > prospects and customers all > >> day long about managed services. I'm a straight > shooter, if they are not > >> a good fit I tell them as will my sales guys. As > mentioned, they have a > >> good play for businesses with no internal IT > (better\faster\cheaper) but > >> I > >> will also say the BETTER play for overall managed > services is the way > >> they > >> augment & compliment an internal IT shop. Think > about it, what could any > >> of you accomplish if you didn't have to deal with > monitoring, patching, > >> AV, backups, hardware, event log review, security > traffic analysis, > >> storage and OS care and feeding? In other words, > source the mundane junk > >> and have the internal IT person\people move up the > stack to core business > >> functions and applications. Time slice a managed > services provider's > >> capabilities to keep the lights on and you migrate > to a more strategic > >> role. > >> > >> What I find intriguing during these discussions are > people's definition > >> of > >> 'infrastructure'. I'm a little more leading edge in > my thoughts; I > >> consider infrastructure to include everything > mentioned above as well as, > >> the hypervisor, email platforms and databases. What > about you? > >> > >> Every situation is different, I welcome comments and > questions on or off > >> list. > >> > >> Shook > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Shawn Everett [mailto:sh...@tandac.com] > >> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 6:26 PM > >> To: NT System Admin Issues > >> Subject: Managed Services > >> > >> Does anyone here sell managed services or subscribe > to them as a service > >> from a vendor? > >> > >> I'm looking for overall opinions. Do you find them > useful, why or why > >> not? > >> > >> Shawn > >> > >> > >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > >> ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > >> > >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > >> ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > >> ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > >> > >> > >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > >> ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > >> > >> > >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > >> ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > >> > >> > > > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > > ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a > resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
