Our two primary focuses are the ISP, and the Contract support for client networks. Each component could operate as independent companies, it was two companies at one point. Both components are fickle markets, based on budgets.
For those of you doing both, how clear do you keep this line? We are doing more leased fiber, where we lease it and resell it to the Contract support Customer. We are going to be incorporating some of these leased circuits into our ISP network. A good example is a bank, we have three of their locations on our ISP network, and two remote branches, each location on our network has us as a primary ISP, and a backup circuit. There is one PtP T1 between an on network location and one of the remote branches also, we own the lease and resell the service. They currently have VPNs between the branches, still all client defined. but we are bringing on a fiber ptp between their main branch and out NOC as a backup. With being the ISP and the IT support for them we have a lot of liberties we can take that we could not if we were only one or the other, like being able to configure their firewalls to suite our current capabilities and changing that at whim as we progress as an ISP. There are alot of other liberties I cant really get into the details of that will make my life easier. But a big component would be managing multiple provider internet connections via our ISP side infrastructure, rather than from the perspective of the IT support side. (think a cpe router doing the magic, and then their own firewall) We will be delivering our ISP IP space to the remote customer The short of it is, is it best to treat these "departments" as separate entities as we would if it were a different IT shop doing their IT or if it were a different ISP providing their interwebs as we do for our Contracts that are not on our ISP network? -- If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your team as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team.
