WHAT’S INSIDE Computers, Networking, Websites, Advertising, Marketing & Sales ISSUE 012 | Dec 2012
ACRBO MAG
Read about what the ACRBO Preferred Vendors have to offer and how they just might be able to help your business grow. The Owen Lea Foundation…. Let’s Make A Difference!
December is Preferred Vendor Month!!
Association of Computer Repair Business Owners
CONTENTS 6
Comptia
9
SurfRight
10
CallThatGirl
14
Gillware
16
FutureStar
21
ScreenConnect
25
GFIMax
26
CallThatGirl
ACRBO
CONTENTS
28
Ninite
29
FiberCloud
30
TechinLine
31
TheForceField
33
Rebit
34
BeAnywhere
Are you a writer? Do you enjoy writing down your experiences? If so feel free to contribute to the magazine. Credit is given to all writers in the form of links to your website or any other way you would like. Share your experiences!
Editor’s Note Welcome to the latest edition of the Association Magazine. I'd like to welcome our new contributors this month. This month’s magazine is dedicated to our Preferred Vendors. Their support is much appreciated by all members of the Association. In this issue you can read all about what they have to offer and how they can benefit your business A publication like this would not be possible without the support of our valued Preferred Vendors who are advertisers. Please visit our Preferred Vendors as they know what you need to help you with all your endeavors. I hope you enjoy this month's issue of the magazine, and as always please email me if you have any comments, contributions or feedback. Dan ACRBO Keep your valuable feedback coming. I try to reply to every email, I appreciate your input as it helps to make the ACRBO magazine possible. Write to me at: dan@acrbo.com
ACRBO Magazine Fredericksburg Virginia Advertising enquires: Send an email to dan@acrbo.com Contribute articles: If you would like to be a contributing author for the magazine then send an email to dan@acrbo.com and let us know what you would like to write about. Copyright 2012 ACRBO. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated or converted into machinereadable form or language without the written consent of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher ACRBO Magazine Director: ACRBO dan@acrbo.com Contributors Various experts in their fields The instructions and advice in the Magazine is for entertainment purposes only. The creators, producers, contributors and distributors of the ACRBO Mag disclaim any liability for loss or lack of results from following the advice expressed herein
Do I need a ticketing system for repairs?
Should I offer phone repairs?
Of course you don’t need on you could always use those carbonless word order forms and run your business.
I assume what you mean are things like screen replacements and things like that for iPhones and Android phones.
But, in reality the best thing to do is start out right and use a system that is developed for computer repair businesses so in the future you do not have to try to migrate all your customers’ information.
I think it depends on a few things. Are you doing this to generate “more” business than you already have? Or are you doing this in order to just generate revenue in general?
The time you put into researching what program to use will save you countless hours in the future. Dan ACRBO
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If you are already doing rather well then adding services like this are good but there is always a cost involved and a learning curve. Very important to know what you are getting into with this venture. Dan ACRBO
Have a question? If so email it do dan@acrbo.com and we will be glad to answer it. It can be business related pertaiing to marketing, setting up your business, growth of your business or anything you can think of.
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CompTIA: Building Success for IT Solution Providers When you hear about CompTIA, you probably automatically think certification. Yes, CompTIA is the world’s largest provider of vendor-neutral certifications. You may even be one of the 1.6 million IT pros who have a CompTIA certification. But certification is just one of the four main focuses of CompTIA. As the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry, CompTIA builds programs in four main areas: education, certification, advocacy and philanthropy. Driven by IT channel company members and led by an elected board of industry professionals for 30 years, the association: • Educates the IT channel: Its educational resources, comprising online guides, webinars, market research, business mentoring, open forums and networking events, help members grow their businesses and become “best in class.” • Certifies the IT workforce: It provides technology-neutral and vendor-neutral IT certifications for the entry-level to expert IT pro. • Advocates on behalf of the IT industry: On Capitol Hill, CompTIA brings the power of small- and medium-sized IT businesses to bear as a united voice. • Gives back through philanthropy: Its foundation enables disadvantaged populations to gain the skills they need for employment in the IT industry. With more than 2,000 members and 2,000 business partners, the association reinvests the dollars it marks from certification in programs that benefit its valued members and the industry as a whole. For example, CompTIA offers a full portfolio of channel training, including live workshops, printed and downloadable training guides and business credentials. Our training content and materials are the result of a collaborative, CompTIA community-led development effort. The association adheres to this industry-leading development process to offer the IT channel relevant, timely content presented in an interactive format that caters to the way adults learn best.
With coverage of 10 main market areas from mobility and cloud computing to providing IT services for government and legal firms, you get a quick lesson on how to expand your business. There’s even a quick-start session and guide on just how to enter a new market vertical. In the CompTIA session, learn 10 steps to help you build an effective plan to assist your company in becoming a dominant provider of IT solutions for your chosen vertical market. You’ll hear best practices on selecting a target vertical market and creating a profile for clients in that market, as well as identifying key influencers in the market and creating a positioning statement. For those looking to hone their current business practices, CompTIA offers a wealth of legal, HR, sales and marketing tools made especially for small IT businesses. There are 11 different legal templates offered. For example, the managed services legal template allows members to customize a contract template to meet their needs when their company is providing a managed service such as SaaS, cloud computing, data management, website development or network monitoring. Last fall CompTIA also debuted a business assessment tool designed to allow small businesses candidly assess their current position in a variety of business disciplines and define which areas would benefit most from improvement. The amount of resources located in the CompTIA member resource center can seem daunting at times. This tool helps solution provider members navigate through these resources in order to find which ones would be most beneficial to their company. Tools like these reinforce CompTIA’s commitment to providing technology-focused solution providers, vendors and distributors with the knowledge they need to address challenges they may face. To find out more about CompTIA, check out www.comptia.org.
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This month’s winner will receive the eBook “Computer Repair Business Lessons Learned”. We will randomly choose a winner and email the winner. Just send an email to dan@acrbo.com and in the Subject line put: WinBook Last Month’s winner is: Eric Metzner from No Ware Computer Repair!
Visit www.Podnutz.com
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Antivirus shortens the life-time of financial malware Herbert Weustenenk herbert@surfright.com This sounds pretty obvious, but most financial malware or banking Trojans are actually designed by cyber criminals to avoid detection and hide for antivirus programs. The main goal of these digital bank robbers is to steal your money by manipulating online bank transactions. Research by SurfRight shows that the average life-time of a banking Trojan on a computer is 81 days for computers that do not have an up-to-date antivirus program. And the average life-time of a banking Trojan on a fully protected computer, that has an up-to-date antivirus program, is 25 days. Statistics These statistics are based on scan results from new users that run HitmanPro for the first time. And since it is based on a user’s decision to find a second opinion and download HitmanPro, these numbers should not be taken as exact science. Nonetheless, it is a clear indication that using an up-to-date antivirus program dramatically reduces the life-time of a banking Trojan. Antivirus program catch rate Many people will now ask “why didn’t the antivirus program catch the banking Trojan right away? 25 days is still a long time.” That is a valid question. If the banking Trojan is stopped right away, HitmanPro will not detect one on that computer because it has never been there. Antivirus programs are the last line of defense and will stop the vast majority of malware attacks, but not 100%. Similarly you can ask yourself: Does the police prevent all robberies? They should, but they don’t. Does the coast guard stop all drug transports before entering the country? They should, but they don’t. Is a doctor’s diagnosis correct every time? It should, but it isn’t.
In other words: Using an antivirus program on your computer will stop most malware attacks, and will reduce the life-time of malware that has slipped the defenses and silently installed itself on the computer. BBC Click BBC Click, a Britisch television program on technology, broadcasted an interesting episode earlier this year: How banking Trojans go undetected and steal your money. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUGTlVSefeo for a recording of this episode. How did we measure? 2,465,497 users scanned their computer with HitmanPro between October 2011 and October 2012 (1 year). The above mentioned statistics are not based on a laboratory research but are derived from real-world computers. The HitmanPro agent reported back the date the banking Trojan was installed on the computer, including which antivirus program the user was using (including its status) before HitmanPro removed the banking Trojan. The specific banking Trojans we counted for this statistic were Zeus, Citadel, SpyEye and Tinba. Case: the Dorifel outbreak Last August, our HitmanPro agent discovered Citadel Trojans within the Dutch government during the Dorifel outbreak. We also discovered that these Trojans were active on fully protected computers for roughly three to four weeks, without being detected. This period – shocking for most people – was clearly not an incident but is in line with our research results. For more information on HitmanPro, and a free download: www.surfright.com.
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CallThatGirl Lisa In 2010 I happened across a website called technibble.com for the whole year of 2010 I spoke highly of remote support and what my business did to offer to clients. Many of the members on technibble were doing remote support and many didn't see it as a value add to their services list. I was out there cheerleading remote support constantly and finally had enough people that said I should put together an e-book about the topic. In September 2010 I published a social media e-book that sold online very nicely, and then the fall of 2010 I started to also sell my manual operations. So it just made sense to offer remote support book to the members of technibble. While I was trying to put together some ideas on how to help the purchasers of the e-book learn my strategy for writing the book was to write out a how to list and my first version of the remote book was just that. It was just a how to do it list there was very little I have to admit that the first version of the remote e-book was quite then what the how to list was quite exact. The sales were great and people were giving me awesome feedback, I was thrilled to provide a product to help people add on a service to their list and make money within one or two calls. After a few months of people giving me feedback, I had realized that I could write a second edition and make it more robust and have it be a better sale. A better sale for me means that people are very happy with the product and send me more email saying that they learned from the product and they're making more money and they opened the doors to many more opportunities than what they could offer in the past. In November 2011 I launched the remote support second edition and sales were exceptional, I was thrilled to see so many people being excited about remote support as I truly have a passion for working with people remotely. As things change though, I have found in the past few months the need for a third version and I will add more about sales and marketing because remote support has changed dramatically for us in the past year, dramatically mostly in terms of what we can do with remote support.
It's not the remote support tools that we've changed so much is more what we’re doing with it and working in the unmanaged IT world. I have coined the term unmanaged IT to complement the managed IT companies out there. As well many of you know managed IT companies want monthly contracts to manage and maintain workstations of businesses. In unmanaged IT system includes cloud support cloud products and moving clients from a server to the new cloud systems, and getting them focused on doing everything online. If you have a computer shop or your home-based business and you're looking to add new revenue streams for your company the remote support book that is currently out that you can buy the three ebook bundle I offer right now through ACRBO for $75. In January 2013 I will be having a third edition come out and you will get this at no charge if you purchase are three book set now. Until the end of the year we are running in ACRBO special for all three books for $45. This is an unheard-of price especially since the remote book alone is priced at $89. So not only are you getting all three of these books for $45 you also get the updated versions this winter when they come out. This is a holiday special only for ACRBO bowl members. \The new addition will include sales cloud opportunities, new affiliate partnerships you can create, and all of the cloud services you can offer. The three ebook bundle includes: Call That Girl’s Guide to Remote Support Call That Girl’s Guide to Social Media Call That Girl’s Manual of Operations Visit: www.callthatgirl.biz/publications
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ACRBO Deals
Free Trial: www.instanthousecall.com/free-trial More Information: www.instanthousecall.com Contact: 1-888-838-4050/ info@instanthousecall.com
View and control remote PCs from anywhere without preinstalled software. Full featured, up to 10 concurrent sessions, branded with your company logo. Subscription or onetime prurchase. Easy for your customers. Powerful for your business
Thinking about working on laptops? Then The Podnutz Latop Repair Video Collection is exactly what you need. Visit www.LaptopRepairVideos.com
This month we added a new Preferred Vendor offering her products: Call That Girl Plublications; Lisa from Call That Girl's publications Call that girl's guide to social media Call that girl's operations manual Call that girl's guide to remote support. Not only do you get a discount on the entire package, but $10 of each sale will go directly to the Owen Lea Foundation the charity of the ACRBO! You will receive the following: Call That Girl's Guide to Social Media Call That Girl's Operations Manual Call That Girl's Guide to Remote Support URL: Click Here http://callthatgirl.biz/acrbo/
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In business time is one commodity that you do not ever have enough of. There will always be enough projects, meetings, loose ends, appointments and more, but never enough time. How to make time for things that you never found time for before. How to not stress out at the end of each day because you did not finish what you started. Start Today “Time Is Precious”…www.TimeIsPrecious.info
Inside this article we are going to examine what needs to be implemented to be successful online. This system is really easy and one that people don't bother about too much. By telling you what to search for online, this is going to be a smart way for you to master how to set up a small online business.
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When is Data Recovery Impossible? By Lee Sensenbrenner Director of Product Marketing Gillware Data Recovery When someone confronts you with a failed hard drive or electronic storage device, one of the key questions is the possibility of data recovery. Apart from cost and timeline, the first question many want answered is: Is it even possible to get my stuff back? How likely are data recovery efforts to succeed? For us at the Gillware data recovery lab, the answer depends mostly on whether the data still exists. The data on a hard drive is stored on an extremely thin mirror-like coating of magnetic material that was applied over the platter substrate, which is either glass or aluminum. This surface has tiny individual areas each of which has two possible states. The state is changed by the hard drive’s read/write heads when a small electrical field is applied, creating an incredibly dense matrix of magnetized or unmagnetized spots — 1s and 0s. That, of course, is the data. The magnetic material that holds the data on the platters is durable considering how thin it is, but in absolute terms it is delicate and will scratch if metal contacts it with any significant force. Under normal operation, the read/write heads are positioned over the platter by an arm on a swivel and they quickly move anywhere across the platter without contacting the platter surface. They float on an extremely thin — as in 10-20 nanometers — cushion of air. An oxygen molecule, to give a sense of scale, is about a third of a nanometer. When the hard drive spins up, the motion of the platters creates airflow. The read/write head assembly is like a small wing and the airflow generated inside the drive lifts the heads off the platter. In some situations the read/write head loses its cushion of air and touches platter surface. This action is commonly referred to as a head crash. In most situations the head will briefly make contact, immediately lift back up, and the drive will go on working with no noticeable impact to the user. Unfortunately, sometimes a head crash damages the head. Instead of lifting back up, the heads may remain in contact with the delicate platter surface.
. The platter spins at some constant, high rotational speed, usually beyond the redline of an engine. A common rotational speed is 7,200 revolutions per minute, but drives range from 5,400 to 15,000 rpm. This rotational velocity combined with contact from the heads is what causes rotational scoring. When that magnetic material gets scored, the magnetic coating is turned to dust. The data it carried is lost. In extreme cases of rotational scoring, we have seen large portions of laptop hard drive platters exposed as bare glass. Some minor rotational scoring can be overcome by advanced techniques to recover data elsewhere on the drive’s platters. But any significant scoring is very likely to remove key parts of meta data necessary to make sense of the remaining binary code. You never want to lose any of the magnetic coating, for not only does it mean the loss of data, but it also makes the surface uneven and affects the ability of read/write heads to fly over the surface. Rotational scoring is a serious and often insurmountable obstacle to data recovery. That is why we are careful to recommend caution when dealing with a failed drive. If the drive does not detect in the BIOS, there is no sense in trying recovery software. Stop running the drive. If the drive is making unusual clicking noises, grinding or other unpleasant sounds, do not run power to it. These are all strong signs of internal mechanical damage. Avoid any action that will increase the risk of the heads scraping the platter surface, which includes experimentation and the many tricks of data recovery (the freezer, for example) that may have once worked for some older drives some of the time, but have now persisted well past their relevance and their ability to help. Lastly, do not be tempted to open the drive to look for rotational scoring. Drives should only be opened in a clean room. With care, the data recovery cases that come to you will avoid further platter damage, and the odds of data recovery can be optimized. Email Lee at lsensenbrenner@gillware.com
ACRBO marketplace Linux For The Rest Of Us - Do you want to stay ahead of the computer curve so that you don't feel left in the dust? - Do you want to expand your knowledge so that YOU are that technician who people go to for advice?
PC Dice Contact: dan@cmonova.com A great gift for that tech you know. Or even better take them on site with you and amaze your customers.
- Do you want to learn an operating system so powerful and fun you'll wonder how you lived without it?
Your Ad here Contact dan@acrbo.com Let Us Know > Want to see your ad here? Drop us an email.
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Practices for Computer Repair Shops www.FutureStarSoftware.com
Let’s face it the computer repair industry is quite competitive and maintaining a profitable business, not to mention growing the business, can be a big challenge. If you accept these assumptions; here are some ideas to foster efficiencies and growth for your company - sort of a list of business building best practices. Practice 1 - Make a commission plan for your technicians. Why? Well, from our experience at the Chicago Computer Club the average number of repairs a single tech performed each day was 2.5 without a commission plan. When a commission plan was implemented, though we slightly decreased their hourly rate to encourage and offset cost, what we found was that average increased to 5 repairs per day, and some techs even reached 7 repairs per day. Which improved the efficiency dramatically, each tech actually made more money which encouraged them to stay longer and be proactive in performing more repairs and work more quickly. By using a system to create and track commissions and a tech’s work will improve customer satisfaction, create more revenue while improving the turn-around time, and speed up the payment process on the repair. Practice 2 - Sell refurbished computers! They are low in cost purchase and provide a higher profit margin when sold. There is a need for these computers if you target-market your customers appropriately, such as students or elderly, charity organizations and non-profit business. Also, given they are refurbished, the more computers you sell, the more repair business you can potentially create. Because if the customer bought the computer from you, most likely they will go back to you for any repair or accessory they need. And, you have the opportunity to sell a warranty with the refurbished computer. There is a huge market for off-leased computers which usually are business models and are of a better quality than consumer products.
Practice 3 - Sell compatible inks for printers or any accessories for products you sell. But inks cartridges for printers are used up fairly quickly and therefore the need to purchase new ones. The genuine brand ink usually costs 5 to 8 times more than compatible inks. So, sell a printer for a low or zero profit, and make the profit on ink cartridges. But what’s also important is to get the customer back into the store. If they need replacement items and stop in the store it’s a great opportunity to build a bond with the customer to assure they come back, and besides give them a coupon when they purchase, but most importantly get them coming back to the store. Practice 4 - Sell warranties. There is no cost to create the warranty and they generate a good cash flow for the company. And, if there is an issue later on, it provides an opportunity for the customer to come back to you; which offers the repair shop the opportunity to make-up for the issue and bond with them, but also consider cross selling them items they need . Remember selling is not a “bad” thing – it’s about meeting needs, wants and solving problems. Think of yourselves as problem solvers. Use a system that helps create and track warranties. Practice 5- Always ask for referral! It's the best way to get new customers. How much do you spend on yellow page or other advertisements? By asking the customer if they are happy with the service, suggest they refer a potential customer to you. You can do this by offering a (tracking) coupon to the current client. Ask the client to give the coupon to friend or potential customer. The coupon can be tracked (with a bar code) to the current client, and to the new client providing a benefit to both parties. The coupon can be customized to be anything you want to offer – a percentage discount, a dollar amount off, or even a free accessory or a drawing of some sort. Use your imagination to create what you want to offer. Have a system that tracks this process.
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Practices For Computer Repair Shops Practice 6- Recycle computers. Create an image as an environmentally friendly company. This program brings the potential of new customers who may not have ever come to your store if not for recycling. When in the store give them a coupon and a business card. Get them to come back again is the key. And, some of the recycled computers are fixable for resale or you can use it for parts in other refurbished computers. Find local recyclers for pickup on a weekly basis and use this process to help clean up the repair and storage space. Practice 7-Use a big sign for your retail company. You might not have the money for a good location, but if you can afford it get a big sign so you can be seen. This is especially important if you promote locally or are located in an urban environment. People need to see you to know that you exist so consider using a neon sign, it stands out better. It’s your biggest piece of advertisement so make it noticeable. Lastly, using these practices revolves around the mindset of being a business manager versus just a technician. To grow and manage your company you need two important items: think like a business owner, and use business management software as a tool to help make better decisions. The MaNova system by Future Star Software was designed specifically for this purpose; to be the management tool to help grow your company. If you would like to know more about how the Chicago Computer Club grew from a single store to eight stores using these practices, give us a call or visit our website at http://www.futurestarsoftware.com/ and read “our story” under the company tab.
Have an article you would like to submit or an advertisement? Contact us today dan@acrbo.com
The Industry Site: www.TechNibble.com Who Is Technibble For? Technibble is a free resource for Computer Technicians and Computer Business Owners. Technibble helps computer technicians with information and how-to-articles published a few times a week and has a strong community of Computer Technicians to help one another. Technibble helps you by covering topics such as: - How to start a Computer Business - Advertising, how to get clients and keep them - Business and legal issues - Streamline your computer repair work - Technician related product reviews and discounts - New opportunities to look out for - Stories from “the trenches� from your fellow Computer Techs Technibble also has a large database of Computer Repair tools and adds a new on to its database every week. Be sure to check out the Archives, Computer Repair Tools section and the Computer Technician forum. .
www.Technibble.com
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Hello and Happy Holidays from the ScreenConnect Team! We don’t want to bore you with a bunch of marketing hoopla or buzz words about the new ScreenConnect release. First off, we’d like to thank our loyal customers for your continued support; we hope that you are enjoying ScreenConnect 3.0. For those of you unfamiliar with ScreenConnect, here is a run-down of the product. Features—ScreenConnect supports an array of features including reboot & reconnect, multiple monitors, chat, file transfer, screen recording, UAC , and much more! Additionally ScreenConnect has unique features including a custom toolbox repository that allows one click access to support tools and advanced video auditing. ScreenConnect has three use models by which a host can interact with a guest: Remote Support – For ad hoc remote support sessions you have the option of directing your customers to your ScreenConnect web application or sending them an email with a URL. Once they join the session you can view and control their computer. Remote Access – A persistent client is installed on the customer’s workstation so you can connected to the machine at anytime, even if no one is present on the other end. Once connected you can perform routine maintenance, updates or diagnose issues. Remote Meeting – This use model is NEW to ScreenConnect. Remote Meetings provide an online outlet for training, meetings, and presentations. Meetings use the same technology as the other ScreenConnect remote applications but it allows multiple guests on a session.
ScreenConnect Advantages • • • •
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A self-hosted solution with NO monthly fees. Once you buy it you own it! Multi-platform, compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux. Android and iOS host clients included with purchase. Branding allows you to aesthetically change the colors and logos of your installation to fit the look and feel of your company. Utilize the open architecture to create integrations, plugins, and other customizations. We have hundreds of examples on our forum. Host the central web application on your own computer, server, VM, or VPS. Once configured, access your install from any computer in the world.
We hope the new additions to ScreenConnect have excited our customers. We have huge plans for 2013! If For new customers wanting to get in on the fun now we have a 30-day fully featured trial available at our website. If you have any questions please contact our sales team at sales@screenconnect.com. Thank you from the ScreenConnect Team
At GFI MAX, we eat, drink and sleep MSP software and we LOVE it. At GFI MAX, we eat, drink and sleep MSP software and we LOVE it. Everything we do is focused on helping busy IT support companies and MSPs to grow. Our customers tell us that our software isn’t a cost to their business - they see it as a revenue multiplier. We offer IT support companies and MSPs an award-winning suite of Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM), Email Security, End Point Security and Managed Hosted Back Up software that’s designed for companies of any size, from the large ambitious MSP to small hungry startups. Our way of thinking is simple. We give you something that fits your business and that is flexible to change as you grow. We’ve made it pay-as-you-go and only for what you use. No contracts, no money down, and no quotas. And because our systems are hosted, there’s no hardware or software to maintain and the systems are accessible anywhere you happen to be. What sets us apart from other MSP software companies is that we are more than just software. We help you grow your business. Free to customers, our Building Blocks to Managed Services program helps all companies grow their Managed Services business. GFI MAX solutions: • GFI MAX RemoteManagement – Manage and monitor servers, workstations and networks, deliver remote support either attended or un-attended. Offer asset/inventory tracking and reporting, Managed Antivirus, Managed Online Backup and proactive maintenance with automated tasks, scripting, patch management for Microsoft and non Microsoft applications and
client reports which can be branded as your own. Integrates with PSA, help desk, ticketing and other systems.
• GFI MAX MailProtection – Email security and continuity compatible with any email system. Cloud based protection with zero hour AV defense. GFI MAX MailArchive – Hosted email archiving solution - easily archive email messages to geographically distributed datacenters for subsequent search, reference and retrieval. Intelligent, flexible MSP software used by over 6,500 IT support companies just like you: •
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• Put us to the test, sign-up for a 30-day FREE trial @ www.gfimax.com GFI MAX Building Blocks™ help you build managed services revenue! GFI MAX’s Building Blocks Program is all about making managed services easy and practical and making the transition fast. We don’t believe that implementing and selling managed services should involve lengthy and time-consuming training, complex business models and/or complex software to implement. We do believe it can be easy - and with Building Blocks to Managed Services Program you’re able to get
going TODAY! For FREE! www.gfimax.com
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Lisa Hendrickson of Call That Girl Computer Repair and Support based out of Minneapolis Minnesota brings you an article on cloud support or “Unmanaged IT” as Lisa calls it.
What is unmanaged IT? It’s where the clients have responsibility for buying all of their own cloud software products and services, they retain ownership and you play the role of fulfilling administrative duties, implementation and ongoing support for such software. Of course, you can purchase the software and mark it up, or affiliate sell it (which is what we do, we prefer our clients to own everything). In the last 10 to 15 years there has been a difference between computer repair and managed IT support businesses. Until the past couple of years, there really was no middle ground. Either a client had a server that required a monthly support contract, or they needed less frequent break fix options. Both were nicely serviced by small computer shops or managed IT companies. With the explosion of the cloud, the ongoing recession and so many qualified technicians leaving the corporate world to go on their own, a whole new world of support has popped up and it’s putting a few of us in a great position to create, grow and win. Those of us that run smaller firms are finding new ways to make money and compete, and the cloud is the winning equation. Managed IT businesses usually only want to work in the cloud with their larger contracts. They have no interest in moving 20 people off an old server to hosted exchange and setting up online backup. Working with cloud applications and offering remote support fills that nice hole for those a bit bigger than a computer repair shop. If your company wants to get in the game, reading the list of services below of cloud support options your company can offer will help you get in. After you complete your game plan of services, you not only put yourself in a great position for new marketing, but you can start to talk to the Managed IT companies in your area and let them know you are servicing cloud-only support for smaller companies that they do not wish to support anymore. I will start with some examples of cloud services that we resell here at Call That Girl.
1. Do a full interview and assessment for the company - What solutions do they have now, what they want changed and how you can save them money? 2. Hosted Exchange: First service that we offer is a hosted exchange. We happen to really like GoDaddy for their support, packaging and their pricing for the hosted exchange packages. The clients also get a copy of Outlook 2010, which is a nice benefit, and I usually recommend upgrading to the latest version anyway. This is a nice, onetime sale for you all because of all of the work involved. You can be an affiliate for the hosted exchange sale, support the end-users by backing up all of their current PST files off their old server, administrate the transition and of course, set up and import back in the PST files. All of this can be done remotely by the way; my company has done every single transition without going onsite. This service averages about 1.5 hours per end user and a1-3 hours to do the admin set up. Depends on what the company needs. 3. Online Backup: The next service that we sell is Mozy Pro. What we do is determine how much data a company has to backup. This is usually done by going to each workstation and figuring out the data on each computer. We are an affiliate of Mozy, so we ask the client to purchase through our website which has the affiliate link. We then install Mozy on each computer and configure in the admin panel on Mozy enough space for each person. This typically can run about 30 minutes per computer. File Sharing: The next online service that we offer is Dropbox. For a smaller company under 10 employees, we ask the owner of the company to pay the $99 fee to get the 100 gig plan and then they will manage out the shares on the Dropbox files to the employees. Many owners will sometimes have one other person set up with a 100 gig Dropbox account. This is a nice way to share files in a manner that allows companies to move off file servers. The clients can also view their files on Smartphones. This set up is usually 15 minutes per computer……Continued
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cloud support or “Unmanaged IT” …..Lisa 5. Antivirus Protection Plans: We also offer our home grown antivirus protection plan and it sells for $69 a year. We install and setup for that price and it includes a lifetime license of Malwarebytes, installation of Microsoft Security Essentials and no virus removal fees if they get a virus and are on our plan. Every quarter we send these clients an email to remind them to update their java and flash and AV products. This is a yearly renewal of $39. 6. Communications: The fifth thing that we offer companies is Google chat. Google chat is a nice communication tool that can help businesses communicate and send files instantly. It’s taking away the extra emailing and phone calls going on. It allows employees to multi-task and be more productive because a Google chat window can be open while they do other things. Cost to install this depends on their Google set up; it can be up to 15 minutes per end user. 7. Ongoing Support: The fifth thing that we offer is a prepay ticket for ongoing support. Since we are not a managed IT company, these prepay tickets are quite nice and can be changed to fit each client’s needs. Our best seller is the $1000 package which includes onsite time, remote support and shop visits. Our other popular prepay is the $396 four hour remote support prepay. To close, If you go onsite to do an assessment and offer all of these cloud services, you will find yourself with a nice invoice and a prepay ticket. Unlike Managed IT, it is not a rolling monthly fee, but if you want to roll the invoice into 12 months and ask your clients to pay a monthly average for that invoice, that’s your way of creating a nicely monthly invoice
This box could be an article you write and have published. If you would like to have something published drop me an email dan@acrbo.com
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Ninite Software installation sucks. You click Next Next Next through a bunch of meaningless screens while staying just alert enough to notice a toolbar. Then you try to decipher any double or triple negatives in the fine print before unchecking the proper box or clicking the correct button. Then it’s back to Next Next Next. Assuming you have the latest installer. Which might mean you have to track boring release notices too. Then you repeat for each program. We made Ninite to rescue you from this nonsense. Ninite is a program that installs multiple programs at once. Or it will update them if they’re already installed and out-of-date. Ninite runs installers in hidden offscreen windows and simulates all the clicks to install programs. We’re careful to have it uncheck toolbars or other included junk, and we watch for new versions of apps as they’re released and update the configurations. Ninite installs apps just like you would, but fully automated. It makes a chore disappear. There’s a free version for home use at http://ninite.com. Many technicians refer customers to the site to make it easy for them to install software. You can even add app names in the url to skip the selection step, like http://ninite.com/chrome-javaskype.
For businesses we have Ninite Pro https://ninite.com/pro. Pro starts at $20/month for 100 machines and includes extra features like a download cache that lets Ninite Pro run 3 times faster, and options to turn off desktop shortcuts or the annoying built-in update notifications from apps like Java, Flash, or Adobe Reader. Those options are great for basic repair work, but if you’re doing ongoing maintenance Ninite Pro’s remote mode lets you audit or update the software for a whole network of computers at once. Or if you just want a hassle-free way to keep machines updated for a customer you can create a startup script to run “Ninite.exe /silent c:\ninite\log.txt /updateonly /disableautoupdate” and the apps on the machine will be checked and updated on each reboot.
Check it out with a free trial from https://ninite.com/pro. If you like it and sign up, send me a note at pat@ninite.com and I’ll give you a free month as an ACRBO bonus.
FibercloudCloud www.FiberCloud.com Exploring New Cloud Frontiers In the 1960’s, renowned computer scientist John McCarthy anticipated the advent of cloud computing when he speculated that “computation may someday be organized as a public utility”. We’re seeing this happen today with more and more businesses choosing to handle their IT needs by shifting to the cloud, where they can pay for the exact solutions and technological capacity they need – the same way they do with metered household water and electricity -- and avoid making costly investments in new hardware and the in-house staff to effectively run it. Solutions in the cloud give businesses access to more and better resources than they would otherwise be able to afford, and offer the ability for you to move your customers out of the break/fix cycle while adding to your revenue stream. As a trusted advisor to your customers, you can assess their needs and map out the best solution for them. Lift Off with Cloud Servers Virtual server infrastructures that can be used to host and run business applications, or for hosting websites, Cloud Servers are built on secure and redundant hardware. They are scaled for growth, and include secure options for firewalls and VPNs. CPU and memory upgrades can be done more easily on Cloud Servers than on physical servers. They are a good option for businesses that need new servers, or whose server needs are shortterm and project-specific. Cloud Servers also enable IT professionals to respond quickly and flexibly to changing business needs, rather than investing time, energy and capital into purchasing and configuring new hardware themselves. Cloud Servers also support the movement from break/fix to managed services. Our customer Ness & Campbell Crane, a large crane service with offices across the Pacific Northwest, lost access to their file server and all their critical business applications and data, including
ACRBO 29 customer information, accounting and operations software when their main server crashed. Even when it had been working, the performance was incredibly slow. Their managed service provider operated on a break/fix paradigm and was inaccessible when issues came up. Ness & Campbell Crane’s server environment frequently performed poorly because of long-neglected network and hardware issues. Instead of spending the $30,000 it would take to purchase new server hardware, software, and the IT resources and time to implement them, they decided to run everything on Cloud Servers which resulted in much faster, smoother application performance than they had previously had with their old hardware. The time it took to run a monthly accounting report went from 15 minutes to 15 seconds. In addition to providing a stable monthly revenue stream, Cloud Servers also provide a good foundation on which to add additional applications and services that can provide you with additional recurring revenue. Not only was Ness Crane a great candidate for Cloud Servers, they also streamlined their entire IT infrastructure by adding Online Backup, Hosted Exchange Email, and web access. Ultimately, they benefited considerably by increasing the overall reliability and speed of their systems, and they gained the additional reassurance of having business continuity should something go wrong on premises because their critical applications are regularly maintained and managed off-site, and available in the cloud. Managing Cloud Servers for your clients also provides you with a great opportunity to continuously engage with your customers and to increase your profit margins. You can monitor, update and patch the servers yourself, as well as installing and managing applications and data on the server, and performing routine system administration. As awareness of the advantages of cloud solutions grows, more and more small and medium business will be looking for ways to take off for the Cloud. This is a great time to help them get there.
Techinline: A Cost-Effective and Reliable Remote Support Solution for IT Pros In today’s ultra-competitive IT environment, a simple Google search will turn up numerous remote support applications that vary based on price, functionality, performance, and ease of use. Whether you’re a one-person shop or employed by a large IT company, you’re able to select a tool which best meets your needs, budget, and preferences. One tool that deserves some consideration regardless of the company’s size is Techinline. Techinline delivers an effective feature-set along with reasonable and flexible pricing, thus making it an attractive fit for an IT company of any size and budget, as well as for those looking to use remote assistance for personal matters. Let’s briefly review some of the benefits of using Techinline:
The pricing options are displayed on Techinline’s Buy Now page. Feature-Set & Performance: Techinline delivers a wide range of valuable features such as file and clipboard transfer, auto-reconnect upon reboot (including safe-mode), extensive branding and integration, reporting, video recording, and many more. Another neat feature is the ability to not only connect to and control a remote user’s computer, but also share view and control of your own computer with the remote party. Security: All data exchanged between the session participants is transmitted through secure HTTPS protocol with 256-bit SSL encryption. Furthermore, Techinline also provides 2-Factor Authentication, making it fully compliant with PCI’s Data Security Standards. Conclusion
Simple Connection Process and Intuitive Interface: Techinline is entirely browser-based, which implies that users at both ends of the remote session are not required to install or download any software. The Client is simply required to launch a webpage where a 6-digit Client ID number is displayed. The tech uses this number to connect to the Client’s computer. The entire connection process is summarized in Techinline’s Quick Start Guide. The interface provides an intuitive and userfriendly layout of available features and options. Pricing: Techinline is a commercial-use product which provides a number of payment options, including a flexible “pay as you go” Per-Session plan which is specifically designed for infrequent or personal usage. Depending on the volume of remote support cases, an IT professional is able to use Techinline either on an unlimited subscription basis or purchase a specific number of sessions that may be used whenever the periodic need for a remote connection arises. This freedom and flexibility make Techinline an effective alternative to some of the high-priced remote desktop applications on the market today.
Techinline is a very capable application which should meet the needs of both small tech businesses and large IT companies alike. Its simple connection process and intuitive interface make it an effective solution even for users with limited IT knowledge and skills. Register for a 15day fully featured free trial of Techinline and start experiencing its benefits today.
CONTACTS Phone US & Canada
(1) 617 381 4349
United Kingdom+44 (0) 20 8144 7131 Australia
+61 (0) 3 9016 3460
New Zealand
+64 (04) 889 2151
Email sales@techinline.com support@techinline.com Skype techinline The pricing options are displayed on Techinline’s Buy Now page.
ACRBO 31 Working for National IT Contractors and Service Platforms By Rick Savoia The Force Field The typical IT technician starts a computer repair business by searching out those in need of their services on a local level, building a customer base primarily from referrals or word-of-mouth. However, many take a slightly different route and perform contract work for national IT service companies and web-based servie platforms, either as "filler" work between servicing their own customers or as a fulltime operation. There are some obvious advantages to contracting yourself out to a national or platform, of course. First, it saves time and money on advertising and marketing campaigns in an effort to find your own customers. Second, it frees you from some of the responsibilities of managing your own customers, allowing you to concentrate on performing strictly as a tech. Overall, it is a quick and easy way to start a repair business from the ground up. However, there are also some disadvantages. Contracts are somewhat restrictive and usually onesided (and not in your favor). Once committed to a contract job, you must fulfill it to the satisfaction of the contractor or you may not get paid in full or at all. Although you can often negotiate rates somewhat, you don't always get the rates you want or need. And most importantly, contract or no contract, sometimes collecting the payment for services rendered can be a very real problem. There are some very good nationals and service platforms out there. Unfortunately, there are also some very bad ones. There are also good and bad techs. This is an unregulated field that comes with some serious risks for players on both sides of the business. For this reason, the relationship between the nationals and the techs have become somewhat strained, especially in recent years with the advent of internet based platforms. This past summer, The Force Field conducted a survey of techs who work for nationals and platforms and asked them to rate these companies from best to worst. The purpose was to take the pulse of the IT service industry and provide a benchmark for techs who are trying to profit in the field. The results were published in a 20 page report that is believed to be the first of its kind in the industry. The report was released Thanksgiving Day 2012 in tandem with a special episode of The Force Field Podcast.
The report includes demographic data on the techs who work for these platforms, such as the types of businesses they have, where they are located and the total amount of revenue generated from contract work. The report also lists the ten best national contractors, the three best platforms, the seven worst national contractors and the five worst platforms in the industry. The Force Field Episode 62 features a detailed analysis of the report and comments from the host. In addition to the stats, the podcast also includes comments from survey respondents who contributed to the report. The comments provide insight why some of these companies were ranked best or worst and assess the state of the IT service industry in general. The comments were not included in the 20 page report. You will only hear them on the show. If you're an IT service technician who performs contract work for nationals and platforms, you will definitely want to read it. If you are new to the field or even thinking about performing contract work for nationals and service platforms either full or part time, you should read this report first before you sign up with any of the companies listed in the report. The National Contractor and Service Platform Survey Report is FREE and available for download at http://www.theforcefield.net/reports/2012/index. html The Force Field Episode 62, which includes detailed analysis and comments from survey respondents, is available on demand at http://www.theforcefield.net/podcast/?p=345 For a list of national IT service companies and platforms, complete with comments and ratings from service technicians, visit The Directory of National Contractors at http://www.theforcefield.net
Visit The Force Field Today www.TheForceField.net
Rebit Inc. Rebit Fills Reseller Void with new Rebit Pro Rebit Inc., founded in 2007 and based in Longmont, Colorado, develops backup software solutions for consumers, professionals and small offices. Well known for its award-winning Rebit5 software, Rebit has built a reputation for providing innovative, “ridiculously simple” backup solutions that are both comprehensive and cost effective. With the recent introduction of RebitPlus and RebitPro, Rebit has expanded its product offerings to meet the needs of small offices and professionals looking for a seamless hybrid backup solution that supports both Windows Servers and clients. Why choose a hybrid backup solution? Many small businesses need the speed and security of a local backup solution, but also want the redundancy offsite cloud backup offers. Current solutions require the user to run two separate systems, which means duplicate resources, costs, and unnecessary complexity. Rebit believes local and cloud are synergistic, not competing, technologies. Local backup delivers immediate access to files and the ability to do a full system restore if necessary. Online backup provides data redundancy in the event of a disaster plus the ability to access data from anywhere with any device. Combined, these two technologies deliver comprehensive data and system protection. Why is Rebit unique? Plus and Pro are based on Rebit’s innovative hybrid architecture that allows users to manage local and online backup for both Windows Servers and clients with a single backup engine and single user interface. This easy to implement and easy to use comprehensive backup solution meets the requirements for professionals and small businesses that don’t have the time or resources to manage multiple complex solutions. This means one service for local, cloud, clients and servers.
Rebit’s time tested CDP (continuous data protection) technology eliminates the need to set up backup schedules by automatically backing up all changes that occur within the system every 30 seconds. Proprietary algorithms figure out when the system is idle to eliminate any impact on system performance as part of the CDP process. For those who prefer to manage their backups with a schedule Rebit Pro also includes an easy to use scheduling capability. “When I moved from a break fix to a managed service offering, I needed something that was comprehensive but also affordable” says Dave Ross at PremierComputers located in Boulder, CO. “If my clients have a hard drive or PC problem, they just want it back to its original state as soon as possible. Rebit allows me to do this with minimal effort allowing my company to service more clients on a monthly basis”. Accelerate your business – join the Rebit partner program! Rebit offers a competitive partner program for IT consultants and resellers. With a recurring revenue opportunity, margins at 20% and a comprehensive backup solution, the Rebit partner program can accelerate your business growth. With annual subscription prices ranging from $19.99 to $699.99, Rebit offers a range of products to meet the needs and requirements of many small offices. Become a Rebit reseller and receive a special ACRBO offer for a 5 user license. Learn more about our program at www.rebit.com/partner/benefits or contact us directly at 866-635-5784.
Beanywhere Remote Support By nature, a remote support solution arrives at a client’s computer bearing exactly that medal in its chest: it is the solution. In the face of a computer problem, the remote technician will bring the needed solution and all will be fine once again (and “bring” it’s not definitely the correct way to put it, since no one will actually need to get up from their desks and physically carry anything). The “solution” definition is not, by all means, wrong. But, at least when looking at BeAnywhere’s Suport Express features, it’s a definition that finds itself way too short. A solution for clients? Yes, of course; but also a business solution for managers, tech centers and IT companies searching for income where many others are already looking. So, anticipation – get there first – and branding – be remembered over others – become key concepts. Because, despite the economical crisis the world is submerged to, and despite the domestic users migration to mobile equipment, companies will always need their IT structures up and running. The market is there, you only need to grab it first. So rather than expecting for a client to perceive a problem and to later cry for help at a moment of choice, a truly integrated remote support service – rather than just a simple technical tool – should be able to keep a close eye on a customer’s system and to raise a red flag up in the air whenever a technical issue begins to surface. So BeAnywhere inSight Lite Ed., a free remote monitoring package that is included with Support Express, is for itself a prospector of income... From the service provider perspective, the ability to detect a technical glitch is the ability to detect an income source – and to easily arrive first than others sitting and waiting for support requests to fall on their laps. That’s anticipation (and also a job well done). Branding, on the other hand, is all about memory. There’s a reason why everybody automatically relates three sequential numbers with emergency calls – 911 stands for a particular service related to specific situations. That’s the mindset you looking for when those specific situations fit on the “computer technical problem” marker. Your brand should be the first one popping up in the “person in need” brain – and that’s achieved by
For instance, a company can ensure the placement of its logo in the customer applet, right there for him to see during the entire remote support intervention. Another example: the Exclusive link feature, the one that allows the insertion of your URL or any other set of words that you find memorable, transforming this link for help in something unique, easy to identify and, most of all, quick to remember even during a moment of stress. And the examples carry on. Providers can also raise their brand awareness through Support Express Calling Cards, a true business intelligence tool that enables the complete takeover of their support service management: apply different price ranges for different periods of the day, week or month; charge customers up to the minute or fix your fees regardless the time any problem takes solving; pre-charge services until the expiration date is reached or pre-sell a specific number of support minutes (or hours) that can be used at any given moment – think of it like a business card your clients can get out of their wallets when a virus hits their folders, ready both as a solution for their problems, but also as business solution for your company.
Advanced Remote Solutions Phone: +351 210 441 550 Ext. 210 Fax: +351 707 500 787 Official Site: www.beanywhere.com Support Online: www.beanywhere.com/support/2/BASE