Brian Sherman Posts

Attendance at a conference won’t build you a new vertical. But it will help providers understand how crucial the cloud is in that process. Or should I say it makes the move to verticalization much easier for many IT services firms, lowering the cost of entry and increasing their solution options. That also reduces the associated risks and gives them a platform to use with similar customers.

Change is a necessary component of every business, especially for those in the IT industry. Innovation and complexity require continual transformation today. Those who don’t keep pace may quickly find themselves behind the competition. They may also end up losing that “trusted advisor” and “chief innovation officer” status their customers have anointed them with. So how can IT services providers boost their capabilities and reinvent their businesses for the future?

How important is your company's reputation? A brand with broad customer support is a real differentiator when competing for new business, while a less than stellar record of achievement puts them at a significant disadvantage. Do you understand what it takes to control the narrative when something threatens your message or brand?

Partnerships are a crucial element of the IT channel and they come in all shapes and forms. But how can solution providers possibly be expected to work effectively with the dozens of vendors in their supply chain? The truth is, they shouldn’t.

What many providers fail to remember is that their customers’ protection concerns often go beyond the network. Ensuring a safe and secure workplace is just as important of a responsibility, and not something they would just hand off to anyone. They look to those they not only trust, but who have the necessary skills to support their physical security systems and strategies. The question many in the channel continue to ask is if these technologies present a viable opportunity for their business. In many cases, the answer is a resounding "YES."

Businesses are becoming highly dependent on the cloud today. So much so that many of the activities they’re involved with come to a grinding halt when it’s not available. For IT services providers that's both a blessing and a curse, depending on their capabilities and bandwidth. What are the real opportunities and concerns?

With Halloween almost here, what could be scarier than building a cybersecurity practice? Those who go down that road should certainly approach it with eyes wide open. Risk will undoubtedly increase. That’s what happens when you take on such a crucial responsibility for clients; they expect nothing bad will happen to their data or their networks. Those expectations should drive higher margins ̶ but they have to be able to deliver to reap the rewards.

Savvy solution providers use their peripheral vision. In this case, the term doesn't refer to monitors, but to all the technologies outside the core infrastructure (servers, computing devices and network components). These solutions may be beneficial to a customer’s operations or allow them to meet other business objectives, and the list of potential peripheral offerings can be quite extensive. They also add revenue to your bottom line without having to on-board new clients.

Solution providers tend to dabble in the SaaS space, but few have active engagements with one or more vendors on “the other side” of the tech fence. To be fair, few of the developers in this parallel channel seem to understand (or acknowledge) the value solution providers bring to the tech delivery equation. Some feel this lack of cooperation and collaboration is detrimental to both groups. But what can we do to change it?

One of the greatest concerns of IT services firms is personnel. While the financial side of the business is crucial over the long run, a vast majority of firms won't get far without a solid comprehension of human resources. The key to IT services success is putting the right people in the right positions at the right time. That requires an effective plan for hiring, training and retaining qualified and motivated employees ̶ which always sounds simpler than it is.