How to resolve AdBlock issue? What exactly is “break/fix” with regard to IT?
Essentially, the customer has technology, and when it breaks, they make a phone call. Things only get done once the customer makes that call. “There’s fire coming out of the side of my box; can you come over here and take care of it?”
Upgrades in a break/fix model go kind of like this: “We need a new server because we want to run new software, we’re growing, or we have to update these work stations.” They call their IT provider. The IT provider performs the work, and they’re outta there. The customer has no plans to engage them again until the next upgrade – which is, of course, part of the problem.
What are some of the disadvantages to the Break/Fix Model for the customer?
The main disadvantage of the Break/Fix model is that, by the time a service call is made, more often than not, there’s already a production issue. I’ll use a small business with 20 users, as an example. There is one server. If that server goes offline, there are 20 people that can’t work. Worse yet, if they aren’t on a managed backup plan, they also run the risk that their backups aren’t even going to work. What is the cost per hour of that outage and the time to recover the business’s systems? What is the cost of not being able to recover critical data?
Since there are obvious issues with the Break/Fix service model that need to be addressed, what is the alternative?
The alternative to Break/Fix is what we refer to as Managed Services (known in the industry as MSP, short for Managed Service Provider). The primary difference between Break/Fix and Managed Services is that you move from a reactive mode into a proactive mode. Tech II has a software suite that we deploy in the customer’s environment that constantly monitors the health of their systems.
Most issues in our industry are not hardware related; they are software related. Now, more than ever, they are related to threats that the systems face. We take a proactive, very aggressive stance on preventing outages by policing these systems. We have folks here that work full-time just on specific areas of threat mitigation, or what is traditionally referred to as antivirus – which is actually so much more than that now.
Traditional Break/Fix providers have largely gone away because they just can’t keep up with the challenges of the field. Cryptolocker (a ransomware) is a perfect example of the threats that our customers face, and a testament to the logic of Managed Services.
Cryptolocker (and its variants) sometimes gets through to these environments because they aren’t updating antivirus or they aren’t using other types of threat mitigation, like anti-SPAM. I was looking at some statistics on Tech II’s anti-SPAM software recently (provided to our Managed Service customers) and I saw an amazing statistic. In one report, showing we processed nearly 200,000 emails, over 75 percent of that mail was stopped by our system! Sure, some wouldn’t have harmed the clients’ systems; in fact, a large percentage was just SPAM, but thousands of emails had known viruses – known malicious software – within them. In a Managed Services model, we provide protection before the email gets to the desktop.
For the customer, what are the direct benefits of the Managed Services model?
The short answer is our slogan: Simplify your technology. We help our clients simplify their technology via the MSP model. We give them confidence that they’re aligned with a partner who’s taking care of their systems so they can focus on their business. We become their IT department, or we complement their existing IT department.
Another benefit is budgeting. With Break/Fix, it’s nearly impossible to budget. You don’t replace a server until it fails, and then you’re paying a premium. You’ve got engineers, you’re paying emergency service fees, you have production issues, and so on. They have to source whatever gear they can get in. You’re paying for expedited shipping. You always pay a premium when you’re in a reactive mode.
A third direct benefit is having confidence that you have someone there to support you. In a Managed Services model, you have SLAs – Service Level Agreements. Managed Service Providers have clearly written SLAs and, at a minimum, you’re educated on what you should be doing. Even if you decide not to do it, at least you know what the Best Practice is.
What are some of the advantages of the Managed Services model as the service provider?
Managed Services puts us in the best position- first, to prevent technical problems, and second, to deal with whatever the customer’s crisis is if issues do occur. You know you have the data, and if you have the data, you can recover from anything. Ultimate, Managed Services is a healthier, forecastable model as far as income and work load. We’re able to actively manage the playing field, setting the best practices for the systems we support. We can become experts at those systems, and we can have confidence in delivery of our services to our customers.
What are your recommendations to customers that are still operating under the Break/Fix Model?
We recommend that businesses educate themselves as to where the industry is and why. If you’re going to risk being in a Break/Fix mode, understand what that risk is and at least have a fallback plan. At a minimum, get a backup of your systems. Having that simple insurance policy in place so you can recover from a disaster is the single most important thing that a Break/Fix customer should do.
Ensure that you are contracting your backups with a reputable company – preferably a local firm. You’ll want to research the options (our online Resource Library has a white paper to help folks evaluate IT/MSP providers entitled “Successfully choosing an IT/MSP Service Provider”).
Regardless of how you’re currently handling your IT, if you’re an owner or decision maker with concerns and questions, reach out to us. We are a mature technology company with seasoned professionals that will have a simple conversation with you. We’ve seen nearly every scenario. In fact, you can even contact our CEO, Dan Bardin, directly, and he’ll happily have a confidential owner-to-owner conversation about your current IT management.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject “10 Questions” and we’ll reply with a short survey that could change the way you view your IT.
If you would like more information on Managed Services or Tech II Business Services, visit us online at www.tech-ii.com or give us a call at 518-587-1565.
