On It

So I’ve been geeking out with my new MacBook and OS X, and trying to figure out whether I would go with VMware Fusion or Parallels for Microsoft Windows application integration.  But as of a few minutes ago, I might not use either of them!  Exigent Technologies is a big believer in thin-client and server-based computing.  We regularly install and configure Windows Terminal Services, 2X and Ericom PowerTerm WebConnect. In fact, we’ve built our cloud computing offering on the Ericom platform and use PowerTerm WebConnect internally.

Using PowerTerm WebConnect and Windows 2008 Terminal Services, we simply published the Windows applications that I want to be able to access from my Mac.  Now I can just use a web browser to access them and my internal network, quickly and securely, from anywhere.  And yes, it works with Safari (though I use Firefox).

So the question is, should a business owner or IT manager purchase, deploy and maintain several copies of Fusion or Parallels?  Or, simply set up a server based solution like Ericom to streamline the process.  For now, I’m holding off on installing Fusion or Parallels until such a time that I see a good reason to have one of them running on my Mac.

$599 laptops!  “All-in-one” printer, scanner, copier, fax devices for $69!  FREE software!  Bargains abound in the scrappy and poorly understood world of computer hardware and software.  Fortunately, most of our clients seek our advice before venturing out to make a purchase.  After all, our business model is that of a VAR or “Value Added Reseller”.  Generally, a VAR takes several components such as hardware, software and accessories and “adds value” by providing strategic advice and expertise to build and support a complete system.  In our case that system is usually our client’s local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or complete IT infrastructure.

With profit margins as low as single digits, many IT service companies like Exigent have completely ceased selling IT products to their clients, opting instead to point their client’s in the direction of a large box pusher like Dell or a chain store such as Best Buy.  We aren’t one of them.

Indeed, the reasoning makes sense.  As one friendly competitor passionately told me this past week “I must be out of my mind!  I give the customer my advice, the product of my 22 years of experience and intimate knowledge of their business, only to have the ‘in-the-know’  bookkeeper tell the boss that she saw much better laptop deals at Staples for $599 in the Sunday newspaper – any they bought them!”

Kyle’s frustration is completely warranted.  It’s an unfortunate situation that’s played out again and again.  As manufacturers find new ways of cramming more and more stuff into smaller, cheaper devices, consumers can barely resist the eye-popping deals.  But more often than not, these bargain basement devices are built for the home or student market and are completely inappropriate for business.

Case in point, Kyle went on to explain that the laptops purchased by his client were pre-installed with the Windows Vista Home Premium Edition operating system.  Unfortunately,this operating system wasn’t designed to connect to business networks and the machines were unusable  to his client.  Worse yet, they were loaded with mounds of games, useless utilities and other performance robbing bloatware, making them, as Kyle put it “complete dogs”.

At the risk of sounding pouty, let me clearly state that selling IT products is one of the more thankless jobs that we do as VARs.  But for the customers that truly get it and see the Value in VAR, it’s completely worth it.  We have no intention of stopping the sale of IT products.  We truly feel that it’s part of our complete one-stop-shop offering.  Fortunately, most of our clients accept our advice and see the benefit of getting IT purchases off their plates, and onto ours.  For the reluctant bargain hunting few, we’ll keep working at it.  That’s the Value in the VAR business model.

We hear it all the time. “Under promise, over-deliver”. But it deserves to be said again and again and lends itself to constant reinforcement, especially here at Exigent. Today, I needed two things from two of my vendors. One was time-sensitive and urgent; the latter was what I would consider a wish or special request.

Due to an upcoming “HOT” project with another NJ IT solutions provider, it was requested that we issue a standard certificate of insurance (COI) right away. Since my administrator was off for the day, I had to take this on myself. Feeling a slight amount of stress, I looked up our insurance broker’s telephone number and gave her a call. As luck would have it, she was out to lunch. So I left her a voicemail. To my delight and relief, not more than ten minutes later, I get a voicemail and an e-mail back from her.

The e-mail states that she could turn this around really fast. All she needed is the name and address of the recipient. I hit reply, give her the requested information, and five minutes later BAM! – certificate appears in my inbox. (Imagine a chorus of Angels singing). In the e-mail, she states that a printed copy will serve as an original. (How convenient!) I then hit forward, send it to the requestor, and I’m D-O-N-E. Mission accomplished, in about 15 or 20 minutes! Bottom line; my vendor exceeded my expectations and in doing so, added more glue to our long term relationship. Pain-RELIEVED. Thank you, Cathy Lewis of The Hurley Insurance Agency!

Next up was a vendor that has truly mastered the art of exceeding expectations, TelephoneOnHold.com. This is the company that produces the top of the line auto-attendant and on-hold services for some of the nation’s top corporations – like Exigent Technologies! Justin Ginsberg and his team never cease to amaze me. Today, I emailed Justin to let him know that I had mentioned his services to a client of mine. He thanked me of course, and then I replied with a seemingly simple request. I can’t get into the specifics of what that request was, but suffice it to say that his reply of “that’s tough one – let me look into it and see what I can do”, to me, meant, I may not get this done, or, this could be done, but might take some time.

Five minutes later, I get an e-mail from Justin, it states, “it’s done – try it out”. Unreal! This was almost as good as the time that I called Justin at about 7AM on a Monday morning. I was my full expectation to get his voicemail and simply leave a message. Nope! Not Justin. He answered the phone live through some feature on his phone system that forwarded my call to his cellular phone. I was truly blown away.

Bottom line – often times, it doesn’t take much time or effort to exceed customer expectations. With a willingness to act quickly to concerns or requests and a keen understanding of your customer’s pain at any given time, any organization can add the cement-like stickiness that we always seek to engender with our customers, and that we hope to have with our vendors.