5 Reasons Why Belonging To An Industry Association is a No-Brainer

The IT industry offers a number of organizations and associations for IT companies and Managed Service Providers to be a part of. Many companies overlook the advantages that belonging to these organizations provides.

1. Peer to Peer Networking – Peer to peer networking is a major part of belonging to an industry association. Some have forums where information is shared and there are usually events where face to face networking provides a chance to discuss industry issues, trends, and topics.

2. Vendor Awareness – Vendor Awareness can be a big advantage for companies looking to separate their businesses from their competition. Many vendors belong to industry associations and association events can be a good way to improve vendor relations as well as provide a foot in the door for personalized interaction.

3. Discounts and Group Buys – Discounts and group buys are another positive influence that associations can bring. Often times the association can leverage their membership to help decrease costs of many items from parts to group insurance, which increases overall revenues.

4. Building a Reputation – Building a reputation in the industry can lead to many new opportunities. Associations provide a voice and allow members to partake in surveys, roundtable discussions, and leadership trainings. By creating and fostering a positive industry reputation companies can see doors open and collaboration beyond the local level.

5. Education – Education is one of the biggest reasons to join an organization. Most provide formal training for leadership and employees,certification opportunities, as well as the potential to lead and become a subject matter expert on many topics.

Most industry organizations have a small fee, but the value provided far outweighs the cost to an IT company. Research the organizations and associations by talking to peers and evaluating the organizations online resources. Once you join, don’t leave it at that. Become a part of the communities and gain a voice in the industry. Take advantage of as many resources as are provided, and make sure to reach out to organization staff to get a better understanding of available benefits.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

“Marketing Does Not Work” Really?

Marketing success is not kept a secret and it certainly does not have a magical recipe! It is actually fairly simplistic. When you market your business correctly, you will thrive and if you market your business ineffectively, you will struggle. This statement holds true because marketing is based on not only needs and wants but also cause and effect.

Earlier this month I received an email from one of our partners that was telling me about how they were trying to expand their client base in their area – but that their marketing strategies were letting them down and basically told me straight up that “Marketing doesn’t work.”

Your Tools Are Not To Blame

In the above example, the suggestion was that the failure of this company’s efforts to generate business was not their fault, but that marketing ‘doesn’t work’. Actually, their problem was not as they suggested, it was simply that they were going about it all wrong!  For example, a poorly written advertisement or campaign, placed in the wrong location or targeted towards the wrong market, is unlikely to generate a ton of interest or sales!  However, this certainly does not mean that marketing doesn’t work; it just means that the strategy and placement was wrong.

When selling goods and services to people remember that they will buy more based on what they need or want. When you identify those needs and wants you can provide the best solution for them. Then you can “go and advertise” where they go to fulfill those needs and wants. This is one of the reasons why ExchangeDefender goes to so many tradeshows and industry events as part of our marketing efforts; we can reach more solution providers were they are and better cater to their needs and wants.

Stephanie Hasenour
VP Marketing, ExchangeDefender
stephanie@ownwebnow.com

Ahsay Restore File Prompts for Encryption Key

We have come across a couple users who were unable to restore files from Ahsay because they were continuously prompted for an Encryption Key.

This issue occurs when a user changes the Ahsay user password from the original password.

When a user is created Ahsay hashes their password as the file encryption key. Using the encryption key, Ahsay then hashes with a salt any data backed up. When a user goes to restore a file from Ahsay the agent will automatically try to decrypt the data with the current user hashed password, which if changed from the original causes the agent to prompt the user for the encryption key.

If you are unable to restore a file you can contact our support team as we may have the original key on file in the account history however this is not guaranteed.

If a user wants to use a custom password for the encryption key they must configure the custom encryption key BEFORE backing up any data. If a user changes the encryption key after data has been backed up then the original backed up data will be inaccessible without the previous encryption password.

Travis Sheldon
VP, Network Operations, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x757
travis@ownwebnow.com

Making the Most Out of IT

For many IT Solution Providers and Managed Service Providers the bottom line depends on as little interaction as possible with clients to make the most revenue. This is great for creating efficiencies and productivity for clients, but may not help with relationship building. It is easy for a client to look at an IT bill and wonder exactly what they are getting for their spend when they rarely see their provider.

This is an issue that many providers face when managing a client network with few problems. There are some things that can be done to provide great face time, build relationships, and keep clients. I like to call this series “Making the Most out of IT.”

A Little Help Can Make A Lot of Difference

Usually when you install new products, devices, or software solutions there is a bit of a learning curve for users. If you install and run, most people will not take the time to use the new solution thus making the install a wasted effort. Especially for managed service or recurring revenue clients, setting up a quarterly lunch and learn might be a great way to keep clients happy and on top of technology. This fun and educational event for your client will keep them appreciative and most likely gain you additional sales and a better relationship. Get your vendors involved, as they will most likely have small giveaway items, materials, and advice on how to educate your clients on the products you are covering.

Unexpected Visits

Unexpected visits are always welcomed when you bring a gift for the office. This can be a simple gesture such as donuts, pizza, or a tub of licorice but the effort will always make you the good guy. The key to this is frequency. It doesn’t have to be all the time just on a regular basis. Quarterly is a good start just schedule your client visits in your calendar and keep your own appointment to build rapport. This will be remembered when there is a problem that needs some understanding from the client side, such as in the event of an outage.

Think outside of the box and provide new resourceful ways to stay connected to your clients. Email, marketing, and newsletters are good but the good old face to face is what will set you apart from your competition. By going the extra mile and providing education or simple training and regular interaction, you will keep clients happy, keep them buying, keep them recommending your service, and you will just flat keep them.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

Network Improvements

Over the past month we have been slowly upgrading the network for our Exchange 2010 clusters to segregate network traffic not only between clusters, but between the resources within the cluster. Prior to the upgrades all clusters and services within the clusters (CAS arrays, DAG, etc.) were able to interact with each other. By utilizing VLAN and QoS on the switch we have been able to limit down the amount of multicast traffic and broadcasts between networks which dramatically improved network responsiveness within each cluster. By limiting the outside “noise” we have seen a 130% improvement of log shipment between DAG nodes across clusters and an 80% improvement of CAS related traffic. All in all these network changes directly improve the customer experience by providing a faster handling and response of requests to mailboxes.

Travis Sheldon
VP, Network Operations, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x757
travis@ownwebnow.com

Software as a Service Just Makes Good Sense

With the adoption of Software services and cloud implementations the days of traditional retail boxed software is all but disappearing and for good reason. Disk-based software and licensing had many faults. First requiring customers to keep track of software, let alone licenses, could create many issues when there was a dreaded failure and reload scenario. Second high priced support could take a large chunk out of a technology budget not leaving much room for repairs or necessary upgrades when due.

These days things are much much different. There are no longer worries of media, boxes, licensing, or support. Licensing, one of the biggest headaches in the previous model, can simply be looked up with customer information and provided within an instant. Not having media means accessing applications and downloads from virtually anywhere. Support is now rolled into products providing value and overcoming the issue of large capital outlays or the worry of companies deciding not to get support and then having issues.

Some may look at SaaS as costing more over time, but considering the fact that SaaS solutions provide unlimited software updates, rolled into support, and peace of mind regarding licensing, the values outweigh any additional costs. Software ownership has never been a good investment; just head to your basement or closet sometime and find some of those retail boxes we’ve been talking about. Outside of nostalgic memories of that Windows 3.1 or that early version of QuickBooks, the box and media disks really have no value.

Software as a Service and cloud solutions are becoming a standard in the software industry. For vendors there are lower costs and guaranteed recurring revenues. For Providers the benefits are very much the same. On top of the outlined benefits, IT solution Providers and MSP’s can provide value added services to their solutions. By utilizing ExchangeDefender, providers can even create their own pricing and add-ons to create the most value and revenue.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

Becoming a Partner

As a former I.T. VAR and small business owner, one of the duties I love about my job at ExchangeDefender is talking to current business owners about their technology offerings. You see, I know how difficult it is to choose the right vendor for your business. There are tons of I.T. conferences, webinars, seminars, mailers, emails, phone calls, and yes; promises, that are made to you on a daily basis by vendors. The absolute worst thing that can happen is that you get involved with a vendor without knowing all the details:

• Is there partnership program fee-based?
• Are there minimum requirements, either financial or otherwise, to maintain that partnership?
• Are you paying for items you really do not need or use in your everyday workflow process?
• How easy (or difficult) is it to receive help when needed?

Having been in your shoes before, I empathize with you. What baffles me, however, is when you know who I am and who I work for, but never tried ExchangeDefender products and services!

“Yeah, I see yours and Vlad’s posts on Facebook. I’ve been meaning to check you guys out.”

“I’ve been thinking of signing up as an ExchangeDefender partner, but I haven’t had the time.”

“The Moon isn’t in the ninth house. It’s not a good time.”

While I’ve heard the gamut of excuses answers when asked, “Why haven’t you signed up to be an ExchangeDefender partner;” my favorite by far is, “I don’t know how…” Well folks, I’m here to tell you that it’s as easy as visiting our website: www.exchangedefender.com. If you’re still reading this post, then you’re half way there! From our homepage, you click on the “Become a Partner” link and sign up. From start to finish, the process should not take more than 5 minutes—depending on your typing skills.

The best part about becoming an ExchangeDefender partner is that it’s FREE! So, in a way, we are giving you a way to make ‘money for nothing’ (for the Millennial Generation, see: “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.) The only time our partners are billed is when they order products or services. There are no long term contracts, no annual commitment fees, and no hidden costs. Plus, ExchangeDefender is up 24/7, 365 days of the year. For all support, presale and urgent matters; partners have around the clock access to their support portal. If you would like to talk to a human being, pick up the phone and call us: (877) 546-0316.

To put the process in perspective, you could have signed up as a partner in the time it took you to read this post! So sign up, get familiar with our products, and expand your technical portfolio by offering ExchangeDefender solutions.

—

Michael D. Alligood,

Partner Sales and Support

ExchangeDefender | Shockey Monkey

(877) 546-0316 x707

michael@ownwebnow.com

Finding Your Niche to Create New Business

Most IT businesses are started by technical people that branch out on their own in search of creating a successful business, but more to do what they love. This passion for the industry can sometimes be overshadowed by the day-to-day ins and outs of running a business. Finding new business is one of the hardest parts of running an IT solution company and can cause many tech minded individuals to struggle even after they are well established.

Carving out a niche is a good way to create repeatable new business. This can be accomplished in several ways.

Find your Specialization

This may be a specific platform you are good at, software or hardware solution specializations provide ways to differentiate you and allow you to focus your marketing efforts.

Learn a Vertical

Getting familiar with a specific vertical can easily create sustainable and repeatable business through networking, word of mouth, and specific advertising. It is important to learn the lingo of the trade/vertical and the common tools used. This will assure you are looked at as a subject matter expert rather than just a general tech.

Focus Marketing

Once you have a specialization utilize focused marketing to drive new leads. Advertising in trade magazines or on trade related websites can provide a captive audience. Get involved with organizations and community groups specific to the vertical. Purchase a marketing email and address list for your specialization and create a marketing campaign to create brand awareness.

By finding your niche you can assure repeatable business, differentiate your business in your market, and drive new sales. If you have been, or your area is vertical horizontal, consider specializing in specific platforms. Becoming an expert and carving out a niche will provide opportunity and drive new sales, while allowing you to get the most bang for your buck out of marketing efforts.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

Come Visit Us at SMB Nation!!!

Starting this Thursday, October 11th, ExchangeDefender is going to Las Vegas! Stop by and visit me, Stephanie Hasenour, and Anastasia Wiggins as we represent ExchangeDefender as a proud sponsor for SMB Nation in Las Vegas, NV!

We have recently added a lot of new features and products to our solution stack and we are very excited to talk about everything with all of the attendees. We will have a ton of information and giveaways so make sure you stop by our booth #422!!!

All the noise, lights, and slot machines aside, we know that it will be a fabulous event!!!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Stephanie Hasenour
VP Marketing, ExchangeDefender
stephanie@ownwebnow.com