MSP Shares Tips From Own Success

By Gennifer Biggs, security, storage, and managed services editor

During the Level Platforms Managed Workplace 2011 Road Show in Columbus, MSP Andy Harper, owner of Gaeltek and LPI partner council member, shared his company's success story and the role played by MW2011. As an LPI Partner Council member, Gaeltek was among the 12 beta users that had access to the new product starting in November 2010.

Among his shared several tips:

1. Put Onsite Managers in all client sites, it allows you to be proactive. The handful of clients without managers installed is the biggest drain on resources for Gaeltek.
2. Standardize. Harper says his company uses LPI, Autotask, Axcient, Astaro, OpenDNS, Ninite, ESET, Reflexion, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft. "We decided early on we would build a core of applications and products around which we have strong expertise," says Harper. That helps Gaeltek specialize, standardize its customer experience, and expend far less labor.
3. Integration with RMM tool makes those solutions more efficient. Harper says he picks the best product for his customers, and if that product isn't integrated with LPI, he pushes both toward a partnership.
4. Use the new scripting engine in MW2011 to automate, you'll save yourself both time and trouble.
5. Simplify: Define what you'll do, define what you won't, and then put it in writing.
6. Use a NOC. Gaeltek outsources its NOC to Cloud Services Depot, which allows it to expand its team without adding staff, and allows it to be a true 24/7 partner.
7. Take advantage of vendor forums: You should be in there every day taking advantage of shared intelligence and problem-solving tricks of your peers.

Among Harper's other tips – certification is valuable validation of expertise when you are a small business trying to prove your capacity to handle their business critical infrastructure.