Tech support

[zero tolerance]

Hi,

I am planning to set up a team for organizing online tech. support for small businesses. The idea is that usually for small businesses it's too expensive to hire system / network administrators and technicians as permanent staff. However, there are some tasks, when a qualified help/assistance is needed (and sometimes urgently). Otherwise one has to RTFM, what is sometimes quite time consuming and inconvenient. Such things like web site support and content updating will also be the subject of the service.

I am goint to subcontract a small team in Russia (highly educated with fluent English) for doing this as part time job, but 24 (or almost 24) hours a day for online help. And I can imagine an approximate price for this. It should be something like 100 euros per month. I am also planning to make this service available via our SMS Gateway, so one can ask questions and get answers via his GSM phone even being on move.

Here are my questions: would such service be interesting for the auditorium of this forum? Do you think it's worth while trying? Would you be interested in such service? What price would you like pay for such service?

Thank you very much in advance!

[fabians]

I think the small business would love this service. You would have to win their business, by being there when they need you, quick resolve. You have to have people that can explain technical jargon to those who may not understand. A business plan should be your first step.

[farmer_Tom]

nice idea but good luck marketing it. The computer consulting/service/sales industry is MEGA saturated. I tried starting my own computer support biz just recently, worked it for a few months and all i got was phone calls from competitors wanting to see how my prices compare to theirs. Remember that these days you can get tech support from virtually anywhere, even 6 month old babies and chimps at the zoo have their own computer business now!

[jleone]

I agree with Steven, this market is presaturated. You need to think very very good before doing it and especially before investing money in it.

[zero tolerance]

Hello everyone,

Thanks a lot for your comments and advices! So far, I have made a deal with a guy who has sells such service in Russia for a net of his clients. He is a very smart guy and has a number of assistants. His interest is to provide the service to Western countries and my interest is to develop this business at the most competitive price and... at lowest cost We agreed that we are not making any investments at the moment. He provides the service and I provide the customers. The first month of the service is free, and if the customer is interested then he pays for it. The price we both are happy about is 100 euros per month for online support. And we are going to develop a document regulating more complex cases like "boss sat on laptop", "solder iron connected to network card" and other cases of complexity A, B, C... I got two of my customers interested, so let's see what happens

If anyone is interested, you are most welcome and thanks a lot for your feedback!

Regards,
Valeri

I think that ideas likes this are good, but they are all inherently flawed to some degree. For example, you may charge 100 euros per month but what does that entitle the client to? Unlimited hours of support on the phone? Email?

The problem with these sort of services is at some point there is going to be some issues along the lines of one client is going to end up going well over your estimated time and it gets very hard to manage, when you are offering a prepaid style of remote support.

I am not saying it wont work but it may not work just exactly how you think it will. Maybe a better option maybe a they pay X dollers into there account and they have X dollers deducted each time a call or email support service is used.

[zero tolerance]

Interesting point, thank you! Actually we are in process of preparing a list of services, which are covered by the flat rate. They will include even "in field" actions. The challenge I see with "per request" approach is that the request can be of different complexity. Currently, we are collecting customers willing to give it a try for free for one month and if they like it to pay for the next month of service.

[zero tolerance]

Hi,

We have come up with a list of services we can provide online support for:

1. Audit of networks.

1.1. Analysis of current network setup.

1.2. Network performance improvement guidelines - we'll create a
set of recommendations of what is needed to improve current network
setup.

1.3. Network documentation - we'll document the network.

2. System Installation and development.

2.1. Installation and configuring Web services with complex
environment, for example with database back-end, with catalogue
back-end (LDAP), with various system of authentication and so on.
Supported platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows.
Supported software: Apache, Tomcat, IIS and others.

2.2. Database installation and configuring. Supported platforms:
All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows. Supported software: MySQL, MS SQL, Postgres SQL and so on.

2.3. Collaborative systems.

2.3.1. Installation and configuring distributed e-mail systems.
Supported platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows.
Supported software: Sendmail, MS Exchange, Exim, Postfix and so on.

2.3.2. Installation and configuring Web portal systems. Supported
platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows. Supported
software: Plone (Zope platform), SharePoint Portal 2001/2003 and so on.

2.4. Security Systems - providing network security solutions
according to customer's set up and preferences.

2.4.1. Installation and configuring one or a group of firewalls in
distributed networks, proxy servers. Supported platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows, Cisco.

2.4.2. Installation and configuring DMZ (perimeter) networks.
Supported platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows, Cisco.

2.4.3. Installation and configuring VPN. Supported platforms: All
Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows, Cisco.

2.4.4. Installation and configuring PKI environment. Supported
platforms: All Linux, BSD and Unix system, MS Windows, Cisco

2.4.5. Installation and configuring antivirus software. Supported
software: Computer Associate, Clam AV (GPL license), Symantec.

2.4.6. Installation and configuring backup software. Supported
software: Sun, Computer Associate (ArcServe), Veritas (Symantec), Amanda (GPL license).

3. Support of existing network environment.

Please let me know if you think there maybe interest in such service.

[f3adventure]

I think the idea is a nice one. The only flaws I see in it are that clients will have to trust someone in another country with access to their servers and PC's. The other problem is that sometimes a problem on a PC requires an on-site visit. That would be a seperate person from your own business. So that would mean the client would need two outfits to look after their computers.

That visiting person would naturally try to steal the business away.

But I think it is worth trying, although marketing the business might be difficult. How will you accumulate clients ?

[aperfectdream]

Sevana,

Good idea.

Here in Denmark (properbly a good example on the rest of the world) is the tendency that IT matters are less important, its considered to be a natural element of the businesses, at the same level as power supply.

I have noticed that Dell, Zerox, etc (some of the bigger providers) have started to offer "all in" deals to their customers. I know hands on, that some of these companies have resource problems in getting enough "freelancers" to work for them.

I would have this in mind, and not only offer my services towards small clients, but also go into sub-contract deals with some of the big ones.