Cloud Hosting

by Joe Panettieri Mar 18, 2020

Updated March 19, 1:55 a.m. ET: Sometimes in my rush to offer guidance, I type too quickly and think too little. Amid that realization, Ive added this new intro to the blog. And the new intro is simply this: Work from home (WFH). Figure out a way to do so.

My earlier advice trying to figure out a way to safely offer on-site IT support at customer offices was flawed. Instead of risking engineer infections with on-site support, study the math: Keeping your engineers working from home boosts your own long-term business continuity, even if it sacrifices some short-term revenue.

That said, I didnt want to hide from my earlier advice from one day ago (March 18). Ive left it intact as a reminder to myself and readers that my own views can change within hours of publishing a blog.

While MSPs worldwide scramble to set up customers with remote access and work-from-home capabilities, many MSPs and IT consultants must also juggle on-site customer repairs.

To tackle those business challenges and minimize the risk of coronavirus exposure, here are a few suggestions:

The background: ChannelE2E has heard from multiple MSP industry sources in recent days. Many MSPs are overwhelmed with service desk tickets many of which request those work-from-home capabilities. Others are trying to figure out how to keep their project engineers healthy while visiting customer offices to fix equipment, ConnectWise VP Arlin Sorensen noted in a conversation with ChannelE2E.

While the U.S. federal government emphasizes social distancing, even the best MSPs occasionally need to visit customer locations.

Admittedly, the tips above arent a universal fit for all MSPs. Many MSPs may need more than a single day per week to visit customer offices. And some customers may still hold fast to on-premises servers or proprietary applications that arent available in the cloud.

All that said, Im all ears and welcome more suggestions to share with our readership Joe@AfterNines.com.

More here:
Memo to MSPs: Is There A Safe Way to Visit Customer Offices? - ChannelE2E