slagburn

It is also important to realize the the vendor / distributor just isn't going to go away... I find it highly unlikely that the lancers are going to have partnerships with Nortel and the various other manufactures to be able to provide support to the same level.

A customer could post looking for a patch audit / patch update for a system... for the most part the patch library is a distributor / partner / COAM restricted area of Nortel and if you don't work for any of the above you probably don't have access to it... if you are employed by such an entity and have access to that resource chances are your companies COB prohibits conflict of interest engagements such as patch audits / updates for customers not under contract.

I'm not against the idea but I doubt that it will phase the larger vendors... the small interconnects who thrive on MAC work might have to find their cheese if their current customer base isn't kept happy.

pbxn

The consumer/customer market all unanimously benifit from one thing, and that is competition, no matter how big or small. Sure this is going to pis$ off the smaller vendor that currently provides service, but really who cares! It is tough enough owning and running your own small business, and the financial struggle alone can drive a sane person mad. So why not offer this service to the little guy to give them a choice. I'm guessing that some of the negative posters here have forgotten a little thing called a free and open market, last time I checked we still live in one.
Slag is right that this will not replace partner specific items, patches etc. and I do not think that is what this is designed for.

papa-bear

I used to manage 16 sites from BC through Manitoba from Vancouver. Required the occasional body to move / relable sets and cabling but other than that, most things including vmail were remotely taken care of.

norteltx

Lets revisit this thread in 6 months and see who was right. I got a feeling it won't fly in that it has been tried and died before. A customer is gonna give someone they don't know their passwords and trust that their database is secure, their techs are knowledgable and that the possible savings are worth risking my job and business connection to the outside world. Not alot of positives. The only savings is on remote MAC work. Discounted remote charges from a reputable local vendor trumps cyber techs anyday. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

crossbar50

Read and print telprog's reply, over and over again...

Telecommunications as a global market is swirling the drain, let's face reality.
Most companies that hire salary people to manage their PBX have no idea what is involved in the most simple MAC work. This misunderstanding has lead to more misunderstanding of this (telecom) technology. Technicians are under paid and often times are willing to work long hours under their own dedication. This new site (what ever it is), I can see will only further homogenize the telecom trade and the skill that goes along with it. If this is what we work for, then so be it, I'm nearing semi-retirement and like most of us that have been around awhile, will plead the fifth in Sarasota, Fla...

3in1solutions

I could maybe see the, "savvy" customer being interested in this. (However most "savvy customers take car of most moves, add, and change them selves). Maybe even someone who does not have a current relationship with a vendor. I know from experience customers are looking for someone they know and trust. They want to see the same tech show up on sight every time they call. I just do not see this as being huge. It may take a slice of the pie but there is still so much more to the biz. If you pull the cable and terminate, or program the system or establish any kind of relationship with the customer. Why would they want to deal with someone they don't know/ can't see. Unless the cost is dropt immensely.

?????? I do not know

ITEngineer

This service may get some share of the market, but I am guessing that customers we have that would use this service, are customers we would not miss. In our business normally those shopping prices don't stay long anyways. I wish Rix the best but don't think that it will impact anyone in a big way, there is plenty to go around.

From a service standpoint, if the system is in warranty and a outside vendor does the service, it will void the warranty. Most of our customers are on 5 year all inclusive leases that include the service. Why would they call anyone else.

And we all know the customer is not always right, we just have to let them think they are, and then charge them when they are not to fix it.

__________________
Life is a highway....

Shooter

I agree with 3in1solutions. I cannot recall the amount of times I had a new client (when I worked for the man) say to me " It is so nice to see the same face every time I need help". The remote service taking over a site is more apt to make mistakes in programming that tends to get more involved because of not knowing the initial client needs and therefore taking more time hence costing the client more money in the long haul. The clients that base their service on the cost and not the service are usually the clients that swap their hardware and systems more often due to inadequate service. Not to mention this type of activity also reflects how the client is either satisfied or dissatisfied with the equipment they have purchased, and the manufacturer pays in less systems sold.So rock on all of you that have decided the least dollar amount for service supersedes quality. I welcome thee. We will be waiting in the wings!

copperboy

well i feel like we are taking money out of our own pocket if we take to this new idea. I have been in this busuness for roughly 25 years and now with everything going to VOIP and CG's we are running out of options. All most all of our system are remote programmed now a days but we still have to go out and do some MAC's and I hate to go out and clean up somone else's mess. The only way i can see this working out to our benefit is if the customer makes all these changes and totally tears up everything. Then we will have to go out and sourt through the mess. That is my 2 cents.
Thanks
Jules