@travisdh1 said in Outsourced IT Helpdesk services for IT Providers?:

@JasGot said in Outsourced IT Helpdesk services for IT Providers?:

We have a customer that would like 24/7 helpdesk support. We are not able to provide this. Are there companies how offer helpdesk services as a reseller service?

NTG... @scottalanmiller You'd be the source for this, but sounds like it's something NTG would do.

We do 😉

@black3dynamite said in Project tracking:

@JasGot Take a look at Taskade - https://www.taskade.com/

Thanks. I looked at it today. It's a bit overwhelming! I'll have to go back to it and check it out in bite size pieces. 🙂

@PhlipElder said in OEM MS Office now has Expiry date:

So, stick with what works.

Right.
This works.

@Obsolesce said in I am looking for a PHP / MySQL programmer for odd jobs:

@scottalanmiller said in I am looking for a PHP / MySQL programmer for odd jobs:

@JasGot NTG has developers now for exactly this reason. This past year our requests for development work have exploded and it has gone from something we didn't do to half our billable hours in three months, it's crazy.

Which languages are most in demand? Or do you limit the work you accept?

PHP and C# is what I see. Some Python. And obviously JS mixed with everything.

@Yonah-S
Yes.

@Pete-S said in Typical services and software in SMBs?:

I'd always thought that the ones running on-prem was perhaps medium sized businesses that had enough scale for it to make economic sense.

Typically the opposite, only those so small as to not have the mechanisms to evaluate. If you are big enough for on premises to start being cheaper, you are big enough for the big players to give you discounts to make sure it doesn't.

@syko24 said in Insurance form and MFA:

@scottalanmiller said in Insurance form and MFA:

They mean signing into Active Directory, not the server (the server too, I'm sure.) Do your users have MFA when signing into their desktops?

No they don't have MFA for signing into the desktops.

They also mentioned MFA for routers. Not sure the edgerouter can do this.

They LIKELY mean for a VPN on the router, not for the login. But for login, you can do MFA if you only log in via SSH with certs.

@jasgot Let me know what you come up with ... I was just reviewing something similar. I was thinking if the wholesale cost of the phone is like $120 and retail is like $180 ... then to charge $10 / month for phones gives you a cost payback in 1 year, and normal profit at 18 months. I'd think if the contract period is 3 years, then you're for sure in the money and you really hope they keep them for 6 years. We do all inclusive pricing on phone setups meaning we roll in setup, management of the call flow, etc. all in there. So charge whatever you do per extension in that contract with the option of the phones as well. Depends on your business model whether they are a profit center or not. If not, then charge enough to make it worth your while, otherwise, let them get them and worry about warranty on them.

@stacksofplates said in Organizational charts or similar info?:

This site is pretty popular form what I've seen.

theorg.com/organizations

Not sure if this is what you're asking for or not.

Thanks, that one was interesting, I'll look through it and see how detailed they charts are.

@jt1001001 said in Comcast Direct Inward Dialing:

@scottalanmiller Business and I can't wait till I can port it out and get Skyetel https fax ATA instead!

Order the hardware and file the port. Ta da! 😉

@jasgot Someone still alive with extensive technical knowledge of AREV 2.x, 3.x, OI 7.x, OI 8.x -- OI 9.3

Python w/Django, HTML, Javascript

Please contact.

@notverypunny said in Roster and Schedule Software:

Might be worthwhile checking to see if there's something already available within your payroll or HR software. Just to avoid re-inventing something that you might already have.

Excellent suggestion. Thanks.
The current setup does not have such functionality.

@dashrender said in Need MS Access app re-written to something else.:

@scottalanmiller said in Need MS Access app re-written to something else.:

@dashrender said in Need MS Access app re-written to something else.:

While I think Scott's a bit overblown with the whole Windows Server and SQL server to be "serious" I see where he's coming from.
For example sticking with Windows 10 for example is likely fine because I'm assuming it's being run on and from a single machine connected to the gate system, not a remote server, etc...

It's a licensing requirement if you want security and reliable multi-user access. Otherwise you have to use the shared-file system of a JetDB that is completely exposed to things like ransomware. And that is highly flaky once you have more than about five users.

This really seems like a single computer setup - so while what you mention could be good, might be overkill for this setup.

It is a Raspberry Pi setup, IMO. I think @JasGot is right on that.

I think he is off on the "wishing he had 5 hours" thing though.

I don't know enough about controlling Pi pins to handle this. I think that would be better than the serial interface for the relay control. But it will also require then new wiring which is physical.

The barcode readers should be a standard listen for input handler.

The database design should be pretty straightforward.

The user interface does not sound like it needs to be complex, but like anything, you need to make it comfortably usable, or users will not use.

Finally, security of the application, it's users, data, etc will have to be designed.

@popester said in Voip Law: non binding question of course.:

@dashrender said in Voip Law: non binding question of course.:

I'm curious, in that setup, are you paying this third party, the one who imported your real DID, for inbound mins? or a flat monthly fee for inbound calling?

Its a flat monthly fee I believe, all rolled into one bill. So breaking out the phone part may be tough. I am going to dig into the "Did we "Really" need to port our DID. For now, it is so convoluted and fraught with WTF's, I am going to suggest that we go ahead and rather we can or cannot, just add the warning. Easy peasy.

Well, if you didn't run the call through them, you'd need a way to send the CID information to that vendor so they could give you the screen pops to the ERP for your call center. I'm guessing you could have an function on the PBX that makes an API call to the vendor, definitely would be the cleaner way to do it... you also get to control your inbound costs.

I also wonder if the current solution allows them to be in the call path for voice recording purposes? I don't understand the RTP stuff enough to know. i.e. could that vendor be eavesdropping on all of your calls?

@jasgot said in Where do you advertise for techs?:

@jaredbusch said in Where do you advertise for techs?:

@travisdh1 said in Where do you advertise for techs?:

I've had better luck finding jobs with ZipRecruiter. It's supposed to be easier for someone looking to hire as well. Don't know about "the other side" tho.

I tried this one last time I was looking for a part time person. it was a shit show like the rest.

And really expensive.

Result, not worth the cost.

I'll pay more for quality.. It was not.

@Pete-S said in If you were to start all over, knowing what you know now.:

Hiring smart people sounds like a great idea but if they're smarter than you, why wouldn't they run their own business? Why would a smart person work for someone dumber than they are? I'm not saying they wouldn't - I'm saying you need to figure out a reason why they should.

Everyone who works for me is smarter than me, I'm the only one dumb enough to own the place. 😉

That's awesome, thank you!

@Spiral said in Home business ideas for transition out of 9-5?:

I would say at any age, depending on one's facts and circumstances, you presumably could make the switch. Currently, during this economic environment, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurial pursuits. Because of the inherent risk of starting a business and complicated by current uncertainty, the SBA has many loan programs in the 7a series, which, if applied for before September 27, 2020 qualify for 6 months of tax free principle and interest paid by the SBA. https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/sba-debt-relief For example, if you took out a $500k 7a working capital loan, the SBA would basically give you a $33k tax free gift. Along with the SBA programs, there are also many other grant programs for small businesses out there.

Good info. Can be an excellent time to attempt starting a new business, for sure.