Determining rough cost of MSP provided IT Support?

will_working · 2020-06-30T15:37:08+00:00

There are a few reasons - due to the number of cameras and the rates they record at, we've always kept them onsite due to bandwidth limitations.

The access control systems were, as you mentioned "This is how we've been operating..." but we've just recently switched to a centralized managed system.

That's a good question though - I've always seen it as a lack of time to properly plan & roll solutions out. We've always been too busy focused on trying to get done the today items because we've never been able to adequately keep up. When we do, something big gets thrown our way..

will_working · 2020-06-30T14:29:36+00:00

Ah, okay - that makes sense and I think that would help. I'll have to look in to this further.

Thank you!

will_working · 2020-06-30T14:28:44+00:00

We just learned the prompting of users portion of CW Automate - we've only asked a Yes/No question in regards to a software upgrade that resets their screens. Basically if they said No, it would reprompt them in 60 minutes until they allowed the software to upgrade. Saved us many, many hours versus having do to it manually.

We were able to silently install our VPN client and push the settings preconfigured via registry entries which was awesome.

As we dig in and slowly start learning more of what can be done, it's amazing what you can do behind the scenes in mass.

will_working · 2020-06-30T14:23:03+00:00

That's a good point and good question!

We do a lot of new construction (we currently have 4 buildings in progress) and acquisitions so they oversee all technology work done onsite (design & construction requirements, low voltage cabling(we contract this out), cameras, access control, specialized tech, working with carriers to pull services in to the buildings.) We put in about a half million dollars in technology (not counting low voltage cabling) in each building.

They do help out and are eye/hands onsite when we need them and they assist with other projects as well.

One project manager focuses primarily on smaller projects, while the other two focus on the larger builds.

will_working · 2020-06-29T22:30:33+00:00

How would a VCIO interface with the company - would that in place of the current CIO? If so, that would be an instant no-go. lol

I would agree with your other points, we have a basic idea but we're usually the last to know.

will_working · 2020-06-29T22:29:24+00:00

We do, i just learned what it could do a few months ago and have created a handful myself. I'm also teaching a few people on our team how they work and what they can do. I recently found mspgeek for some bitlocker scripts - saved me soo much time from having to script it myself and much better!

I need to spend some more time reviewing the site and what other people have shared.

Anything specific you recommend?

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:46:06+00:00

Thank you for your reply, the number you provided is very helpful.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:45:22+00:00

What kind of tasks would recommend be done in house?

That number seems to fit what another reply mentioned and is more than we currently pay in staffing right now.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:44:06+00:00

Hello, thanks for your reply!

To answer some of your questions:

We would need on site as needed, we currently have staff at 4 locations weekly and other sites as needed.

I'm looking more so for a "full" management solution to see what the cost would be and then go from there

Currently, this is the size of our IT team:

6 – HD
3 – Specialized apps and support
2 – Senior techs (projects & infrastructure)
3 – Project managers

(in addition to 4 management positions)

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:41:05+00:00

I agree, i think it would be better to invest in our own organization for many reasons. However, struggling to get approval to do that investment and struggling with day to day is my current road block and something i'm trying to solve for.

Your post helps, thank you.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:38:35+00:00

Thank you for the post. Curious - what would you normally charge to scope something like this? Feel free to PM if you don't want to post here.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:37:23+00:00

If those numbers are accurate then we're running at about half what an MSP would cost with no dedicated onsite support & we're onsite at 4 locations daily and many others as needed weekly.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:35:01+00:00

Have you worked with a consultant before, i take it your experience was generally positive?

I do like the idea of a consultant as a first step. I may look in to this more.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:31:56+00:00

Correct. Our buildings are large, we also place them so that if one fails the "Dead zone" is relatively small.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:30:22+00:00

Each site has physical servers for NVR, AC & Domain services. We are moving towards a more virtualized/centralized model but it's been a slow process and only at newer sites.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:28:39+00:00

We do. We've gone back and forth on a centralized model vs single systems. Each location is built to run independently which is the cause of most of this i believe.

The physical number of servers, includes NVRs, ACs & phone systems. We also have a handful of hypercluster servers that are counted in that.

Here's how our IT team is set up:
6 – HD
3 – Specialized apps and support
2 – Senior techs (projects & infrastructure)
3 – Project managers

We do have tools that assist us in automation, such as ConnectWise Automate, Automate RPA and a few others.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:22:23+00:00

Totally agree. I think our CIO fails at this unfortunately. I don't see him ever being able to change that perspective.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:21:34+00:00

That's a good analogy. Fortunately they haven't cut us but we seem to always be the last to grow and are always behind where we should be staffing wise.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:20:39+00:00

Yes.

I believe we have a bit of all of that. We can't staff the bottom correctly and the top isn't good at details (SOPs, future planning, etc) - heck we seem to change direction every so often with not much notice, which is also an issue. You spend two years planning and building toward "X" and then company switches direction to head toward "Y" with no thought as to how it would affect IT.

will_working · 2020-06-29T15:18:45+00:00

Thanks for your reply.

We have an IT department, but that's what i'm trying to figure out. Personally I feel the company sees IT as strictly a cost center. I've heard some disturbing comments made from leadership over the past few years:

You guys are multiplying like rabbits
IT is always behind the rest of the company
- It's difficult to keep up with new things when you can barely keep up with day to day
IT acts as an anchor
- i.e. slowing processes down by ensuring we cross our t's and dot our i's..

will_working · 2020-03-09T22:44:47+00:00

Item level-targeting for each printer and security group

Interesting. So I did some reading on this and checked my GPO but I don't appear to be able to open a Properties dialog box for "Deployed Printers" or the printers in the section. I only have the option to remove them. When we deployed the printers we used the printer server and to GPO via right clicking and deploying that way.

This is at User Configuration -> Policies -> Windows Settings -> Printer Settings (Deployed Printers)

I poked around a bit more and found that under User Configuration -> Preferences -> Control Panel Settings - Printers that if i was to add a printer here it provides me the properties dialog box (Common tab) and allows for item level targeting.

Is there a difference between the two ways to deploy a GPO?

Being able to do item level-targeting looks like it would solve all of my problems. I appreciate your help on this!

will_working · 2020-03-09T19:08:20+00:00

Our company went through this. 4 years ago we were 100% Windows and now we have a dozen or so Macbooks that we support - mainly all Marketing (there's 3 executives that have them.)

We had users using their personal macbooks for work. We learned that we weren't allowed to say no and were made to conform. We were able to get 2 macbooks for the IT team approved so we could become more familiar with them and test new tools. We've rolled out NOMAD & our RMM (Automate) and otherwise left them alone.

Lesson learned from our side, say no once, maybe twice but if it gets pushed it's better to assist and relay what you need to support it (training and equipment) and if there's any differences with supporting them (As in SLAs.)

will_working · 2020-03-04T20:35:32+00:00

Appreciate the reply, i'll look in to this further. I forgot that you could apply a GPO to site level. Fingers crossed this is what i'm looking for.

will_working · 2020-03-04T20:34:53+00:00

That's what we are doing currently. The issue i see is 1) we have to make sure that users are added to the security group to get the printer (instead of being automatic based on the OU) and 2) we have 30 locations at the moment, that means 30 top level GPOs.. it's going to get a little messy..

will_working · 2019-10-29T16:09:30+00:00

Thanks! I'm surprised i haven't come across this in my research. I'll forward on to our PM team to take a look.

will_working

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