Let’s break the 4^th wall and come out into the open that I am a business development associate, and as my title reflects, I am responsible for developing the business of Endsight. Coming from a much more analytical and sociological background, I have been trying to come to a conclusion as to what exactly this entails for me. I know that Endsight sells outsourced IT management, that we assign a CIO, that we have system administrators and help desk guys. But so what?

This is all spectacular and innovative for clients but unless people know what that means for them, this laundry list of services will never take on their full potential. I call people all day long, people with the same problems and issues as I do, but unless I can resolve a pain, whether it be loss of productivity, finances, or customers, people will not take the time to hear about our company. Yes they may be  interested in our service, but they are really interested in what it can DO for them. This big WHAT is stress!

People always want a quick fix for stress and inconvenience in their lives. The same holds true for IT mangement and computer support. But everything in life takes a re-adjustment of perspective for long term goals to be accomplished. To lose weight, you cannot just react to weight gain but proactively help yourself through daily maintenance. And this process is an entire adjustment in thinking that requires someone to change their daily habits and complete nutrition paradigm. The same holds true with IT support. For the burden and stress of computer, server, and application maintenance, one must shift their way of thinking.

Yes- computer support has been done, but we aren’t trying to provide the latest “fad”, but a new way of thinking about computer health and the health of your company.  Humans are subject to their surroundings and must change as they become older, as health concerns arise, as politics evolve- in a long term fashion. A business is not much different in the organic sense of change.

And let’s now come full circle to the underlying issue of stress. If humans and companies are not much different, then shouldn’t they both address the issue of stress similarly? People become fatigued, irritable, desperate, unfocused and even in pain during the onset of stress. Don’t companies then suffer from these same symptoms? 

Endsight provides an awesome service from competent people, but what we really do is shift your business health paradigm. Stress cannot be ignored- it’s the fundamental problem which seems to cause the chain reactions in our lives, and in our businesses, that we dread the most.  

Mike Chaput - IT Management Entrepreneur

Being a newly acquired business development associate for Endsight can seem like a daunting task, especially as my first “real person” job since graduating from Chico State in May. Luckily I have the entrepreneurial spirit of my CEO, Mike Chaput, rallying behind me. Mike is always open to new and creative ways to expand business, which makes this “real person” job of mine much more fun and interesting since each day is different.

Morgan Allen, 23, of Endsight raves “OMG, Mike’s ambition makes me feel special and proud to work under him.” His innate charismatic nature and voracious consumption of business books makes him an excellent candidate for attention. Although he is not quite at the Steve Jobs, screaming on a megaphone in front of thousands of Apple employees, enthusiasm level, Mike’s casual demeanor facilitates an open dialogue.

Last week he was included in East Bay Business Times, Entrepreneur section-

Mike Chaput often finds prospective clients wary when he calls. Burned by lousy tech-support experiences past, the CEO of Berkeley’s Endsight Inc. finds selling them a contract for remote computer help takes work.

But about 80 clients, including local attorneys, researchers and even a few billionaires among others have come to rely on Endsight’s blend of remote maintenance calls and on-site visits to keep their IT systems humming. “The field of IT is littered with people who don’t know what they’re doing,” said Chaput. “That creates a rich environment for us.”

Endsight’s 33 employees use advanced networking to tap into 3,000 client computers, servers and gadgets from Berkeley, performing both routine maintenance and troubleshooting, frequently heading off potential problems or fixing small mishaps without an in-person visit. That efficiency conserves employee time while allowing for easy consultation with peers, said Chaput. The avid business book listener has also infused the company with “huddles,” daily 15-minute gatherings, to keep everyone on the same page.

Endsight also consults with each client to help the client get its IT infrastructures into peak shape, advising clients on IT purchases and buying equipment for them as needed.

East Bay Business Times - by Michael Fitzhugh Staff reporter mfitzhugh@bizjournals.com | 925-598-1425

The world has not seen the last of Michael Chaput. From his humble beginnings in rural Michigan, it was apparent that success was in the cards for this young maverick.

Last week I reported to all you IT management avid bloggers out there about my recent traumatic accident. Well, it was more tragic for my Jeep and my left wrist than for me. Since last week I have purchased an awesome 2008 Jetta from Dublin Volkswagen (thanks Ryan). It’s so cute and nice inside, and I will be the first to admit that it’s a chick car, but pretty much the sweetest chick car out there.  Besides its engine stuff, great gas mileage (25/gallon) sleek interior, it comes with something I never even knew I wanted- Satellite Radio!

Since its inception several years ago I have been interested in this form of media. Television and radio have always been favorites of mine due to their constant nature and background noise.  It’s just a matter of transitioning to a format that I’m not used to that never pushed me into this new realm. I’m happy to see this venture becoming successful, I feared we would lose it due to people like me- nerds who want it but are too lazy to do anything. Sirius and XM have recently joined to become one satellite powerhouse.  It took a year of litigation to approve of this merger due to anti-trust laws and fear from old school radio networks. Although I’m pro mom and pop operations and against Walmart-esque monsters taking advantage of capitalist America, I feel that there is enough room and desire for Siri-ex (not sure how they have combined names, I like my idea).

My Jeep Grand Cherokee (Rest in Peace 1994-2008) had been sans radio for the last year, not to mention the persistent check engine light, humming at fast speeds, clicking noise which I could not locate and random shutting off of all music for no apparent reason. Poor girl needed to go the way of “old Yeller”, but I never had it in me, so instead I rear ended a Dodge Van in 580 morning commute! That being said, it’s not surprising that when I drove my 2008 Jetta for the first time and heard the awesomeness of satellite radio, that I no longer minded the hour long commute from Danville to Berkeley. I never realized that I would enjoy non -stop progressive techno at 8am, or Led Zeppelin blared at full volume, but I do.  Whomever decided that people enjoy listening to DJ’s talk about why Britney Spears is crazy, what happened on Dancing with the Stars the night before or any other topic on the repetitive laundry list of morning DJ programming, obviously doesn’t commute every day.  Just give me music. So if any of you hundreds of thousands of Bayareaitmanagement.com blog readers out there are on the fence about satellite radio, ditch your grandmothers radio and move into the future, your sanity will thank you!

More on Sirius and XM Merger:

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/25/business/fi-xm25

Our company is always adding new clients and taking over poorly constructed and managed computer networks. Were in a position to see companies that are trying to use and support multiple types of operating systems, software, and hardware. In many cases it’s one of the reasons that they reach out to an Outsourced IT management company like ours since they don’t have the expertise to manage the computer network that has evolved over time. One of the first things we try to get through to our new clients is the need to standardize on one platform. When a computer network is homogenized it is much easier to support, maintain, and upgrade. For a company like ours economies of scale, and standardization help to provide the great service our clients come to expect and provide us the resources needed develop new services that help keep our clients and ourselves competitive.

Operating Systems:

While there’s certainly a need to have Linux and Macintosh networks in some types of businesses the need is sometimes outweighed by the cost to support and maintain them. Complexities such as the lack of expertise, new hardware and software to support and integrating networks with different operating systems can be cumbersome. For this reason we recomend to 95% of businesses out there that a Windows Computer Network is there best option.

Software:

When clients are running different versions of software and completely different software altogether, the time and cost involved in supporting these different software applications can be extremely costly for a business. Managing software licensing from, purchasing software, setting it up on individual computer workstations, and upgrading software when necessary can provide a great advantage.

Hardware:

Businesses that purchase the same types of hardware cost much less to support and therefore their employees are much more productive for this reason. Take the difference between business and personal desktops/laptops. Business desktops/laptops use hardware and software that’s designed for business, and thus components like motherboards and sound cards are more standardized and thus reliable. On the software side technical support issues commonly experienced due to faulty drivers or conflicts with other software are also greatly reduced for the same standardization.

Standardization and economies of scale help outsourced IT companies like ours provide best of class IT Management. The same way other companies improve their business by doing one thing really well over and over, is the same reason homogeneous computer networks make so much sense!

Hi, my name is Lauren and I drink Red Bull.

I’m not afraid to say that. Maybe it’s my generation. Maybe it’s my college past. But when I need a picker upper, I just don’t want coffee. Working in the Bay Area grind, it seems almost sinful to forgo coffee. Popular culture hasn’t over looked the obscene and often comical number of coffee shops in the land of business. But somehow Red Bull, which should be the “trendy” drink, has become a symbol for no-frills energy. I like the taste. I like the fact that my sugar free Red Bull has the calories of a stick of gum. I like that it’s not any more expensive than a cup of coffee.  But I don’t like the bad looks and feeling that I’m breaking the rules (or maybe I do!)

We all just need to admit that coffee shops are not just for taste, ambiance, or status. They are for when the corporate world needs their picker upper. Would it be necessary to have one every few blocks, with constant lines and an insider’s vocabulary to even order a drink if it weren’t for the stimulus it provides? Give me your decaf argument all you want, but besides for the select few decaf drinkers (I like to think of them as the coffee world version of ordering an O’Doul’s at a bar), you enter that coffee shop for a specific reason- to wake up!

So if I need Red Bull to liven up, please allow my generational disposition for energy drinks to not be frowned upon. Just because the twenty-year old coffee monkey on your back has now become status quo, don’t sneer my Red Bull - let me drink in peace. Red Bull Rocks IT Management!

After my 1^st week into the real world and becoming an adult, I had the rudest wake-up call as to what my new found “adult” responsibilities entail. Recently graduating from Chico State in May, I’ve been very fortunate to begin a career at Endsight as a Business Development Associate (fancy way of saying inside sales).

To end my first non-stop week, I was involved in an accident at the 24/ 580 interchange Friday morning. First time I’ve seen the airbags go off in a car. They whipped my hand and I thought that the irony of the world was also catching up seeing that August 1 was the first day of my new health insurance!

It was the classic Bay Area stop and go commute, where the lanes move so fast you get worried. And good reason so… cause this is usually the end result somewhere down the line.  It was inevitable that in my corporate career, and all the hours spent on freeways, that this was to happen. But on the morning of my first Friday? Come on world… I get it, I’m growing up, but let’s take it one thing at a time.

If you saw a green jeep grand Cherokee on the shoulder with a “Chico State” sticker on the back, I apologize for further inconveniencing your commute. I feel like everyone needs a turn at being “that guy”, the one who slows down traffic and when you come to the clog you think “why the heck is everybody stopping to look at this car?”, when in fact that very thought has caused you a minor deceleration. Traffic is a weird phenomenon.

A special breed of scientist actually devote their life to the area. You will never find me on that list, but IT Management also employs traffic management and analysis. If I could have it my way, we could drive hover crafts.  This weekend while icing my hand (which resembles a blown up latex glove), I watched Back to the Future II and III. They have predicted that by 2015 we will have hover crafts (crossing my fingers for a Deloreon).  Not even sure if this would solve the problem, just make traffic worse. Although, if Christopher Llyod’s character could just give me a hover craft and no one else, I’ll be fine with the idea!

Back to why I became rudely welcomed into the adult world. The poor Jeep, after 14 years of loyal service has finally passed away. Poor girl still had my Monte Vista High School senior lot decal on it, stain where I dripped sun tan lotion on the dash going to a soccer game (sorry Daddy, that’s where that came from), and countless scars of high school shenanigans.  Well good bye Jeep. Onto the new generation of my life- 2008 VW Jetta. Sold my soul to my father to finance it…

When supporting a Windows network, there are really two main components that have to be addressed: proactive and reactive Information Technology support.

Many companies in our service area - San Francisco Bay Area and East Bay Area - may not realize the importance of proactive support. It provides the base level that allows reactive support to be productive. For a network to be reliable, both elements need to be in place and focusing on the reactive will only delay problems, not stop them.

Granted, some companies don’t have the resources allocated to provide both elements and simply react when things inevitably go wrong. Many IT consulting companies focus on reactive support which is cost-ineffective because the IT companies bill so many hours trying to fix problems that weren’t handled proactively.

Proactive Bay Area IT Support Will Save You Money

For example, a hard-drive fails on RAID 5 (with redundancy) but because there are still two more drives that are working, the problem goes unnoticed. So when then next hard-drive fails and the network goes down, the IT consulting company then gets to bill tons and tons of hours to ‘fix’ the network because they didn’t proactively support their network. This situation works out great for the IT provider because they make a lot of money, but really poorly for the client because they have to spend more than they budgeted for and their network is down.

That is the exact reason why my employer, Endsight, in Berkeley, CA, developed a division that is solely dedicated to providing proactive support on month-to-month rather than an hourly basis. In this way engineers aren’t bogged down with handling reactive issues and can take the time and care to adequately analyze our clients systems to prevent as many common problems from materializing. They also don’t have to worry about how many hours our clients have “approved” and thus they can actually do thorough and complete work.

While our Bay Area IT System Administrators are handling our clients’ in the proactive support, we also have a Bay Area Response Center that is situated to respond to any immediate calls. In this way Endsight has been able to clearly define the difference between proactive and reactive support and delegate tasks to either group to provide an extremely cost-efficient model that allows our clients to have enterprise level IT support and a lower total cost than those focused on reactive only.

Being Invisible is Good for Bay Area IT Management Clients

Unfortunately, the very nature of the proactive support is preventative and thus it tends to go unnoticed. This means that the better job someone does, the less likely anyone recognizes and appreciates those efforts. Companies don’t spend any part of their day thinking about their network unless they have to, so naturally if everything is going well, they won’t think about the proactive support that is being done which leads to complacency.

It takes continual involvement on our part to educate our clients in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area on the implementation and upkeep that is occurring and the active care that is being provided. Proactive support is not only great for our clients but also good for us as the outsourced IT provider because the more issues we can handle proactively, there are fewer issues we have to handle reactively.

Yes, it’s true….XP is out and Vista is in. There has been so much negative publicity regarding Vista, and for good reason. In my humble opinion, the release of Vista was poorly managed and perhaps the worst job Microsoft has done in releasing a desktop OS in two decades. The single biggest problem is that Microsoft seemed to overlook how important that third party software vendors were prepared. Print drivers, VPN clients, and a mass of other software simply did not work when Vista was first released. While customers who moved to the new version of office may experience minor inconveniences such as not relearning how to do basic tasks such as ‘undo’ or ‘save as’ like when moving to a new version of office; moving to Vista broke major functionality such as printing and accessing network files remotely.

So then, where are we know? I think moving to Vista is inevitable for most businesses and home users…and I think the time is about right. Most of the major problems have been addressed. While there is always going to be the minor hassle of dealing with a new user interface, people are simply going to have to be dealt with that. Vista is here to stay and does have some fantastic new features that frequently get overlooked such as:

• Sophisticated graphics
• Better search and organization tools
• Improved security
• Easier access to information and applications
• New multimedia functions and tools
• Improved system tools for backups, updates, and more

Given the problems and resistance most people have had, we’ve all lost site of the Millions of dollars in R&D that have gone in to this protect to move technology forward.

My advice? The time has come. Suck it up and move forward.

When I first started in the IT services business back in the late 90’s, e-mail was starting to become pretty important to most business. Still the prevailing opinion back then was that when comparing importance of availability, e-mail was a distant second to the company phone system. In fact, people would continual say authoritatively “The phone systems CAN NOT go down!”

Today, pretty much every worker has a cellular phone, and while still very inconvenient, if the corporate phone system does go down, business still functions. E-mail on the other hand has become such a mission critical component of the way we do business, the importance of a reliable, available, and secure system is a huge priority of businesses of all size.

As CEO of a company who acts as the outsourced IT department for dozens of small business, you can imagine we are in a position to make recommendations for e-mail solutions frequently. There are basically two options when it comes to managing e-mail. On one hand you have server based e-mail solutions and on the other you have desktop (POP) e-mail. In the case of the desktop solutions, e-mail is routed from a server on the internet, usually owned by your ISP, to the desktops in your environment where your e-mail will ultimately reside on the PC of the user. A server based solution, all the e-mail for the corporation is funneled to a server on the network and the users access the local server to see their mail.

The desktop solutions are very inexpensive (in many cases free), but are very unadvisable for an organization that values security, reliable, ease of access, or availability to e-mail. A much better idea is to spend the money on an e-mail server. By centrally managing all e-mail boxes in your company, you can now back-up email, control access, and offer a wide range of connectivity options such as remote locations, handheld devices, or web-consol access. Furthermore, since all of the e-mail boxes are centrally located a variety of enhanced collaborative features are available to your team such as shared contacts or the ability to view other workers calendars.

Of the server based e-mail options out there, by far the most popular for small businesses is Microsoft Exchange Server. It is extremely feature rich and because it is so popular, it is much easier to find good IT support than other options such as Novell Groupwise, Lotus Notes, or free software built on Linux. If you haven’t yet moved your business to a server based e-mail platform….there is no time like the present. You won’t regret your decision.