IT Employment

Ask something
Discussion Locked

High availability networking consultant?

0 helpful
3 replies

by eric9

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Hi Everyone,

No topic area really covers my question and I suppose it best applies to Network Administration, so I will post it here.

Currently I work for a small network consulting business which services small to medium sized networks in both new installs and ongoing maintenance. However we are looking to expand into the area of high availability network systems and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with that aspect of consultation and could shed some light on a few areas of confusion which I have.

Firstly, is the deployment and planning of high availability network systems the primary function of your company, or is it a service that is offered when necessary, but the ?meat and potatoes? of your company is in another area? Second, is the demand for high availability network systems high enough to support a consulting firm, or is the need usually met by internal staff? And lastly, are clients that require the services of high availability network systems found by the traditional routes (sales people making cold calls to the decision makers) or are they found indirectly, such as by giving seminars and making contact with the IT staff of a company that is looking to expand and requires help with high availability network systems?

I should also define my perception of high availability network systems. I see high availability network systems consisting of the precise planning and implementation of a system with multiple levels of redundancy to guarantee that even if the Apocalypse rains down upon us tomorrow the system will remain 100% functional. At a bare minimum that means absolutely everything is completely redundant, security and disaster planning is well defined and practiced, and in general the stability of the system is guaranteed 99.9% or better.

Thanks in advance!

Eric

3 replies

by lordinfidel

From my point of view, and one that manages both High Availabilty corporate networks and the pvt client network.

I would say that it really depends on the company that has that need.

If it is a small company without a dedicated IT staff or a junior/entry level IT support, and their core business is on the net. Then they could benefit from a consultant.

If your looking to get into the corporate arena where there is already a well defined IT staff, then probably not.

I know that very rarely do we ever call a consultant in, and never to design or implement our infrastructure. It has always been in an independant review model or security audit.

As far as finding clients, if this is your core business then of course you need to advertise, but do it wisely.

If you can afford someone to research potential clients then that is also an avenue. But a cold call to someone who is not even looking, won't yield much and may just piss them off.

Most of what I have seen is small business' partnering with big companies like HP, Dell or Checkpoint to be a local contractor/reseller. And that is how they get that business.

Ask yourself this, why would you hire a company in newyork to setup your network if you are based in california?

JMO

by eric9

Thanks JMO,

I did not take you're reply as an insult at all, I am very much in the exploratory phase right now and would certain prefer the truth rather then perusing an idea that will not be beneficial.

The bulk of my work comes from helping small companies that do not have the need for a full time consultant, and from medium sized companies that do not have the staff on hand to correctly configure their network but are capable of maintaining it.

But in an environment where the in-house IT crew is well trained and certified in their specialty, I am not sure if a consultant is ever a necessity.

Thanks again for your input; I would love to hear other people's replies as well.

Eric

by labrat

I'm a consultant to small-mid sized companies as you are. We have only been in this business for 4 years. During that time, it has been my experience that small companies have neither the capital or need for such high availability as you define it. Redundancy is expensive but that expense can be shared. Those that really need it, 100% of business on the Internet, should contract with a third party server farm like Rack Space. Really, inspite of their size, I would recommend to all of my clients who need such high availability but could not afford inhouse expertise to contract with a server farm. As far as your role, you could certainly help them as technical liaison between their business and the service.

Bottom line, I haven't seen much need for inhouse design and support among small-mid size companies.

This discussion is closed to new replies.