* Flat fee for network health, not support
Ever wondered if your computer support company works as hard and fast as possible to fix your problems? After all, the longer the service call, the higher your bill and their payment.
If the method advanced by IT outsourcer Sinu catches on, you might not have to worry about that any more. Turning the typical support arrangement upside down, Sinu provides your IT foundation for a set price per month, and it claims it will fix anything, and everything, that doesn’t work to your satisfaction.
David Owen, one of the three Sinu principals, said, “We provide and support your IT infrastructure for a flat monthly fee, with unlimited support.” The founder, Larry Velez, worked for various large enterprises until starting Sinu in 2004. His goal, said Owen, is to provide enterprise-level IT services to small business users.
Small businesses don’t often see the level of technical support provided at large companies. When employees start at a large company, a configured computer awaits. Their e-mail, network file storage and backup systems are in place. If they have a problem, a tech comes immediately. The user can’t use “bad computer” as an excuse not to work, because someone else takes care of all the problems for them.
Sinu believes it can deliver that level of support to small businesses because 80% to 90% of small businesses use the same type of technology. The company developed a Linux-based server platform which it installs and manages remotely, and provides a hosted Exchange e-mail server for each customer. A contract network of several thousand techs around the country provides the hands-on service needed for installation and any follow up visits.
Owen said that it is in Sinu’s best interest to provide solid infrastructure because if it breaks the company is committing to fixing it for free. Even when it comes to wiring: “If they commit to us, we’ll get the best wiring contractor in the area to wire it properly.”
If your server breaks, the company replaces it, no extra fee. And if you outgrow your server, the company says it will add new hard disks or upgrade the server for free.
Sinu charges $125 per user per month. Owen said, “We charge about the same as one hour of support. For 20 people, we cost around half as much as one mid-range IT person as an employee.” That’s about right, because 20 people means $2,500 per month, or $30,000 per year. Can you hire a full time employee to do your own network installation and support for $60,000? Maybe. Will that one person bring, free, a file server, hosted e-mail service, automated backup, disaster recovery, antispam, antivirus, mobility tools, and remote network connections between offices? Nope.
In essence, Sinu bets you $125 per user per month the network foundation it provides will work. If it doesn’t work, the company claims it will fix it, no matter how extensive or expensive. If it does work, then you forget your technology issues and focus on your business.
“A few companies have come and said we just got funded, and we need computers in a week,” said Owen. “We worked out what they needed, ordered the gear, installed it when it arrived, and got everything going.”
Sinu has about 50 clients ranging from five to 200 people, almost all professional organizations that value employees, said Owen. “Entertainment, consulting, design, architecture, and nonprofits are a huge category. Others include boutique investment banks, real estate firms, investment firms, and even small retail chains.”
What do all those companies have in common? They need technology to run their business, but the important assets are employees and data. The company handles the employees, and Sinu handles the data network. Most customers are in New York, but they also support companies in Washington D.C., Miami, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
About a year ago, I wrote “FileEngine Changes the Server Rules” about Kim Brand and his company that puts free hardware into small businesses and just charges for the file server, backup, and support. It charges $235 per user per month, total, and that includes all service and support. Sinu expands on that idea by including all the rest of a company’s network and devices under their service umbrella.
How about PC support? “We would like to provide hardware as a service as well,” Owen said, “but Dell and HP don’t have a good concept of this idea.” He’d have to add $20 or more per PC per month, but that would include a new PC every few years. Would your company sign that deal?
Personally, I believe services like those offered by Sinu and FileEngine make sense for many small businesses. As Owen said, quoting the Sinu Web site, “When IT companies get paid to fix problems, they can’t really be expected to prevent them.”
Are you ready to pay a flat fee per month for the guarantee your technology works? How much would you pay to make your technology invisible so you can focus on your business?
