Brian Sherman Posts

 The Final Day at MSP University Bootcamp As the MSP University Bootcamp (part of this week's CompTIA Breakaway event) in San Antonio came to a close, healthcare IT took center stage between an interactive panel of practice and technology experts, and a presentation from HP. Complementing both of those sessions was a presentation on developing a motivating sales compensation plans that will help you meet and exceed your business goals. Chris Mertens, Vice President of HP PSG US Healthca ...

Between managed IT services and the ever-changing needs of business customers, a switch to consultative sales is increasingly important for today’s solution providers. In a highly interactive discussion during CompTIA Breakaway, a packed room of solution providers quizzed the expert panel on transitioning to the new sales philosophy.Joining session moderator Tricia Wurts, President of Wurts & Associates, Inc. were well-known and respected industry veterans: Bob Penland, CTO of TruMethods, LL ...

Partnering with other services providers can be a very beneficial process for all companies involved, if mutual projects are properly designed and executed. Collaboration requires not only a commitment from both partners, but the processes and support in place to ensure the relationship (and task) is a success.In today’s opening presentation at the MSP University Bootcamp, Shari Marion-Hoff outlined key statistics and best practices for successful collaborative projects. According to the CEO of ...

With incentives up to $44,000 for physicians that implement EMR (electronic medical records) in a “meaningful way,” the Federal stimulus program has created quite a buzz in the IT channel since its passage. The ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), which provides additional Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for physicians that implement the records technology in their practice, creates new opportunities to solution providers to discuss business process improvement. ...

The CEO track at MSP University’s San Antonio meeting kicked off with a discussion on leadership development with Lee Ellis, founder and president of Leadership Freedom. The retired U.S. Air Force Colonel (pilot and a Vietnam P.O.W) shared lessons he learned from years of management and consulting, as well as solid advice for the IT executives in attendanced at the breakout session at CompTIA Breakaway.Leaders must assess their individual abilities to direct and inspire others, understanding bot ...

It’s been a few years since “Managed Services” was introduced to the IT channel in mass, with several experts suggesting that product sales needed to vanish for the new business model to be successful. Despite that claim, many providers discovered that their customers still wanted them to help select and deliver their technology. The reality is, many VARs had been successful in becoming the true trusted advisor to their clients and walking away from an area where they need support just doesn’t m ...

Every couple of years a new focus seems to envelop the channel, with managed services and cloud computing getting a majority of the buzz until earlier in 2010. Healthcare IT is all the rage in the industry and, like the two previously mentioned topics, there’s a real business opportunity behind it.  When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February of 2009, it set the wheels in motion. Approximately $17 billion was set aside as incentive payments to en ...

 “May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future,” remains one of my favorite quotes of all time. The author is unknown, but it truly summarizes the wishes of most 12 year olds. While I’m still waiting for my own personal jet pack to be delivered, new and  innovative technologies are introduced to the masses each and every day. Imagine running into a time traveler from 1970, visiting  the local electronics store for the first time in 2010. There are a host of things he wouldn’t recogn ...

Despite the occasional news report of a major cloud outage, there is no shortage of demand for SaaS offerings these days. If you pay attention to social media sites and other online communities/message boards, you likely think the majority of technology users are logged into a cloud solution on their iPad or netbook. Truthfully, there is a great deal of progress to make before we reach that point in web-application delivery (although Apple would surely want it now), but what’s fueling all this g ...

What if a construction company decided to repeatedly add new floors to a building without reviewing the strength of the current structure? The potential for a major catastrophe (collapse) will escalate exponentially with each new block or board added to the infrastructure. That’s why they test and evaluate the current situation (building) before designing the next steps. The same philosophy should be applied to a business’ financial situation; get a full evaluation of the organization’s fiscal m ...