Techniacl Focus

Nortec’s primary success formula is being great consultants by focusing on a relatively narrow band of information technology. We focus on network infrastructure and corporate communications and specifically around four key partners: Microsoft, VMWare, Symantec and ShoreTel. This focus allows us to hire and develop the best professionals and go deeper into these technologies. We specifically focus on the following solutions: Exchange and Email Archiving, Windows Server, System Center, Virtualization, SANs, Backup and IP Telephony.

Nortec does work with a broader set of technology around infrastructure that includes switching and routing, security, web servers, SQL, and SharePoint. This is where Nortec and many consulting companies and individuals are challenged as to where do they draw the line on their skill set. When do they stretch and when do they hold the line and say “I am not the professional for this work.” This is a harder decision if you have a client that knows you are great at what you do and encourages you to stretch.

The key for staying focused is having a clear knowledge of current skills and vision of skills to be developed. When there is an opportunity to stretch, only stretch to the extent it fits in with the vision and development plans. Great technical professionals have figured this out. They know exactly how far they can stretch and avoid putting themselves or the company in a bad situation. They do stretch and when they stretch they put in the extra hours preparing and make sure the stretch is not a leap they cannot handle.

Information Technology is extremely dynamic so updating and developing skills is extremely important for a successful professional. At least once or twice a year an IT Professional should reflect on their current skills, update their vision as to where they are going, and create a plan how they will get there.

Getting Away

I just returned from a camping trip with my extended family on the French River in Canada. We paddled down the French River in canoes about 6 miles. We camped in tents for three days with no email, phone, electricity, or even running water! It was really getting away. I camped away in the wilderness as a kid but this is my first canoe trip and first remote camping trip as an adult with my kids.

The experience of paddling for four hours was great. The campsite worked out really well with a 10 ft. rock to leap off into the water – my son’s favorite part of the trip. We had some fishing and great weather - 70s pretty much the entire trip.
Remote camping is like going back to primitive life style and somehow is appealing. The kids certainly love it! I highly recommend the getting away part. The family bonding from this kind of adventure is great. Oh, did I mention the French River is beautiful?

So, take vacation, really get away, enjoy your family, disconnect from the rest of the world and decompress for a few days. It’s as good as it gets!

Refining Business Model

Nortec is now in our 20th year and it looks like it will be a good one. I am afraid to get overly optimistic with the economy and markets just recently improving. Many companies are showing good results and have used the difficult times to make the hard decisions on how to run a leaner business. Business leaders are not in a rush to add non-revenue producing overhead. The result is businesses are creating a more successful business model!

A successful business model is the silver bullet! Ok, it is not a silver bullet; I just wanted to say that! A successful business model is one of the key success criteria and something that business leaders need to continually analyze to try and find ways to improve. Otherwise, you could end up with “bullet ridden body syndrome” - essentially a business with so many holes, there is no hope. If the business model is broken it does not matter how much business you bring in and how great of work you perform you will just create more of the same problem and this is usually in the form of losses.

I used to think that scaling a low profit or break even business model would get the economies of scale and then somehow the business would go through metamorphoses with the result of a thriving well established business at the other end! This is the model that you sometimes see venture capital drive businesses toward. In some ways it makes sense, as you need a minimal size otherwise profit is not material. If you can pull this little maneuver off great! The challenge is that driving profit in a larger organization is not really any easier and may even be harder. Figuring this out and driving a profitable business in every stage ensures that the discipline needed is in place and the model works. Then the questions become: 1. Will the business model scale? 2. Will the business grow?

Cloud SaaS Growth According to IDC

IDC is predicting Software as a Service (SaaS) segment of cloud computing to be $40.5 Billion by 2014. This reinforces the high growth expectation of cloud computing.

"Figuring out how to find and capitalize on the enormous cloud services transition is the number 1 strategic goal of most IT product vendors," according to Robert Mahowald, research vice president of IDC's SaaS and Cloud Services practice. "Cloud represents both a tremendous challenge and potentially an opportunity to align with partners, create new capabilities, move into new markets, and define new leaders."

The expectation is that most software vendors will be looking to sell a cloud solution first in 2014.
“Worldwide Software as a Service 2010–2014 Forecast: Software Will Never Be the Same” by Robert Mohowald:

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=223628