The Future of IT

There are many predictions about the future of technology and how it will affect organizations, IT departments, and technology providers. After reading one such prediction (How to Prepare for Corporate IT's Changing Job Market) the question was asked: Is this just a Chicken Little moment or is this really going to be happening?

If only we had a crystal ball... Here are my thoughts, for what they are worth:

10 years ago I looked at my business model and realized if I didn't change what I was doing, I would die. My main bread and butter came from building, selling, and repairing computers. Two problems: 1) I simply could not compete with Dell, Gateway, and Wal-Mart on price. Why buy a computer from me for $1,200 (remember those days?) when they could get the same thing from a big-name for $900? 2) Back in the days of Windows 3.1 you better have yourself a really good technician. But as technology advanced, it got easier and easier to use. Technology was quickly trending towards easier to use and cheaper to buy. My prediction at the time was this: computers will eventually become disposable. Like a TV, we will buy them, plug them in, use them until they break, and then buy a new one.

So I was confronted with the fear that I soon would not be able to make money selling computers, and soon would not be able to make money fixing computers. Today, I do still sell computers (sometimes) and I do still repair them. But these two concepts are certainly not the core of my business any more. I can tell you this much: if I had ignored the information and continued doing exactly what I was doing, I would be out of business.

Today I think we are again facing a drastic, frightening, imminent change. I can't begin to comment on the numbers, the statistics, nor the intricate details of what will happen in the next 5 years. But I know absolutely that it will not be the same as it is today. So all that being said, here are my thoughts:

The cloud is real and it is changing the way we do business. It will impact all businesses, it will turn IT departments upside down, and without some brilliant innovations it will destroy the mom-and-pop computer shop. Why? Because cloud-based infrastructures are supported from within. There are no in-house servers to buy, install, and maintain.

The tablet and smart phone will kill the PC. We are becoming more and more mobile. Why be tethered to a desk? I catch myself sitting in front of my computer at my desk, checking email on my phone.

If all this holds true, then the whole corporate infrastructure goes away. No servers needed, it's all in the cloud. Phones and tablets run on the cell phone network, no more need for in-house cabling or even in-house Wi-Fi.

So what do all of us technical types do? We adjust. The cloud is real, and it's not made up of water vapor. It's made up of racks of servers. Someone has to take care of those servers.

If everyone moves to mobile 4G (or whatever comes next) then the system will have to be ramped up. That won't happen on its own.

As for application development, all of this change just means we need all the more up-to-date applications.

I don't think there's a need for panic. The sky is not falling. But things are certainly changing. The way I see it is we have two choices: 1) bury our heads in the sand and hope everyone else was wrong in their predictions, or 2) watch the changes like a hawk, make career adjustments where needed, and stay one step ahead of the pack. Once the migration/exodus begins, it will be too late.

5-Year Warranty

While big-name manufacturers are forcing their customers to purchase their so-called warranties, we have decided that enough is enough.

How often do you hear these familiar words while paying for that new electronic device: "Would you like to purchase our 3-year extended protection plan?"

My unwavering reply: "Nope!"

"But sir!" they always push back [usually in a whiny, almost condescending voice], "if it breaks… [insert long sales pitch here]"

"If I don't buy your protection plan, how long is the regular warranty?"

Answers typically range from 3 – 12 months. My last TV had a 12-month warranty…. It died 12 months and one week after we bought it. I guess I should have bought the extended warranty, huh?

But this is where my blood starts to boil. These manufacturers and large retail chains know exactly what type of equipment they are selling. They know how they were made, where they were made, and with what quality of components. They know the statistics of how many units will be defective right out of the box (DOA), they know how many will fail within the first 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. So armed with that knowledge, what exactly are they saying when they only offer a 90-day warranty? Even if they offer the holy grail of warranties (a full 365 days), they are clearly stating that they do not expect a significant number of their products to last beyond that first year. Or at least that is the message I hear when the clerk looks down his nose at me and asks if I want to pay more than the sticker price that's already breaking the bank.

Asking me to pay for an extended warranty sends this message: The manufacturer, as well as the retailer, knows full well that the device will likely break and they are not willing to cover that expense. It used to be that a manufacturer would proudly stand behind their product. Those days seem to be well in the past. Now they want the customer to "stand behind" the product. The customer gets to shoulder the cost of the warranty. Really?!

As I find myself competing with big-name computer manufacturers, I'm always on the lookout for ways to distinguish myself. Obviously I cannot compete with their resources, and their sheer size puts me to shame. But here is something I can do. I can carefully select quality components with a proven track-record while building MC-brand computers. I can put my own neck on the line when things go bad, which in turn will further motivate me to weed out the lower quality components and select only the best-of-the-best.

So with all that being said, Master Computing makes the proud announcement that we are now offering a 5-year warranty on all house-brand computers. What could be better than that? Well, let me tell you. Not only does this new warranty apply to future purchases, but we will also retroact it so that all computers purchased since January 1, 2011 will automatically have their warranties extended.

New Office

We are excited to announce the opening of our new office and workshop in Corinth, TX! 
Opening February 1st, 2011

1402 North Corinth Street
Suite 216
Corinth, TX 76208

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Viruses and Malware – Part 1

Where to begin…? This topic deserves a book, or perhaps a collection of books. But somehow I hope to provide some useful, consolidated information without getting too technically involved. We'll start with the basics: definitions. We hear many different terms (which are often misused), and it can be useful to know what they all mean.

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Malware: Short for malicious software, malware is an all-encompassing term for any software that does bad things without your permission. Malware comes in many flavors, including the following –

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Computer Virus: A computer virus, like its namesake, is contagious. Similar to biological viruses, computer viruses typically attach themselves to a host (program) and modify that program to suit the needs of the virus. It can and will spread from one computer to another. The spreading of computer viruses typically happens via email or infected websites. Back in the day, you had to click something or download something to become infected. Today all you have to do is view a website or email and you can become infected.

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Worms: Worms are similar to viruses in that they reproduce themselves. Unlike a virus, a worm does not need to attach itself to a host-program. Worms find security gaps in other computers on the network and send copies of themselves without any user intervention. Generally speaking, worms target network infrastructures and viruses target individual computers and files.

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Trojan Horse: Think Greek Mythology. This is malware that is delivered under the guise of legitimate software. It comes in many forms, including the infamous email attachment, "free" software downloads, ActiveX controls on websites, less-than-legal music/file sharing networks, etc. Trojans can also be viruses, finding ways to self-replicate. Their mission: gain control of your computer and use it for any of the following – distribute spam, steal your credit card information, watching your computer screen, destroying data, etc.

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Spyware: No surprise here; spyware is designed to spy on you. Usually the goal of spyware is to collect information about your Internet browsing habits which is then used for targeted marketing purposes. Spyware can go beyond gathering personal information and actually interfere with your ability to control the computer. For example, if you attempt to visit an anti-malware website, you may be redirected to another site, thus preventing you from removing the spyware. It commonly comes as a Trojan in the form of Internet Toolbars or file sharing applications such as Kazaa, etc.

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Adware: Adware is annoying but generally harmless. However, it is often bundled with the more intrusive Spyware. Its objective is to display targeted advertisements, usually in the form of pop-ups, generating revenue for the bad guys who built the adware. Not all adware is malware. Some legitimate organizations use adware to support otherwise free software. Recently, Microsoft began distributing a free version of Office (Office Starter Edition) with new computers. Aside from some feature limitations, the only catch is that you will see some ads rotating on the lower-right side of the window. The ads are mostly about upgrading to the paid version of office. It's legitimate, there is no spyware, and it lets you use the program for free. This is the only version of adware that I have ever endorsed in my life!

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CrimeWare: This is very similar to spyware, but specifically designed for identity theft. Crimeware allows the bad guys to steal bank account information. Unlike spyware, crimeware is typically very targeted and will appear to come from someone you know as an email attachment. These guys first learn who you are, then use personal information to gain your trust. After they manipulate you into installing their malware, they steal user names and passwords to financial websites. With access to your online accounts, they can drain your account in seconds.

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Rootkits: In an attempt to keep this article from being too technical, I'll just say that rootkits allow bad guys to get "root" or privileged access to a computer while bypassing much of the Operating System altogether. If you want more technical information on Rootkits, I will refer you to Wikipedia, the source of all wisdom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootkit. Removing a rootkit typically involves completely erasing the hard drive and reinstalling all programs.

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Are we having fun yet? Just writing this stuff makes me want to throw my computer out the window and go back to the stone ages. There is no way to sugar-coat this: there is a lot of bad stuff out there. Unfortunately, going back to the stone ages isn't really an option for most of us. So, now what?

In Part 2 we'll discuss preventive measures that can be taken. Yes, it's ugly out there. But armed with a bit of knowledge, we can fight back!

Tomorrow

This post is supposed to be a look into the future. The problem here is that I am a dreamer. I like to set goals sky-high. When I talk about all the possibilities that the future holds, my sweet wife just rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

So as I considered what to write here, my vision of the future of Master Computing, I decided I would do my best to keep my wife from rolling her eyes at me. I won't talk about my plans to top the Fortune 500 list and have enough employees to fill my own personal high-rise. But I will talk a little about loyalty.

I have observed, and read about, many organizations that do very well growing and expanding. But sadly, as they grow, the greed seems to get completely out of control. Executives are turned into celebrities while those lower on the totem pole are mistreated and looked down upon. Benefits are cut, wages are cut, pay raises go away, bureaucracy thickens, promises are broken, and loyalty evaporates. Even if it is technically possible to make this model work (for a time), I despise this way of doing business.

I don't have a crystal ball that shows me the future (if only!), and so it is difficult to say what I will be able to offer employees as the company grows. But this much I can promise: I will not roll around in piles of money while my employees struggle to pay the bills. In fact, there have been times in the past, when times were tough, where my employees actually took home a bigger paycheck than I did. That doesn't bother me one bit. I want my employees to feel appreciated. I want them to understand the value of their contributions. I want their loyalty, but I plan to earn that loyalty through my example of loyalty to them.

Not everyone is a perfect fit for every organization. As I move forward growing Master Computing, I will be looking for those people who are a perfect fit. I will do my best to find the right people for the job; for the company. And as I find them, I will treat them well. I will earn their trust and loyalty. Then, together, we will grow an organization that will stand. An organization that will excel. An organization that we can all be proud of. Glad to be a member of the team, willing to make sacrifices at times for the good of the group, but always knowing that those sacrifices are recognized and appreciated.

Today

Turns out I picked a great time to start my new blog (sarcasm intended). Not that there would ever be a good time, when I just have nothing to do. I'm writing this post at my Father-in-Law's house in Reno, NV. We just drove 2,000 miles, kids and all, from Texas to Reno as we set out on our end-of-the-summer family vacation. We decided to drive instead of fly, and take some time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Stops included the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, a quick drive down the Vegas strip, and several other less well-known detours. The kids have done great, considering the fact that we drove for three solid days. Early on in the drive, we all agreed that it was so much fun that we will never fly again. I'm interested to see if we still feel that way by the time we are finished (two weeks and 4,500 miles).

OK, so I'm on vacation and still I'm working. My excuse is that it's 6:30 AM local time so nobody is awake yet, but its 8:30 AM according to my internal clock, so I can't sleep. I suppose the real reason is that I can't ever take a true vacation. I can't ever get my mind completely off of work. In fact, I'll still be answering phone calls while I'm on the road and dispatching technicians as needed.

I admit that I'm still trying to find my "blogging voice" here. I don't want this to be an ongoing sales pitch for the company. In fact, my real goal is to write things that will be useful to the average business owner or executive, having to do with computers and technology. These first few entries are going to be a bit more of a personal introduction, but if you stick with me, I promise to make the content less about me and more about you, the reader. Of course, in order to facilitate that goal, your feedback is crucial. Please let me know when I get off-topic. Tell me if what I write is useful. Let me know if you think I'm wrong. Argue with me if you feel the need.

In my last post I gave a personal history and a bit of background on Master Computing. Today I want to elaborate on where we are today and what we have to offer the community. In my next post I'll talk a little about how we see the future.

In order to explain my personal philosophy on running a business, I have to start with all the what-not-to-dos I see on a daily basis. When was the last time you had to call "customer service" at a bank, a phone company, a government agency, or any other large, well established organization? How many times were you transferred to yet another robotic agent who was simply reading a script, telling you, "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience"? How sorry were they? My favorite rebuttal to that line is: "yes, I'm sure you're going to lose sleep over this tonight!"

Well, the reality is that I do lose sleep over upset customers. I don't care how "insignificant" (I use that word sarcastically) a customer may be to the bottom line, I want them to feel as if they are my single most important customer. Customer service, real customer service, is my first and greatest priority in running my business. Nothing irritates me more than a company or organization who loses sight of the fact that their customers are actually people. People with real needs, real concerns, real problems. Sure, we are all in the game to make money. But isn't there an inherent, moral obligation to take care of those whose money it is that keeps us afloat? Doesn't the very fact that they are a customer at all, earn them the right to be treated like royalty, and not like a number? Yet many organizations do even worse, treating their customers like a problem, like a thorn in the side. I believe in treating all customers like friends, like part of the family. Ya, that sounds a bit cheesy, but it's how I feel.

Getting beyond the how we do business, let me wrap this up with an explanation of what it is that we have to offer. Computer shops are a dime a dozen. There is no law governing who can and who cannot call themselves a computer tech. You don't have to pass a bar exam, there is no college degree required, there are no mandatory background checks. For this reason, I am very big on certifications. They aren't government regulated. In fact, they are typically regulated only by the associated manufacturers. But they at least show that someone took the time to study a specialized subject well enough to pass a rather brutal test. These certifications weed out the wannabes. My technicians are required to be certified. I may hire the right person before they obtain their certs, but in order to stay with me, they have to be actively working in that direction. A discussion of what these certifications are and which ones we obtain is a bit beyond the scope of this post. I may revisit the subject at a later date.

I think I'll wrap this up with a few comments about money. We all want to save money. We want quality products and services without paying a fortune. But cheap can be a disaster. One of my favorite things to say is: "You can spend a fortune being cheap." Allow me a quick personal example (true story). I buy my kids cheap shoes to save money. They wear out in a few weeks. I repeat the process. Then I tried an experiment and I spent twice as much money for each pair of shoes, which end up lasting three times as long. So it costs me less money to buy more expensive shoes. So how does this apply to computers? I don't really know if it does, except that I do not compete to be the cheapest computer shop in town. This isn't Walmart! If you want cheap, go to those geeky guys at the retail shops. I focus on quality. I like the job to be done right the first time. Or better yet, I like to identify potential problems before they take you down. I hire good employees and I pay them well. But at the same time, I know that times are tough right now. It is imperative that I find a way to provide quality service at a reasonable price. Not cheap, but reasonable. I do this by offering unlimited tech support for a low monthly fee. This keeps the income steady for us as a company, allowing us predictable cash flow. It also acts as a form of insurance to the customer, eliminating those huge bills when something goes really wrong (and things will go wrong!) while providing consistent, proactive support and ongoing maintenance to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

So that's us in a nutshell: 1) Striving for perfect customer service to even the "smallest" customer; 2) Well qualified, certified technicians; and 3) Predictable expenses and reasonable prices. These are our core values and will not change. Tomorrow we hope to grow, expand, and improve. But we will never change who we are today.

Master Computing – Version 2

The Blog.  Where to begin...  I guess I will start with a personal introduction and history of the company.

My name is Justin Shelley.  I am happily married with four children. As of this writing, the kids range in age from 4 to 13. My first introduction to computers was with the Apple IIe. While most kids my age used their computers for video games, I wanted to take it apart and see what all the circuit boards looked like. My father added a modem, a second floppy disk drive (5 ¼ baby!), a dot matrix printer, and many other state of the art peripherals. I was fascinated with all of it, and instantly addicted. When I wasn't admiring the innards of the machine, I was learning to program in BASIC. I guess I can't really say I had no interest in video games, since I did program my own very cheesy version of Space Invaders, which I played on occasion.

So now I am officially locked into the "geek" category, I suppose. I guess that would be compounded by the fact that I have little interest in sports, I play the Piano, I enjoy going to the symphony with my wife, and socially I am a bit reclusive. That being said, I can't stand the use of the term "computer geek" or "computer nerd". I think these terms are degrading and rude when applied generally. I have no idea why someone would want the word "geek" as part of their company name!

Besides, I don't fit perfectly into the geek group. I never played D&D. I hate video games. Never watched Star Trek. I prefer contacts to glasses. I enjoy the outdoors, guns, 4x4 trucks, camping, and I absolutely love motorcycles. I grew up on dirt bikes (starting with a 50CC Honda Mini Trail when I was 5 years old). I had my first street bike when I was 15 (a Honda CB550-four). And my all-time favorite was my Vulcan-88.

Enough about me.

I started Master Computing back in 1997 with a small "office" carved out of my bedroom.  It was just me and my good friend, Brian.  I knew there was plenty of work out there for those who were willing to pound the pavement. I was young, full of energy, and determined to conquer the world. So after purchasing a few business contact lists, I sat on the floor on one side of the room, while Brian sat on the floor on the other side of the room, and we started dialing the phone. "Hi, this is Justin with Master Computing. Can I talk to someone about your computers?" We would call all day until someone said yes. Then we would excitedly jump into the tech-mobile (Was that geeky? It sounded a little geeky. Crap!) and race off to the rescue of our new-found customer.

At times we went door-to-door and once in a while even sent out a direct mail piece. We spearheaded a couple different projects, like RenoMall (semi-successful for a time, then not so much). Slowly but surely we began to lay a foundation. All this time, I was still trying to put myself through college. But as the business began to shape up, I faced a harsh reality: I didn't have time to be serious about both the business and school. I had to choose one or the other. There are plenty of times when I think back to that decision and wish I had stayed in school, but I was too starry-eyed to quit now, so I dropped school and dove head-first into Master Computing.

Soon we moved out of the bedroom and into a small office down town. As things got busier, I suckered my sister into coming to work for me as my bookkeeper. Then, for a time, her husband helped me out running data cable. I hired various technicians as the workload increased (some were better than others), and eventually we opened a second location. My father, brother, and various cousins joined me at one time or another, making it a true family-run business.

By this time, we had two locations, 10-ish technicians, and customers which ranged from schools districts to hospitals, banks to libraries, attorneys, CPAs, Real Estate agencies, and more. Things were going great, with an even better outlook. But then came trouble. I hate to admit it, but I wasn't at all prepared for the bomb that hit our economy. I found myself smothered by overhead, buried in bills, and a customer base that dropped out from under me by about 70%. It devastated me financially. I cut costs everywhere I could, tried desperately to find new markets to break into, and eventually had to let most of my employees go. Telling them that they no longer had jobs was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. These were more than employees; I considered them to be friends. Just like me, they had families to feed.

For quite some time, I struggled to keep the business alive, working once again out of my home (this time I built an office in my garage). I dabbled in other markets, such as phone systems, automated reminder calls, website/database programming, etc. They all brought in money, but it was never enough. I eventually had to look for outside employment.

So that was Master Computing version 1. Today I am well into the process of rebuilding the company: Master Computing version 2, or MCV2 for short (What? Ok, fine. A bit geeky. Shut up, it's a computer business!) Besides, who's really going to read this post? I never say any of this out loud. We are still just Master Computing to the public. If you do read this, keep it quiet.

I am determined to build the company up better this time. Lessons learned: Stay out of debt! Pay as you go. Plan for the worst. Work for the best. And keep those costs down! For that reason, I am still operating out of a home-office. Not my first choice, but since all of my work is done on-site or behind the scenes, I absolutely do not need a storefront or public presence (yet). The day will come, but not before it is soundly justified. Because the DFW area is spread out, and I live in Denton, we have a "virtual" home in Flower Mound at a place called SmartOffice. There we can camp out, use the conference room, meet clients, or just grab a cold coke.

For the time being, we can get by with one full-time and two part-time technicians. My wife helps out with the books, and I work long days. But again, this is the rebuilding phase. We are once again pounding the pavement. The economy is (hopefully) moving back in the right direction. We have some new ideas on how to keep costs low for our customers (see our main website for more information about unlimited service plans). And most important, this is my passion. Not only will we rebuild, but we will reach new heights.