Deleted Emails Or Wiped Server … Why Everybody Needs A Trusted IT Advisor
This weekend, the news was filled with articles about the difference between deleting emails and wiping a server — in reference to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary’s Clinton’s personal email account. The Washington Post article Saturday put a managed services provider in the spotlight: A spokesman for Denver-based Platte River Networks stated the company had no knowledge that Clinton’s server was wiped.
Platte River Networks, which will be represented at Business Solutions’ Channel Transitions VAR/MSP Executive Conference, managed the server that supported Clinton’s personal email account since 2013 until it was turned over to the FBI last month.
Most of the articles that followed Saturday’s news gave a brief explanation — and even some quotes about the confusion over — about what happens to files that have been deleted (which possibly could be recovered) or files wiped from a server (just about eliminating the possibility that files could be restored).
Politics aside, the fact that it’s not obvious to everyone what happens when an email is deleted or what happens when you wipe a device should also confirm that you, the MSP, the trusted IT advisor, need to tell them. If your clients’ jobs are, for example, to operate a chain of restaurants, to manage a utility company’s field service crew, or to run the administration office of a college, then their jobs are not necessarily IT, and they need your expertise and guidance.
In the Business Solutions article 4 Threats To A Managed Services Start-Up Platte River Networks revealed that communicating with your customers is paramount. The company grew when it transitioned from the break-fix business model to managed services by talking with customers, learning what their pain points are, and providing service bundles to address those needs. It’s important to have the lines of communication open to let your customers how managed services are keeping their IT systems operational and secure. Platte River Networks reiterated the importance of effectively communicating with your customers and focusing on their needs in the Business Solutions article The Secret To Double-Digit Managed Services Growth.
As an MSP, you’ve probably had calls from panicked clients about things such as the need to recover a deleted email or the need to wipe a device that was lost or stolen. Take the time to make sure your clients understand what they mean and how they work — using everyday language — so your clients can make the best decisions for their organizations.