Ideas in Motion: GlobalBrain Seeks to Educate and Inform Through “One-Stop” Shopping
By Scott H. Cytron, ABC
Like a trip to the super-duper store that has a pharmacy, florist and even a bay to have your tires changed while you browse the aisles, one-stop shopping is not only convenient; it’s much easier on the “brain” because every task can be accomplished in one visit.
With this concept in mind as a key differentiator between themselves and other technology consultants, Anne Stanton, MVP-CRM, MBA/ACC, and Kevin J. Tombs, CISSP, MCSE, teamed up recently to form GlobalBrain, LLC: Business Computer Solutions, a venture that provides full service computer and networking solutions, as well as global access to computer trends and information.
“Many technology companies in our area do not and can not offer a full complement of services; small business owners have to call three different companies just to set up a new office with phone, cable and computers,” says Stanton. ”In addition, local competitors do not have the resources, skills, network or demand to offer this type of total access to their clients.”
Stanton and Tombs have technology consulting backgrounds and saw an opportunity to fill a niche in the greater New England area. With an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master’s degree in accounting, Stanton is president of The Norwich Group in Norwich, Vt., where she combines technology with business skills to bridge the gap between the technologist’s focus on technology, and the business owner's focus on business needs and initiatives.
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Anne Stanton
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Before moving to New Hampshire three years ago, Tombs served as manager of the Enterprise Systems Group (ESC) for the U.S. Postal Service in Raleigh, N.C. He also served as the Business Systems architect for Tally Systems in Hanover, N.H. before Tally Systems was recently purchased by Novell for its inventory management software. He founded Summit Systems Security, LLC after becoming a CISSP, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, and now works with mid-sized companies on computer and network security.
With business growth and enabling technology as its key attributes, GlobalBrain’s offerings include networking solutions, including Microsoft Small Business Server, router configuration and setup, firewalls, and configuration assessments. Stanton and Tombs also will advise and set up phone systems, including Voice over IP, as well as provide Linux and Unix resources “for environments where having access to enterprise experience with insight into the bits and bytes is required,” says Stanton.
Two major areas of emphasis are security and application consulting. Security consulting includes risk analysis, creation of security-related policies and procedures, vulnerability identification and remediation, best practice recommendations, and system auditing. Application consulting includes higher utilization of existing applications, training and help in finding the right application and the right reselling partner, if necessary, to meet the needs of the business.
While there are many degreed, accredited and diverse technology consultants in today’s business marketplace, Stanton and Tombs truly believe they have an advantage not only over their competition, but as an adjunct to in-house technology resources.
“They (in-house staff) may be able to set up a Windows Small Business Server, but they do not have a CISSP on staff to fully secure the system or a Microsoft MVP who can serve as an expert in business consulting, accounting applications or CRM software,” says Tombs. “Businesses also do not necessarily tap into a network of resources that can anticipate problems before they occur. Take, for instance, the latest security vulnerability. Our clients were proactively informed so that they reduced downtime and expensive fix-it services.”
Unlike Tombs’ Summit Systems Security and Stanton’s The Norwich Group (independent consulting companies that still exist), GlobalBrain will resell a small subset of products and offer a bridge to other vendors offering other products.
“This allows clients to get reduced costs on the more popular products directly and access to the right solution through two degrees of separation,” says Stanton.. For example, GlobalBrain will offer the Microsoft suites of software and some of the more common anti-virus and anti-spyware solutions, including TrendMicro and AVG. In the world of accounting software offerings, products will include NetSuite, “which has started to get significant market share in the very small customer shops. We will also offer a few others that meet a high level of quality control for the smaller firms,” she says.
“Now, more than any other time in history, SME business owners need to focus on technology planning by using the right solution and risk reduction by proactively reducing risk,” says Stanton. “The number of vulnerabilities and downtime can be significantly reduced with just a little proactive work.”
She and Tombs suggest owners consider putting into place a balanced partnership and working relationship with their technology company of choice.
“Owners want to shift away from the crisis services so often offered and not just lean on break-fix work,” she says. “They also need to demand an explanation and documentation of the work being done. SME Business owners need to think about proactive prevention that helps reduce the occurrence of problems.”
The two partners have three technologies on their list as the most important for owners to consider, implement and review: security, wireless and remote access, and search and business intelligence.
“Security will continue to be a large focus,” says Tombs. “Businesses running on financial, customer and other proprietary business information not only depend on the technology tools to function, but also need their computer systems to reduce liability issues caused by leaked or stolen information. Protecting privacy and customer information is no longer a liberty; it is a requirement. In order to protect systems that hold this information, security is a key consideration for our customers.”
In the area of wireless and remote access, Tombs says companies want their staff to be able to access information from places other than their own desks. As a result, laptop use will continue to grow over desktop usage, and businesses will want their employees to access data in places like the company conference room and from home or hotel rooms. Secure remote access, including virtual private networks and remote Web workplaces, will drive demand.
The third area, search and business intelligence, will continue to be dominant and rediscovered, especially with the use of search engines, such as Google, becoming more popular.
“These will continue to be used by small business owners as they discover the ease of access to business critical information,” says Stanton. “Comparison shopping, collaboration of resources and tapping into the huge stores of data will help companies leverage information to grow stronger.”
A “fourth” area of concern for the two consultants is training and awareness, not only for the business owner and his/her staff, but as an inherent quality in the consultant the owner hires.
“To stay current in technology requires an investment of time and an open mind,” says Stanton. “There is no room for ego, and shared information among specialists is critical to stay current in the incredibly fast paced world of information technology. Consultants should participate in technology professional and user groups, be tapped in to at least a few forums of common knowledge, and be vested in continued vendor relations and training.”
About Author:
Scott H. Cytron, ABC, is an accredited communications and public relations consultant working in the accounting, health care, high-tech and finance industries. He also teaches efficient and effective writing to professional services’ groups and can be reached at scott@cytronandcompany.com or through his Web site, http://www.cytronandcompany.com.
About Column:
Ideas in Motion is a monthly column designed to focus on best practices within CPA firms and organizations involved in providing technology related services.
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