Where is the future of computing?
Discussion
So what do we forsee as the future for computing/networking? I'm curious as to how people see IT developing over the next few years in terms of support. As I see it desktops are going to become more and more intelligent with an increasing degree of "phone home" maintenance.
So where does that leave the IT engineer? Is there a future in it or have we reached a similar position to where TV engineers were X years ago?
Where are the growth areas and which parts of the network engineers skill set do you see becoming redundant?
Is there money in computer recycling?
So where does that leave the IT engineer? Is there a future in it or have we reached a similar position to where TV engineers were X years ago?
Where are the growth areas and which parts of the network engineers skill set do you see becoming redundant?
Is there money in computer recycling?
Sold my support company end of last year and really glad I did.
Machine prices were getting to the point where any repair wasn't viable on labour alone.
The software is getting more and more reliable and user friendly. Will it all end up web-based, with issues solved remotely?
Apple started to design their machines so end users could repair and diagnose faults. A series of LEDs told them which part to replace, pretty much making us obsolete.
Obviously there's always going to be someone that needs help, but I wouldn't build a business of career around it.
I'd akin them to video repair shops. Once a great buiness, but as soon as they became disposable...
Machine prices were getting to the point where any repair wasn't viable on labour alone.
The software is getting more and more reliable and user friendly. Will it all end up web-based, with issues solved remotely?
Apple started to design their machines so end users could repair and diagnose faults. A series of LEDs told them which part to replace, pretty much making us obsolete.
Obviously there's always going to be someone that needs help, but I wouldn't build a business of career around it.
I'd akin them to video repair shops. Once a great buiness, but as soon as they became disposable...
It's a good question, and I don't think there's much of a future in support or installation. When I started out, you actually had to know what you were doing (a bit) to get a room full of PCs to talk to a Netware 3.1 (or even 2.12) server. Now it pretty much all just works out of the box.
A level above that (maybe Exchange or SQL Server or the like) still needs a bit of skill but gets easier with each generation, and I think you need to go to a level above those (stuff like clusters and SANs) before you get to anything that is as difficult as basic networking was fifteen years ago.
As for recycling, not sure how well Alan Sugar's Xenon Green thing is going?
A level above that (maybe Exchange or SQL Server or the like) still needs a bit of skill but gets easier with each generation, and I think you need to go to a level above those (stuff like clusters and SANs) before you get to anything that is as difficult as basic networking was fifteen years ago.
As for recycling, not sure how well Alan Sugar's Xenon Green thing is going?
I seem to remember that the Xenon Green thing is quietly being shelved, tbh. From chatting to our chaps who do the same thing, economies of scale are everything. We have a number of large central Govt outsources, as wel as a bunch of LA and quasiGovt outsources. All of these are a captive market for us, so our recycling lot do quite well. This, of course, reduces the market for blonde types who are daft enough to do Syed 
Hosting. Hosting. Hosting.
IT support is going the way of the dogs, and you better be trained in the art of Terminal Services if you want to stay within the fold.
Nobody wants to pay out on CAPEX and as such the benefits of hosting (DR for example) far outweigh the benefits of the monthly ongoing costs. Seeing as many build it into their overheads, it pretty much reduces their spend anyway.
Never mind the fact that if they host, they can get shot of their network admins.
I'm doing myself out of a job at the mo by outsourcing everything here, and moving them slowly towards a terminal server based working style.
Edited to add: I'm thinking of jumping out of IT and retraining into something else - I'm not sufficiently specialist enough in anything to sink my nails in anywhere. So I'm off to the States in construction
IT support is going the way of the dogs, and you better be trained in the art of Terminal Services if you want to stay within the fold.
Nobody wants to pay out on CAPEX and as such the benefits of hosting (DR for example) far outweigh the benefits of the monthly ongoing costs. Seeing as many build it into their overheads, it pretty much reduces their spend anyway.
Never mind the fact that if they host, they can get shot of their network admins.
I'm doing myself out of a job at the mo by outsourcing everything here, and moving them slowly towards a terminal server based working style.
Edited to add: I'm thinking of jumping out of IT and retraining into something else - I'm not sufficiently specialist enough in anything to sink my nails in anywhere. So I'm off to the States in construction
Edited by neil_cardiff on Tuesday 17th October 11:12
magic torch said:
Sold my support company end of last year and really glad I did.
Machine prices were getting to the point where any repair wasn't viable on labour alone.
The software is getting more and more reliable and user friendly. Will it all end up web-based, with issues solved remotely?
Apple started to design their machines so end users could repair and diagnose faults. A series of LEDs told them which part to replace, pretty much making us obsolete.
Obviously there's always going to be someone that needs help, but I wouldn't build a business of career around it.
I'd akin them to video repair shops. Once a great buiness, but as soon as they became disposable...
That's (sadly) what I'm thinking.... If I knew what I know now on the London jolly I would have bent your ear a bit more Machine prices were getting to the point where any repair wasn't viable on labour alone.
The software is getting more and more reliable and user friendly. Will it all end up web-based, with issues solved remotely?
Apple started to design their machines so end users could repair and diagnose faults. A series of LEDs told them which part to replace, pretty much making us obsolete.
Obviously there's always going to be someone that needs help, but I wouldn't build a business of career around it.
I'd akin them to video repair shops. Once a great buiness, but as soon as they became disposable...
Back in the days of NW 3/4X PC's didn't accidentally connect to networks, you actually had to know how to make one work.... And getting a CNE seemed hard work at the time. Shame it's a redundant qualification these days.
I've just spoke to a mate who is manager for a large IT group... Their PC's are taken away for free so I don't see much future in that either just yet.
There's some room in schools for desktop rollouts for the time being but that doesn't bring in stream revenue....
I'm thinking of continuing with support using remote technologies so I don't have to travel but are people still buying maintenance contracts?
The fact that I'm being made redundant confirms my suspicions that it's quiet! but is that a result of a quiet market or the fact that the company I work for has never actively marketed the software/server support side of the business.
BliarsGoing said:
There's some room in schools for desktop rollouts for the time being but that doesn't bring in stream revenue....
My experience and that of most people I talk to that have had any involvement with schools is that it's a complete nightmare. They usually ask the earth and pay a pittance, far too much,' ohh can you just fix this or how do I do that...'
TheExcession said:
Rob,
Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
Are you me? I'm mulling over the idea of setting up something to do with sex as that's an industry that always sells. It's just finding a gap in the market as every man and his dog is doing it.... No pun intended!Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
BliarsGoing said:
TheExcession said:
Rob,
Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
Are you me? I'm mulling over the idea of setting up something to do with sex as that's an industry that always sells. It's just finding a gap in the market as every man and his dog is doing it.... No pun intended!Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
Plenty of gaps if you know where to look
Sex sells, no doubt, but finding origional, appealing content (and more specifically the t4rts to do it!) is still v.hard in the UK (hence the gap!)
But would you really want to be around sex all day? imagine how much time you want to spend in front of a PC after working on one all day in the office..
There is a growing market of home users with faulty PC's who dont know what to do. I have an endless stream of friends machines to look at form usually one of the following reasons:
1. The bloke at the call centre in india just keeps telling me to reboot it
2. Im not paying PC world £200 just to look at it/I got ripped off by PC world last time not going there again
3. I dont trust these people that avertise repair services in the paper
4. My brother (aha) may have been looking at some dodgy sites I dont want anyone to know
Funny thing is nearly all problems (say 90%) can be fixed by removing norton and/or adding more memory.
The remainder are either user error (oh should I have not pressed yes to delete everything) or out of date/crappy drivers.
Rarely takes me more than an hour to put a PC right / make it run a lot faster.
So I see an ever expanding market here but how to make them pay ? For a while I operated a call out and fix service for PC's but never made enough money t make it worthwhile.
1. The bloke at the call centre in india just keeps telling me to reboot it
2. Im not paying PC world £200 just to look at it/I got ripped off by PC world last time not going there again
3. I dont trust these people that avertise repair services in the paper
4. My brother (aha) may have been looking at some dodgy sites I dont want anyone to know
Funny thing is nearly all problems (say 90%) can be fixed by removing norton and/or adding more memory.
The remainder are either user error (oh should I have not pressed yes to delete everything) or out of date/crappy drivers.
Rarely takes me more than an hour to put a PC right / make it run a lot faster.
So I see an ever expanding market here but how to make them pay ? For a while I operated a call out and fix service for PC's but never made enough money t make it worthwhile.
bigdods said:
For a while I operated a call out and fix service for PC's but never made enough money t make it worthwhile.
Another big problem, increased traffic and fuel costs. Even at £100 - £150 and hour for call-outs, which the general public wouldn't pay, it still wasn't worth it.
magic torch said:
BliarsGoing said:
are people still buying maintenance contracts?
Yes, but the main problem I found was that they weren't using them, and hence unlikely to renew. They'd take their chances on an ad hoc call-out, knowing that you were probably quiet anyway.
YHM.
The problem with callouts is they all come at once and then you're sat around scratching your tail... I need a source of stream revenue
Edited by BliarsGoing on Tuesday 17th October 13:39
JamieBeeston said:
BliarsGoing said:
TheExcession said:
Rob,
Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
Are you me? I'm mulling over the idea of setting up something to do with sex as that's an industry that always sells. It's just finding a gap in the market as every man and his dog is doing it.... No pun intended!Why not just set up some porn sites??? Still gotta be loadsamoney in that I reckon....
Plenty of gaps if you know where to look
Sex sells, no doubt, but finding origional, appealing content (and more specifically the t4rts to do it!) is still v.hard in the UK (hence the gap!)
But would you really want to be around sex all day? imagine how much time you want to spend in front of a PC after working on one all day in the office..
What sort of restrictions are there in the UK? I have considered selling products rather than just piccies as there's plenty of free stuff already out there to satisfy the one handed typists...
Edited by BliarsGoing on Tuesday 17th October 13:42
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