Am I really the first to suggest a SageTV HD200 with SageTV Media Center running on his server box? Full 1080p BluRay rips stream seemlessly over a wired connection.
I run a small consulting firm in the midwest and we've been on the other side of this issue for as long as we've been in business. What it comes down to is integrity. While we would NEVER consider stealing from our clients or any of the other things you have mentioned, we know what our competition is and we have an idea of what they are capable of. Some of our clients are even competitors with each other and while it can be tricky at times to deal with both sides, I'm fortunate to say we handle each instance with professionalism and integrity. I know it sounds pretty pious of us to say we are above such things mentioned in your post, but we have a business to run (even more so in this economy). Our clients and their business operations have always come first and will continue to come first. Shady business practices will bite you in the long-run for sure, if not immediately in the short-run.
We are fortunate to obtain all of our new clients through referrals. So Client A recommends us to Client B. Now that means Client A has really already vouched for us and our services. So as soon as we step in the door for Client B, trust on some level is already there. This is a tremendous benefit for us and one that not everyone can claim they have. So the long and short of it is, get a refferal if you can. That way you can verify from someone you already trust if they out-sourcing company is a good fit for you. As for the remote administration, a lot can be said of the IT consultant who shows up when you have a problem and has a physical presence. It sets clients at ease and even though it's more work in some cases, I think it continues to pay off. There is a happy medium to be found in remote admin and on-site service. Any company that tries to rely on just one will find themselves unable to compete due to unmanageable costs (heavy on-site) or unhappy clients going elsewhere (heavy remote admin).
For the hard drives, take them apart and remove the magnets. Then use them on your refrigerator; they will be way better than those wussy ones you have on there now. Nothing beats seeing your wife/significant other trying to move one and needing two hands to do it.
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Am I really the first to suggest a SageTV HD200 with SageTV Media Center running on his server box? Full 1080p BluRay rips stream seemlessly over a wired connection.
I run a small consulting firm in the midwest and we've been on the other side of this issue for as long as we've been in business. What it comes down to is integrity. While we would NEVER consider stealing from our clients or any of the other things you have mentioned, we know what our competition is and we have an idea of what they are capable of. Some of our clients are even competitors with each other and while it can be tricky at times to deal with both sides, I'm fortunate to say we handle each instance with professionalism and integrity. I know it sounds pretty pious of us to say we are above such things mentioned in your post, but we have a business to run (even more so in this economy). Our clients and their business operations have always come first and will continue to come first. Shady business practices will bite you in the long-run for sure, if not immediately in the short-run. We are fortunate to obtain all of our new clients through referrals. So Client A recommends us to Client B. Now that means Client A has really already vouched for us and our services. So as soon as we step in the door for Client B, trust on some level is already there. This is a tremendous benefit for us and one that not everyone can claim they have. So the long and short of it is, get a refferal if you can. That way you can verify from someone you already trust if they out-sourcing company is a good fit for you. As for the remote administration, a lot can be said of the IT consultant who shows up when you have a problem and has a physical presence. It sets clients at ease and even though it's more work in some cases, I think it continues to pay off. There is a happy medium to be found in remote admin and on-site service. Any company that tries to rely on just one will find themselves unable to compete due to unmanageable costs (heavy on-site) or unhappy clients going elsewhere (heavy remote admin).
For the hard drives, take them apart and remove the magnets. Then use them on your refrigerator; they will be way better than those wussy ones you have on there now. Nothing beats seeing your wife/significant other trying to move one and needing two hands to do it.