Decisions, Decisions - Microsoft, IT Expert or Google. I think I will just go to lunch…
I posted a question on one of my Linkedin groups last week. I didn’t get a single response until over the weekend. Apparently, most IT folks are too busy for social media during the work week. I guess that makes sense, as most of them that I know are often struggling to put out fires during working hours and then even beyond that.
Oh, I get it, company leadership is notorious for cutting back staff and expecting more. Not spending money on needed upgrades, so patches and fixes are the only way to keep things running. Optimized is generally something that is only dreamed of.
Yet, for the core system controlling the Windows Server infrastructure, turning a blind eye seems to be a more common position.
I just sold an old BMW Z3. It was built in 1997, so yea, it was old, with 245,000 miles on it. As an old car, and with limited funds, I would often hear sounds that were not too good. A clunk here, stutter there and then an odd whine when it started or accelerated. I could go to the Dealership, but I would have to sell my house to have them fix it! I could go to a local garage, but would they really know how to fix it? So, I often opted to fix it myself as the lest risky and cheaper method. This of course took much longer to do.
After weeks of dragging it out, because I just didn’t want to get started, I ended up doing the typical google search for how to videos. This process is educational, but extremely time consuming. I had to filter through a bunch of time wasting junk. Generally, I ended up yelling at the video as it is playing, “I don’t care about where you bought the car, just show me where the center bearing is!!” Eventually, after plodding through the stress and frustration of not really knowing if I was doing it right, I would complete the task at hand only to get in and hear an entirely new sound as I drove it around! Ugh, this stuff never ends. My solution? Sell the bloody thing!
After my post on the group page, and the responses generally confirmed my suspicions, IT Leadership and System Administrators KNOW that their Active Directory is not quite functioning as well as it should. They could call Microsoft, but just like the BMW Dealership, it will cost a premium penny. They could find a consulting company, but are they trust worthy? The general consensus was that they would just fix it themselves by doing the same thing I did for my Z3…Google it!
Unfortunately, just like with my car, it takes a great deal of time, and THIS is for folks who already don’t have enough of that. “Can you say weekend! Ah, no...”
Surprisingly, quite a few opted to just ignore the problems until they would became a critical issue and then call Microsoft when it does. And they think the garage is risky?
So, why is the consultant option, not a serious possibility? Like with my car, bringing it to an unknown garage was a bit to scary for me. I have had bad experiences after all. Consultants are the same. But how do you know who to call? Do you know anyone who has used them before? What is the risk? What are their reviews?
My company offers consulting. While we are still fairly new to this country, we do have references, though most of them are in Europe. Unfortunately, they are a bit hard to reach. So, what can I do to build trust here and now, since we are an unknown garage?
Well, I came up with the Free AD Check offer, yet very few have taken advantage of it (yet, they are references now!). Strange as that is to me, I do understand. I don’t know if I would have trusted my Z3 to a “Free Check” at a new garage. So, how do I build trust in my company? I think I will start by offering phone calls, email or Linkedin message questions for my AD experts. A simple call, or problem solved, should convince even the most doubtful, of our experience and expertise.
An on-call Active Directory Expert. Will that work? We shall see!
Oh, and my new car? I got a 2004 BMW 645ci. It drives great and looks even better. It is vastly more complicated than my 1997 Z3. Yea, now when I hear a clunking sound, I am going to find an expert, one that I can trust. When I find them, I won’t have to worry about my car again, and it won't cost me a fortune.