The Opposite of Say-Do

by Alex Repola

I recently went through the process of planning a wedding, something that is very special and will be remembered by many as one the most important and pivotal times you will ever experience in your lifetime. The dress, the location, the weather, the flowers, the food, the music, and don't forget the cake; weddings are remembered for different reasons by each person.

Leading up to the wedding, something that was very hard to ignore was the level of follow-through and communication by some of my vendors. You would think that within the wedding industry there is extra attention put on every little detail and if something changed it would be communicated, not true. I can think of a handful of things before the wedding that could have gone a lot smoother had the vendor or individual simply communicated with me. Even if the issue could not be avoided, had the vendor communicated with me about it and options for moving forward, the outcome would have been much different. This is the opposite of Say-Do.

In the service industry, specifically the IT support industry, communication between the IT company and the business owner is close to non-existent. Follow-through can be seen in the same light, easier said then done.

When it comes to IT support here in Colorado, specifically along the Front Range, QeH2 is setting the standard. We are setting the standard because so many other companies in the area are dropping the ball, and business owners think that is normal. Lack of communication and any sort of ownership when dealing with an outsourced IT company is unacceptable. Before the conception of QeH2, the four owners saw an opportunity to provide CIO level Denver IT support to small-to-medium businesses in a way that no other Denver based IT support company was. The model was built on two words; Say-Do. If we say we are going to do something, we actually do it. We are not afraid to communicate with the client and we leave that line of communication wide open, all the time. QeH2's level of detail and ability to follow-through is no match for your current Denver IT support company. We do things better, faster, more efficiently, and continuously raise the bar.

If you are tired of paying for crappy IT support, give us a trial run. We have a proven track record of success with all types of companies and we want to add you to the list of companies who are no longer struggling with all that's wrong with IT.

10 Tech Certifications That Mean Something

Presented by TechRepublic


1: MCSE

The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification suffered a bad reputation several years back when numerous people were memorizing the answers to exam questions from “brain dumps” posted by test-takers on the Internet and obtaining the certification without any real understanding of the technology.

Microsoft responded by replacing the knowledge-based multiple-choice questions with a variety of performance-related scenario questions that make it much more difficult to cheat. The difficulty level of the questions was escalated, and the number of exams required to obtain the certification was increased to seven.

The MCSE has consequently regained respect in many corners of the IT support community and is a useful certification for demonstrating your expertise with Microsoft server products.

#2: MCA

In addition to making the MCSE exams more difficult, Microsoft has created many new certifications. The Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) is the premiere Microsoft certification, designed to identify top experts in the industry. To obtain the MCA, you must have at least three years of advanced IT architecture experience, and you have to pass a rigorous review board conducted by a panel of experts.

There are a number of MCA programs. The infrastructure and solutions MCA certifications cover broad architecture skills, but there are also more technology-specific programs for messaging and database skills. There are currently fewer than 100 MCAs in the world, making this an elite certification.

#3: CCIE

The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is widely recognized as one of the most difficult to obtain (and expensive) IT certifications. Like the MCSE/MCA, it’s a vendor-sponsored certification, focusing on Cisco’s products.

The CCIE requires that you pass both a written exam and a hands-on lab. To sit for the written exam, you must pay $300 and choose from one of several tracks: Routing and Switching, Security, Storage Networking, Voice, and Service Provider.

You must pass the written exam before you’re eligible to take the lab exam. This is an eight-hour hands-on test of your ability to configure and troubleshoot Cisco networking equipment and software. The lab exams cost $1,250 each. This does not, of course, include travel expenses that may be necessary since the labs are conducted only in certain locations.

As if all that weren’t enough, you don’t get to rest on your laurels after obtaining the certification. CCIEs must recertify every two years or the certification is suspended.

#4: CCSP

Another Cisco exam that’s popular with employers in today’s security-conscious business world is the Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP). It focuses on skills related to securing networks that run Cisco routers and other equipment.

You’re required to pass five written exams and must recertify every three years by passing one current exam. Before you can take the CCSP exams, you must meet the prerequisites by obtaining one of Cisco’s lower-level certifications, either the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or the Cisco Certified Internetwork Specialist (CCIP).