Think Globally, Act Locally

My last post dealt with the idea that the little guys would drive innovation and technology in the new economy. I think there is sufficient evidence to support that claim. But one of the great challenges to any new technology or service is the ability not only to market and sell the solution but to implement and ultimately support the solution throughout it's lifecycle.
Certainly I am an advocate of SaaS, ASP, Wed 2.0, Cloud Computing... based largely on the fact that support moves away from the user and into an environment where the expertise is abundant and available. As we move further down the road of the large companies retreating from direct local support of customers, the issues around implementation and support will only become more apparent.
How does an enterprise respond? It doesn't look like adding staff is going to happen if you look at the job reports. Calling a contact center and struggling with language barriers may be acceptable for minor issues, but I'm convinced that the best way to deal with these kinds of issues is to find a trusted local VAR, Integrator... These folks can essentially be part of your staff. But they get paid by the vendor of the solution you are acquiring.
What about the manufacturer, software company, or service provider? I can tell you from the many client I have in this arena - they realize that they too need these local VARs and Integrators. An example is SIP Trunking. A very cool VoIP service that can save clients a ton of money. Think Vonage for Business. The problem is how do the SIP Trunking providers get the solution implemented? Who can do that? One of my clients tried to implement it on their own, only to spend as much engineering time implementing and supporting the solution that the costs advantages disappeared.
So let's look at the latest craze - getting everyone's medical records available online. There are obvious cost benefits to the entire health system from providers to payers to consumers. President-Elect Obama would like this to happen in the next 5 years - with staggering costs to implement these EMR/EHR systems.
There are some tremendous solutions out there to help facilitate this move. The ones who can maneuver through the implementation and support barrier will have a great advantage. Obviously, those platforms that are supported in the cloud, will lead the way. But EMR/EHR systems can be very complex and almost certainly will necessitate the need for local expertise.
My Take:
if your an enterprise, a clinic, practice - start asking around and searching for a local resource you can trust. Meanwhile there are some great web-based solutions out there to help bridge the gap.
If you’re a solution provider, make sure you have a network of partners to support your business plan.
If you’re a VAR or Integrator - get up to speed and recruit best in class solution providers.