By Mark Smith
The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.
In this episode, Mark Smith and his CleanConnect.ai co-founder, David Conley, share their story about building a new AI-software started that serves the oil & gas industry.
They share the 7-Steps to 10x the valuation of your business.
So, if you own an IT company (i.e. MSP, MSSP, etc.) and you want to learn how to 10x the value of your company, then this episode is for you.
In this episode, Colin Blair, VP of Specialized Solutions for TechData, shares his unique perspective based on talking to hundreds of partners about what is selling right now!
Here's what Colin discusses:
Colin Blair is the vice president of IoT and Data Solutions for the Americas at Tech Data. In this role, he is responsible for the sales, strategic direction, profitable growth and acceleration of IoT, big data & analytics and vertical market solutions through the Tech Data partner ecosystem in North America. Colin’s team comprises business consultants, solution architects, sales, solution development and vertical market specialists focused on next-generation technologies. Blair joined Tech Data in February 2017 upon the completion of Tech Data’s acquisition of Avnet’s Technology Solutions division.
Prior roles included vice president, Data Analytics, Cognitive Computing and IoT for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas and vice president of Global Strategic Planning, where he worked with corporate business leaders around the world to perform competitive benchmarking, conduct business modeling, forecast gap analysis and scenario planning to support corporate strategy development, operational planning and regional execution. Blair has more than 25 years of industry experience in the information technology industry and distribution. He has demonstrated success in many facets of the business, including product development, product marketing, vertical markets, business development, sales management, account development and business strategy.
Prior to Avnet, he worked for Texas Instruments and Motorola in various product development and product marketing roles in the semiconductor and telecommunications industries.
Blair holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Global Management from Thunderbird Global School of Management.
About Your Host, Mark SmithMark Smith is the host of IoT Playbook, a video podcast for the channel. Mark is also the co-founder of CleanConnect.ai, an IoTMSP specializing is AI solutions for oil & gas operators.
The whole country has been on lockdown for months and your clients & prospects are dying to get their employees and customers back
In this episode, Mark Smith, host of IoT Playbook, interviews Luis Alvarez, owner of Alvarez Technology Group, a security integrator in Salinas, CA.
Luis details a brand new business opportunity to help your clients reopen after the COVID lockdown.
This service complies with the new Whitehouse and CDC business reopen guidelines and uses camera, sensor and AI-based software solutions that any security integrator can deploy right now.
In this 30-minute video, you will discover the 3 solutions Luis Alvarez is selling right now:
Listen to this episode to explore if these services are a good addition to our line card.
By Mark Smith
Mark Smith is the host of IoT Playbook, a video podcast for the channel. Mark is also the co-founder of GatherSafely.com, a service that helps organizations reopen using cutting edge technology.
In this episode of IoT Playbook, I interview Corey Kirkendoll, who was recently featured on the cover of ChannelPro magazine.
Corey is an MSP in Dallas, TX who helps churches and cotton farmers with their IT needs, but also, has been helping them achieve amazing results by incorporating IoT into his managed service offerings.
By working with mega-churches (over 1,000 attendees), Corey has seen the merging of facilities management, physical security and A/V into his managed IT business.
This means EVERYTHING that touches the network is a managed service opportunity.
Energy-as-a-service, AV-as-a-service, video surveillance as-a-service, and more.
You’ll also hear how Corey uses IoT to help his agriculture clients, including improving the yields on cotton gins. And by helping increase yields, Corey helps them increase their revenues, which means his revenue is increasing as well.
More Info:With the COVID-crisis, the virtual workforce is expanding as most small businesses have allowed their employees to work at home. In this episode, I interview a frequent IoT Playbook guest, Luis Alvarez, an MSSP and IoTMSP in Salinas, CA.
Luis is helping his clients make the transition to working from home without compromising his managed security service stack—business has been booming. In this episode, you’ll learn the products and processes Luis is using to help his clients.
I guarantee that you’ll get dozens of virtual workforce ideas you can use in your own MSP right now. Plus, you’ll learn why Luis believes this is a key turning point for your SMB customers; many of your customers will decide to support a remote virtual workforce even after the lock-down period is over.
So, if you’re trying to figure out how to grow your own MSP and help your clients during this COVID-crisis, then click the link below to watch this episode of IoT Playbook. I promise you will be encouraged and inspired by what Luis has to share with you about what’s working in his business right now.
Going Virtual Amidst the COVID-CrisisSince the global pandemic has taken hold, the virtual workforce has expanded at a staggering rate and it continues to do so. As a result, Luis Alvarez and Alvarez Technology Group have seen one of their best quarters yet because business is booming. Since most of Luis’ clients are required to meet regulatory compliance, they must plan for different worst-case scenarios from natural disasters to pandemics. Luis and his team already knew how to handle the virus outbreak, and they also knew that the same measures could be applied to other businesses across the board.
Talk to Your MSP About All of the OptionsMost firms are not compatible with the virtual workforce because their infrastructure is not set up for remote access. Luis advised his clients well in advance to implement processes and technologies that would mitigate the challenges associated with this large scale transition. He extended service coverage to all remote employees for ninety days, and it paved the pathway for his clients to take their operations virtual. Alvarez Technology group has guided them through the pivot with a best practices framework and step by step instructions to ensure success.
Best Practices for Going VirtualAlvarez Technology Group’s set of best practices for the virtual workforce are universal. By taking the appropriate precautionary measures, your team will be able to make the most of their time beyond the office walls. He advises that employees use work-designated computers to connect to the servers safely, so new equipment is a necessity. VPNs and multi-factor authentication are critical to the security of your organization, and your MSP has to install their security software on your computers as well so they can access them. There is a lot of risk associated with taking your team virtual, but with a reliable firm managing your network, you can focus on keeping the business in motion.
How to contact Luis Alvarez:In this episode of IoT Playbook, I take you for a behind the scenes tour of my podcasting studio to look at the gear and software I use to produce the show. Many of you will be asked to host or participate in webinars, and eventually, you will want to be put on camera. Instead of using the default setup with a built-in microphone and laptop camera, you can upgrade your entire experience for a reasonable price.
Head over to podcast.iotplaybook.com to learn what I am using in my own studio, as well as some great alternatives for a tighter budget.
What You Will Learn:If you want to host webinars, create video content for your business, or even build a podcasting studio of your own, the latest episode of IoT Playbook has everything you need to know about the gear. Find out what types of software and equipment IoT Playbook uses in its studio so you can start producing high-quality content for a minimal cost.
Software (H2)“These equipment options will help you drastically increase your podcasting studio quality for whatever it is you’re trying to do.”
Podcasting Studio Hardware (H2)http://bit.ly/2UnFviW
IoT Playbook Resources: (H2)If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, wondering how to jump into an IoT service opportunity, then this episode of IoT Playbook is designed just for you. Jonathan Smith is the channel manager for Hyperion Networks, a Master Agent with multiple carriers, and plug & play IoT solutions that you can start selling right away.
Working with a Master Agent has the least barriers to entry to launch an IoT service that IoT Playbook has ever seen. Plus, you get to leverage the buying power and authority of a US-carrier, like Sprint or AT&T. If you want to start selling IoT managed services, but you don’t know what to sell, how to sell it, or how to support it, this episode will provide the answers you’ve been looking for. Just click the link below to get the IoT Playbook that will show you how to launch your IoT business quickly, even if you have no experience or startup capital.
What You Will Learn:Hyperion Partners is one of the largest master wireless mobility dealers across the nation, and Jonathan Smith serves as a director of channel development where he oversees all aspects of telecommunications; wireless/wireline, direct/indirect, and channel distribution. Working with a Master Agent like Hyperion Partners has the least barriers to entry to launch an IoT service, and it also enables IoTMSPs to leverage the buying power and authority of a US-carrier, like Sprint or AT&T. In the latest episode of IoT Playbook, Jonathan walks us through the process of working with a Master Agent and he explains how to launch your IoT business quickly, even if you have no experience or startup capital.
Join a Massive Network of Channel PartnersIoTMSPs have had a lot of success selling telecommunications solutions in a wide range of industries. But when the conversation shifted to mobile, IoTMSPs often had to direct their clients to the carriers. Now, there are turnkey IoT service solutions in place that MSPs can add to their portfolio and get comped for. Hyperion Partners facilitates this by providing new channel partners with access to a substantial product portfolio that is activating. Because of Hyperion’s massive network of partners, they can offer more aggressive pricing and better compensation that is typically only available to the major players.
IoT Playbook for Panic ButtonsAn extremely popular IoT service that is available right now are panic buttons for hotels. A new regulation was introduced requiring the installation of these devices for the safety of hotel workers. So, Hyperion Partners developed a solution in conjunction with MyDevices and their partners are taking it to market—not just in hotels, but in elementary schools, junior highs, high schools, hospitals, canna-businesses, and beyond. Partners have the support and resources behind them to execute shipping, installation, activation, and monitoring. To learn more about other opportunities you can take advantage of by working with a Master Agent, listen to the latest episode of IoT Playbook.
How to contact Jonathan Smith:There are billions of IoT devices that need to be monitored, managed and secured. And that job falls to professional IT staff or IoTMSP’s. Connecting a few home-type devices with minor interference can be done with WiFi. But, when you start scaling to hundreds of IoT devices in smart buildings, smart cities or industrial IoT, you need to look to solutions like LoraWAN or LPWAN.
In this episode, IoT Playbook interviews Albert Behr from BehrTech. BehrTech is the creator of MYTHINGS, which uses LPWAN or Low-Powered WAN to connect hundreds of IoT devices through an LPWAN gateway. Click the link below to get the IoT Playbook for connecting low-powered IoT devices over long distances with lots of interference.
What You Will Learn:After spending over thirty years in the tech industry, Albert Behr is highly qualified when it comes to judging new technology. And whether it pertains to the enterprise level or the consumer space, IoT devices, platforms, and managed services account for the largest market tech has ever seen. In the latest episode of IoT Playbook, Albert Behr of BehrTech joins us to talk about the process of networking thousands of IoT devices. BehrTech is the creator of MYTHINGS, which uses LPWAN or Low-Powered WAN to connect hundreds of IoT devices through an LPWAN gateway.
Capitalize on an Underserved MarketAny time there is a transition from analog to digital, the market experiences explosive growth. That is where we are currently at with IoT and it is the reason Albert Behr decided to build a business around IoT over any other type of emerging opportunities in the tech space. BehrTech has been in business for two years now and Albert and his team have finally sealed the certifications so they can go after the wireless IoT devices market. The wireless IoT market is critical to artificial intelligence and machine learning, so it is an enormous market that remained completely unserved until BehrTech entered the arena.
Moisture Detection Case StudyOne area where these types of IoT devices are being utilized is the commercial real estate space. BehrTech has pioneered a moisture sensing system for one of downtown Toronto’s most well-known towers, because the building was constructed in the seventies, making water leaks inevitable. The building management has to keep a team on-call to respond to these sporadic leaks, but BehrTech’s IoT technology places sensors on every floor to detect moisture before any leaks form that are visible to the human eye. They are cheap, battery-operated, and durable, creating an opportunity for BehrTech to install thousands of them throughout the building and manage them moving forward. To learn about some of the other IoT opportunities BehrTech is pursuing, listen to the latest episode of IoT Playbook.
About Albert BehrAlbert Behr is an innovator and leader focused on technology commercialization. Born in Winnipeg, Behr has been in the technology industry for more than three decades. His experience spans high-level marketing, operational, and financing roles across leading technology companies and startups around the globe.
While based in the U.S. and Asia, Behr held executive leadership roles with technology giants such as AT&T, Fujitsu, and Symantec. While in Canada, he served as chief strategy officer for BorderWare Technologies, COO of NRG Group, and senior VP for Platform Computing.
For the past 20 years, Behr has been at the helm of the technology commercialization consultancy he founded, advising more than 1,100 tech companies.
How to contact Albert Behr:IoT Playbook practices what it preaches, and host Mark Smith has officially become an IoTMSP. In this session of IoT Playbook, you will learn how to identify the top success factors in building an IoT managed service offer.
Mark Smith provides an elaborate example of how he is using the top success factors in his own IoT managed service offer. And he explains his new IoT opportunity using the IoT Playbook framework from episode six.
Head over to podcast.iotplaybook.com to learn this new copywriting framework. If you want to see how to use the IoT Playbook copywriting framework to build your offer, visit go.iotplaybook.com/offerbuilder to access the free offer builder tool that will help you quickly create the perfect IoT services offer that will convert into new sales.
What You Will Learn:Problem: Colorado’s new oil and gas regulation requires continuous methane leak detection.
Loss: Firms have to comply which would increase their costs tenfold or bring on heavy fines.
Avatar: Gas operators who want to comply with the new regulation code SB-181.
Yes: The pilot client is working with IoT Playbook on a proof of concept. They are estimating a purchase of 100 pads worth of the IoT managed service which would be a ten million dollar deal.
Business Model: IoT Playbook offers real-time methane leak detection as a service.
Offer: Infrared and optical camera pairs, AI detection and software monitoring, and integration with SCADA systems are all components of the IoT Playbook offer.
Offer Now: Presentation of the methane leak detection solution.
Kall to Action: If you are in the oil and gas space and want to learn more, visit cleanconnect.ai.
Problem: What is the number one problem you’re solving for your customers? Urgency, scarcity, and scale of the problem determine the value of your IoT managed service.
Prospect: Who is your potential buyer?
Product: What is your solution/offer stack?
Process: What is your unique process for delivering your solution? Consider branding it with an original name to distinguish it from other similar processes.
Projection: How much time, how many leads, and how many sales do you need to achieve your goal?
Plan: What is your plan to achieve all of the above?
Problem: Colorado regulation SB-181 requires continuous methane leak detection.
Prospect: Every oil and gas operator in Colorado and other states that are introducing similar regulations.
Product: Infrared and optical camera pairs, AI detection and software monitoring, and integration with SCADA systems.
Process: Design, setup, ongoing maintenance, and software monitoring.
Projection: If IoT Playbook only won business from 10% of the pads in colorado, it would still be roughly 4,300 pads.
Plan: Market to existing clients of Clean Connect because it is a sister company to an existing oil and gas automation company, partnering with the camera company, and leveraging the co-founder’s client relationships.
If you want to follow my journey with Clean Connect, visit go.iotplaybook.com/offerbuilder to access the free offer builder tool that will help you quickly create the perfect IoT services offer that will convert into new sales. I will be using numerous examples from my own IoT managed service business so that you can work through similar challenges in real-time.
IoT Playbook Resources:Experts estimate there will be 30 billion IoT devices by the end of 2020. And while each one of those devices will be generating data, most of that data will be collected in unusable, proprietary formats.
In this episode of IoT Playbook, I interviewed Michael C Skurla, the Director of Product Strategy for BitBox USA, an IoT data analytics company. Bitbox collects data from all IoT devices on a network, loads it up to a secure cloud, aggregates and analyzes the data, then transforms it into immediately usable formats.
So, if you want to learn a simple solution for monetizing IoT data, then go to podcast.iotplaybook.com, where we interview the IoT solution providers who show you their playbooks for making money with commercial IoT.
What You Will Learn:BitBox has been around since 2015 and it focuses on a unique area of IoT. This company recognized that the changing landscape of IoT is no longer about generating data; it is about collecting data and forging it into a usable form. While BitBox may sound like a piece of hardware, it is really a platform. It is an IoT device that aggregates-in everything it possibly can. It takes all of the data, moves it to a cloud platform, then organizes it into useful information so that users can mine the data easily. Mike Skurla, the Global Director of Product Strategy for BitBox USA, joins IoT Playbook in the latest episode to explain how we can monetize data from a mounting network of IoT devices.
MiddlewareIn 2020, people show up at their offices with a preconceived notion that data and IoT devices should work better together because that is what they are used to at home. But platforms have not necessarily excelled in the commercial or industrial space, and businesses are relying on antiquated systems to gather the data they need. Mike Skurla and his team at BitBox USA have bridged this gap by acting as what Mike calls ‘middleware.’ BitBox enables us to see how one system’s data relates to another and some of the largest companies in the world have already started to recognize the need for this technology.
Bitbox PlaybookMike Skurla provides us with a playbook for one of BitBox’s projects, where a restaurant chain approached his company looking to reduce its heating and cooling costs. Prior to partnering with Bitbox, they spent 6-months looking at HVAC analytics, but could not see any patterns whatsoever. Within three days of installing a BitBox at each restaurant location, the BitBox analytics engine scanned the IoT devices and discovered that the restaurants with the highest energy costs had managers who left the back door open when they went outside to smoke. That revelation immediately saved their clients 30% in energy costs.
About Mike SkurlaMichael C. Skurla is the Global Director of Product Strategy for BitBox USA, providers of the BitBox IoT platform for multi-site, distributed facilities’ operational intelligence, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Mike’s in-depth industry knowledge in control automation and IoT product design sets cutting-edge product strategy for the company’s award-winning IoT platform leading the expansion of BitBox beyond DCIM while earning industry accolades and awards. His IoT industry insight and thought leadership have led to speaking engagements and publications in top industry outlets such as Critical Facilities, OilMan, and LD+A., and appointment to the CABA Board of Directors.
How to contact Mike Skurla:The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.