Service Providers Books

I purchased this book, as I want to change my business model, from Break-fix to Managed Services. I read it from cover to cover in a few days and now I am listening to the Audio CD in the Car. It is THE best book on Managed Services that I have seen. The CD is packed FULL of templates and documents you can use to get you going .. so there is no excuse

If there is only one thing you do today.. BUY THIS BOOK

So many pages and so little time yet this book is easy to read. How he manages to keep the flow on what could be a very dry topic moving along at such a fast pace is amazing. Don't be fooled though. You'll be referring back to this book as your business morphs and you're ready to tackle each piece of the MSP puzzle. Each element is well thought out and walks you through the process of implementing a managed services offering to your clients based on value. We all dream about getting our clients to understand the value that we bring to their business. Erik shows the way to make that dream a reality.

As an E-Myth/Gerber fan, I consider Erick's work an "E-Myth for IT Services". It will get you thinking about your business as a business and it provides a roadmap to get where you need to go.

Making the transition from working in to working on your business is the most powerful thing you can do to put more money in your pocket. Do it now. Buy this book!

The contents of this book contains valuable information if you are thinking of getting into managed services. If you include the contents of the CD, it is absolutely invaluable.

I am a business owner interested in the Managed Services market space. I have read so much about Managed services but have not found a step by step guide on how to implement the managed services business plan or sell those services to clients. What I needed were step by step guides on both the topics. I was introduced to Erick's books by another associate. This book and "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" by Erick were exactly what I was looking for. Erick is not just a subject matter expert in Managed Services but has practiced and implemented his teachings and recommendations. He explains several key concepts and best practices on Managed Services, Deliverables, Pricing, How to identify clients, sell, support and maintain the services and build a long term win-win relationship with the clients. The coverage on How to Hire and Train your sales staff is worth its weight in gold. Included along with these 2 books are several forms, analysis tools and documents which make the sales process a whole lot easier with predictable results. These are the bibles for my managed services business and I refer them frequently. If you are serious about building a profitable managed services business, you must have these books.

This is an excellent book, plenty of information and very well written, covering every aspect of a FreeBSD system.

I am a big fan of open source software. I've been a GNU/Linux user for years but I must admit I had never played with BSD before. I bought this book because I wanted to set up a network server at home and I thought it was the perfect occasion to try FreeBSD. I expected one of those thick and boring reference books but, hey! I am very glad I chose "Absolute FreeBSD" because it is the perfect example of how write a clear, informative, nice and accurate technical book. The book is not for the absolute beginner but, in general, it's very easy to read. It should be self-explanatory to anyone with a little experience in networking, UNIX-like systems or, in general, computer science.

The author is a FreeBSD developer himself, so he talks about the inner workings of the FreeBSD community, providing an interesting point of view of the operating system, not only as a regular user but also as one of its "insiders".

The book covers everything a BSD system administrator should know. It covers basic things like how to install the system, how to make backups and recover from data loss, how to configure the network, disk management, etc. It also includes detailed explanations and sysadmin tricks of the usual network services: DNS, SSH, DHCP, FTP, printing server, web Server, mail Server... The author also gets into more advanced topics like, kernel tunning, security, performance analysis and tunning or RAID management. I was particularly interested in using hard disk encryption. I thought getting it was going to be a pain in the neck but the book explains how to do it with 6 simple commands. Nice!

In general the book is well structured. Concepts are explained clearly and with a lot of examples. Some chapters cover so many concepts that my brain couldn't keep up with so much information and I had to take a break for a nice beer ;-) The book is worth it's price: 37 dollars for 700 pages.

Only one advice: Although it has a graphical interface, FreeBSD is normally configured trough the good old command-line. Don't expect this book to tell you how to configure your web server double-clicking on an icon, FreeBSD is not Ubuntu or Win2003. The book may not be suitable for Happy Windows Users, used too the click-next click-next click-next way. This book is for computer geeks, system administrators, people that enjoy using different operating systems, people that need to have a robust system to use as a network server, people that like to tune every detail of their machines, or people that need to learn freeBSD and have no time to google every single configuration detail. For any of those people, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Janet!
This is the first time ever using nearlymintcollectibles and I was so pleased with the condition of the video. It was in perfect condition. And, I received it within days of ordering it.

This book is worth every dollar.

Easy to read, you don't need to be already an experienced administrator or user to read this book

'Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD' is another hit in the No Starch collection of books which have their own unique layout and style of writing associated with the authors publishing with them. With around 700 pages of content you will learn the ins and outs of this Unix-like operating system and see how powerful it is and what it can do for you. If you use FREEBSD on the job or are just a tinkerer that plays with non Windows/Mac systems this will enable you do do administration, learn to programmatically script, and get behind the curtain to do more than you thought possible! If you need a FREEBSD book, No Starch makes learning FUN and it's a great addition to your library!

***** RECOMMENDED

not so clear to follow. Author get into many details at some points. 3 stars

I have never wrote a review before but had to with this book. Of the 3 wi fi books I bought here, this one stood apart from the others. Especaily if you are looking to scale up from 1 or 2 user networks.

I checked it out at the library to get a better understanding of the WiFi technologies and how they can be deployed. As a new marketing executive for a WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider), I found the information easy to comprehend with enough depth to allow a non-technical person like myself to actively participate in highly-technical meetings. I immediately added it to my Christmas wish list.

I purchased this book for a good in-depth overview on the 802.11x protocol. It went above and beyond my expectations. Clearly explained topics and well written chapters come together for one of the best technical books I have read to date. Excellent coverage of the RF properties of 802.11x.Covers all the areas one must consider if building a WLAN, WWAN, or WMAN. This book really opened my eyes to the potential of wi-fi and its applications, I especially appreciated the authors inclusion of various economic aspects in the book. i.e potential for profit in WISP industry, and cost/efficiency analysis of wired VS. wireless networks.

I recently bought this book after I borrowed it from my local library. I tried to find it a second time, and it's always checked-out in all four branches of our library system. The call number is 004.678 OHR. Out of all the 802.11 books, this is one that is the most packed with the real information you need to install an 802.11 network - antenna theory, how to do site surveys, how networks connect together, how to do an as-built. The book also describes how to debunk and overcome the perceived barriers that keep people from using wireless - security, interference, regulatory issues... If I was to recommend one single book on 802.11 to anyone, this would be the one. It definitely earns its five stars.

Why someone didn't think of this 100 years ago, I'll never know. Before making a 5-7 figure investment in your home, you'll never spend [your money]wisely.

I became addicted to the 1st edition of this guide book last Christmas. A temperature check of interior design and architecture, and an unrivaled resource for the more mundane (however talented) window washers and plumbers -- The Franklin Report offered good sport and hard information. So I was pleasantly surprised to find a brand spanking new NYC edition has hit the stands. The most noticeable difference this year is that the understated almost medical-journal like cover has been replaced by an equally elegant yet more consumer friendly facade. I liken it to the new twenty-dollar bills. Inside, the book is about a hundred pages longer, including an index that makes a name-search a million times easier. To my delight, every entry has been rewritten and customer comments expanded. And while the design establishment pantheon hasn?t been rewritten, every category in the report offers some great new finds to choose from. Looks like I picked the wrong year to stop studying up on designers!

Thanks!

This first rate book not only provides authoritative guidance on household services, it also provides very practical and informative advise on how to deal with the service providers and scope out the jobs involved. To have a rating for all relevant aspects of a renovation/price, quality and reliability, makes this effort very instructive.

This is truly a welcome compendium for New York City dwellers.

I have often wondered why this guide did not exist. You select a restaurant, you have a guide, you select a hotel, you have a guide -- you select an electrician and you end up with the guy with the biggest ad in the Yellow Pages. By definition, the guy with the biggest ad also is probably the most expensive -- he needs to work at least two jobs a day to pay his Yellow Pages bill.

This book finally give the consumer a leg up -- separates the pros from the inept. The research is top rate -- who does all this leg work? Certainly will become the bible -- now if only they will do a guide for my summer house locale. . .

Once you discover this book, you wonder how you ever lived without it. It fills a real need for any homeowner or renter who will ever need to find a professional to fix up their home or just to fix (repair, clean, install, redo) something in it. I got my Franklin Report a few weeks ago and already have answered a desperate friend's cry for help about who to call to get a dining room chair fixed in time for a Christmas dinner. The book is surprisingly entertaining, and has an informative section for each specialty that helps in choosing a service provider and negotiating the work agreement. It also has that all-important but very hard-to-find information about pricing.

Every home should have a copy. I'm giving it to my friends for Christmas this year. I know they will thank me!

Cisco ISP Essentials is the ideal book for those responsible for ISP networks, whether big or small. The authors mix in practical examples, along with industry standard methods to describe ideal network setups.
The book follows a logical step by step look at ISP networks, first by examining basic router setup and maintenance. Here topics such as memory and backup issues are discussed. The wonderful thing about this book is that it covers in detail many books simply leave out and unnecessary. There are detailed examples of the Network Time Protocol and configuration management. Along with the how, is the very important why for the various techniques.
In the routing protocols section, most of the space is dedicated to BGP, as would be expected in a book dealing with ISP networks. The authors did not forget about internal protocols and laid a foundation for the rest of the book. There is in depth coverage of BGP setup, and the various features and setting to further enhance your network based on its requirements. Examples are provided to show actual running configurations proving the practices out.
Security is a hot topic right now, and it seems to not receive as much time in its chapter of the book. What you will find however, is the constant minding of security issues throughout the rest of the book. Securing routers and routing protocols is followed by discussions on ACL's and network filters. Every area of the book touches aspects of security at some point.
The fifth chapter is entitled Operational Practices, and takes the detailed ideas presented so far, and applies them to actual situations seen on ISP networks. The chapter starts with design ideas, and follows with discussions of ISP services such as DNS, Mail, and News. A detailed discussion of IPv4 addressing covers the basic structure of addressing history. There is a detailed example of an allocation plan for an ISP's needs, as well as any customers. It shows the steps to plan for the present as well as future growth in your network.
There follows an extensive survey of external routing topics. A few examples for interior protocols are given, but the main topic is exterior protocols. Scaling route protocols is discussed for both interior and exterior protocols. This talk leads in to peering practices involving BGP. Multi-homing is the last topic covered, and is done in great detail. The authors describe the various options available for stub networks, single and multiple ISP connections, as well as load sharing designs.
Here again security and the management tasks talked about in earlier chapters are placed into the ISP network and their use described. Tools and sample configurations follow in appendices to wrap up the discussion on best practices.
Overall, the detailed examples and well thought out explanations of the various practices will serve your ISP for a long time.

Good work and a must have for people dealing with networks daily.

I totally agree with the other reviewers. Reading this book is an enjoyment.

Better yet, this book has both to-the-point explaination _and_ example on all topics.

I would say, if you wanted to learn tricks to doing things, this is for you. Don't forget this book concludes with full examples/templates showing how people configure their ISP core and edge routers/switches.

What I love about this book is both the way the authors explain complex technologies simply and also (and more importantly for me) add a very real-world/practical slant to everything. Not much more I can say except do yourself a favour and buy this book.

Written especially for network engineers by Cisco experts Barry Raveendran Greene and Philip Smith, Cisco ISP Essentials is a 428-page, matter-of-fact, "access friendly" guide to the many versions of Cisco IOS Software, and cogently explains how to ensure the best configurations that provide Internet access, as well as having a reasonable expectation of security. Offering a wealth of detailed technical information at the expert level, configuration diagrams, examples, and much, much, more, Cisco ISP Essentials is an indispensable and recommended guide, serving the Cisco using community as a much-needed supplement to the often confusing documentation of the Cisco IOS Software itself.

The continuously expanding need to economically move large volumes of data at faster speeds presents formidable challenges to both engineering and business professionals. Understanding Broadband technology and deciphering its complex technical principles is an arduous task in a dynamic and evolving environment. Mr. Louis has once again put together a technical guide that provides an excellent roadmap to better understanding of the Broadband arena. Since the superhighway of projected Broadband ventures is lettered with failure, this most recent "Crash Course" is an important tool for the arsenal of any remaining entrepreneur attempting to succeed in Broadband deployment. ....and once again, all in easy to read/understand presentation.

This book provides valuable insight into the Broadband arena. P.J. Louis has clearly articulated his vision of the future of fiber and wireless. Whether or not one agrees, he earns respect for taking a strong position and defending it with plentiful detail. Louis is clearly a teacher whose aim is to inform and educate with this book. Business leaders would do well to read this before leaping into investments in this area. The book provides a significant level of knowledge to assist in making informed business decisions.

This book is an excellent and unbiased technology assessment for the broadband market, without all of the technical hype and marketing rhetoric. Moreover, the timely interjection of business considerations throughout, reminds the reader that technology and business are not mutually exclusive - only a technically sound and financially prudent solution will be successful. Mr. Louis breaks down the attributes and capabilities for each of the available and emerging broadband technologies in such a way, as to provide the non-technical reader with sufficient understanding to make sound business and investment decisions about the plethora of broadband technology options.

This book will prove invaluable in bridging the communications gap between the "technologists" and the "financier" - a communications gap that, in today's telecom world, has left many bankrupt entities wonder why?

Once again Mr. Louis is right on target both with the emerging Broadband technology subject & the manner in which he describes it. As a telecom industry principal consultant with CommFlow Resources Inc.,this book is a welcome addition to my library. The book is an extremely easy read & speaks with the language & insight of the people working within the industry. This book will be referenced often as a foundation on Broadband knowledge as well as a marketplace development guide. I eagerly await a next publication from Mr. Louis who has his finger on the pulse of technology.

The book provides the business professional with an understanding of the entire spectrum of Broadband technology. This is not an engineering textbook, but a book designed to provide the business reader with a foundation for understanding a very complex technology. Mr. Louis de-mystifies the subject and is able to describe both the technological and business aspects of a very complex topic.

I found the book refreshing in its easy to read and conversational tones. It makes great reading on a cross-country flight. I recommend it to anyone needing an overview of the Broadband arena.

During the extreme stress of preparing for a deposition, my lawyers prepared me for the facts, but not the technique. The examples and philosophy and clarity of writing in this book were INVALUABLE to me. I also found it to be helpfully in dealing with the tremendous emotional impact of the litigation.

A MUST for any physician, whethering facing a lawsuit now, or the inevitable lawsuit in the future.

When you are deposed for any matter it is like going back to the age of the Inquisition.Anything you say rigth or wrong can be use against you,or worse against an innocent bystander.If you go to a deposition(and you know when & where)without reading this book first.YOU ARE A FOOL AND YOU WILL BE HANG.

As an attorney who has represented clients on both sides of the proverbial isle, I plan to have my clients read this book before any deposition. Dr. Uribe sucessfully demisifies this process for the non-lawyer and makes it understandable to those who do not think like us. I believe this book gives several useful tools to help those not trained in the law navagate a difficult and stressful experience. Excellent work!

I was given this book as a gift. It is entertaining as well as informative. This is a must-read for anyone in the health care profession today.

Well structured and excellent all round book on hosted applications covering: the motivations for outsourcing; what application service providers (ASPs) are all about; ASP types, services and techologies used. Also good sections on ASP security and strategic analysis of ASP types. Writing quality is good. The author knows his subject and text is well edited. Overall, a very useful guide to what the ASPs are all about and a comprehensive introduction into the challenging world of the ASPs.

A wonderfully thorough examination on one of the most important themes facing tech-companies today! This book has it all; economics, strategic marketing processes, lucid observations and an incredibly learned analysis. I am stunned. Factor is hands down the world leader in ASP knowledge and a prophet in sizing up its future importance in the tech world. Read it!

This book is essential reading for all stakeholders in an ASP scenario: providers, clients, and investors/venture capitalists. The reasons for this bold statement are:

- PROVIDERS: Chapters 3 (Understanding ASP), 5 (Network Computing and ASP Architectures), 8 (ASP Security Services), and 10 (ASP Enabling: Requirements and Fulfillment) cover the critical success factors that the ASP needs to ensure, as well as gives a good overview of what it takes to frame a value proposition to potential clients.

- CLIENTS: Chapters 2 (Why Companies Outsource), 3 (Understanding ASP), 6 (ASP Types and Services), and 7 (Managing ASPs) show what to expect from an ASP, how to determine if outsourcing to one makes business sense, and how to effectively manage an ASP after the contract is signed.

- INVESTORS/VCs: Chapters 1 (The History and Evolution of Outsourcing and ASP), 2 (Why Companies Outsource), 4 (Taxonomy for ASP Economies), 9 (Strategic Analysis of ASP Types), and 11 (The Future of ASP) make a compelling case in favor of investing in an ASP, and how to properly evaluate proposed business models.

To be sure there is a lot of overlap of material that will be of interest between and among the stakeholders cited above, but the chapters I cited will be the ones that each should read first. What makes this book so valuable is the panoramic view of the ASP industry, and the level of detail that each topic is given. The author knows his stuff, and, more importantly, knows how to clearly communicate it.

If you are among the stakeholder groups cited above this is the single most informative book on the topic to date.

Sharp, concise, cutting edge. This book is the first of it's kind (may we hope for more?) and will guide and support you in your IP Services endeavors.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for this topic, and being the first book of its kind, it is quite timely.

This book is a gem for anyone marketing and developing IP products / services as it covers the process from concept, feasibility, business plan, and technical considerations.

The case studies included also earn the authors practicality points, since they have been able to deliver experience to us readers, having the big time hands on that they have shared.

By the way, in case you have a chance to hear author Monique Morrow speak to Telecom and IP professionals, check her out - her "stage presence" is worth the time and admission...!

Computers and Internet service providers (ISP) are an integral part of nearly every aspect of modern life and business. In ISP Liability Survival Guide, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Counsel for MCI WorldCom Timothy Casey brings to bear his expertise and experience to provide detailed explanations on the varying laws governing networking and the Internet, and how their technical features impact running a liability-free ISP. He offers critical considerations for adopting effective policies and procedures for effectively structuring an ISP operation. He also gives valuable insight into contracting with users, vendors, as well as sales channels to accommodate the laws and maximize ISP profitability. ISP Liability Survival Guide is critically important, crucial, essential reading for anyone charged with operational responsibilities for providing ISP services in today's technologically driven communications marketplace.

ISP Liability Survival Guide written by Timothy Casey is an excellent guide for ISP's to follow in order to run an effective service and remain within established industry standards of practice and the law. This book will help ISP's to sort through all the existing laws, regulations, policies, and issues and help them to determine which ones apply to them and how applicable ones should be enforced through their services.

This book provides an excellent treatment of handling intellectual property issues. Trademark, copyright, patent, and domain name issues are big today. ISP's will receive a mini-course in dealing with them. What is a trademark? What is a copyright? What is fair use? What constitutes infringement? What are the implications of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)? What is the ISP's liability? How does an ISP respond to a complaint? It's all covered here. ISP's will appreciate the advice on handling reported incidents of alleged infringement.

ISP's face a number of other serious threats to their services. Some of these are caused by the conduct of their own clients and sometimes through the efforts of outside parties looking for ways of expanding their reach. ISP's must keep up on gambling, pornography, spamming, spoofing, cookies, fraud, defamation, libel, and child privacy issues. This book will educate ISP's about these troublesome issues and provide them with strict guidelines that will keep them operating on the strait and narrow.

ISP's receive advice and instruction on other matters such as planning, establishing, and enforcing policies and terms of service. They will also benefit from the number of actual case studies that reveal how various laws, regulations, policies, and court decisions have clear implications on how they should conduct their own services. This is must reading for any ISP and company who wants to do things right!

Timothy Casey, a senior VP for MCI WorldCom, transmits executive-quality knowledge in "ISP Liability Survival Guide" for a panhandler-level price. Despite the fact that he is what we techies would probably call a "suit," his writing is relaxed, anecdotal, and even humorous. But don't let his conversational writing style fool you; he is a MAJOR player in this industry. As a corporate executive and quasi-ambassador, Casey is a kind of Internet lobbyist. He has been immersed in virtually every state, federal, and international regulatory craze, preventing the regulators from turning the Internet as we know it into one great big cluster... (I hope I'm not the only one who still uses that phrase from Clint Eastwood's 'Heartbreak Ridge.') After reading the book, it kind of amazed me that he would disclose as much useful information as he does for the relatively small cost of this book. Other prominent Internet-lawyers-turned-writers charge literally five times as much, and you get less useful stuff and more legal jargon. And even if you enjoy being ripped off, no one has written a book of this type yet! Casey covers every aspect of Internet law that affects ISPs and similarly-situated e-businesses and customers. If anyone has read about the richness vs. reach debate (Evans and Worster, "Blown to Bits"), you will know what I mean when I swear that the info in this book is extremely rich. I love this book, and it still amazes me that in an industry where information is our chief commodity, Casey is giving away so much rich knowledge, practically for peanuts.