Partner model
How partnership actually works
Subcontracting engineering only works if the trust questions are settled before the first ticket. This page answers them in the same order partners usually ask: how we engage, how we bill, whose brand is on it, and what stops us from competing with you later.
Engagement models
Three ways to work with us
Most partnerships start with a block of hours and grow into project or retainer work once the relationship has been tested on something real.
Block of hours
Best for: Testing the relationship, or unpredictable escalation volume
Prepaid hours drawn down against ad-hoc work. No monthly commitment, no minimum term. Most partners start here because it costs nothing to have available and proves the relationship on a real ticket.
- Hours purchased in advance and drawn down as used
- Covers escalation, troubleshooting, and short advisory work
- Usage reported so you can rebill accurately
- Converts naturally into a retainer once volume becomes predictable
Fixed-scope project
Best for: Migrations, builds, assessments, and anything with a defined end state
A written statement of work naming deliverables, assumptions, client responsibilities, and hours — the same structure we use on direct enterprise engagements. You get a fixed number you can price against with margin.
- Deliverables and acceptance criteria defined before work begins
- Assumptions and client responsibilities stated explicitly
- Change orders for scope movement, agreed before the work happens
- Documentation, runbooks, and knowledge transfer at closure
Monthly retainer
Best for: Ongoing ownership of a technology your bench does not cover
We become the standing team for a defined technology — Linux patching, backup administration, identity operations — with coverage windows and response targets written into the agreement.
- Defined coverage window, including 24/7 where the service calls for it
- Service level objectives written into the statement of work
- Predictable monthly cost you can build into your own service pricing
- Named engineers who learn the estate rather than rotating strangers
Ground rules
What we commit to, in the contract
These are agreement terms rather than marketing claims. If any of them matter to you, ask to see the language before you sign.
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Your brand, not ours
Deliverables carry your logo. Our engineers work in your ticketing system and follow your change control. On client calls we appear as your engineering team, or we stay off the call entirely — your preference, agreed before kickoff.
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Non-solicitation, in writing
Every partner agreement includes a non-solicitation term covering your clients, for the life of the relationship plus a defined tail. We have never approached a partner client directly.
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We never sell to your client
We do resell HPE hardware and software licensing, and it is available to you as a resource if you want it. What we will never do is approach your client directly. Procurement runs through you, or it does not happen at all.
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Confidentiality by default
Client names, environments, and findings stay inside the engagement. Our own public case studies are anonymized as a matter of policy — including the ones we would most like to name.
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Escalation, not abandonment
If a project uncovers something outside our competence, we say so and help you find the right specialist. Pretending otherwise costs you a client and costs us a channel.
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One engineer, start to finish
The engineer who scopes the work delivers it. No handoff from a solutions architect to a delivery team who have never seen the environment.
Process
From first call to sign-off
The same sequence whether the engagement is four hours or four months.
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Scoping call with the engineer
Not a discovery call with a salesperson. You describe the environment and the constraint; we tell you whether we are the right team and roughly what it involves.
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Written statement of work
Deliverables, assumptions, client responsibilities, hours, and a schedule of fees. Everything that would otherwise become an argument later, written down first.
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Access, kickoff, and discovery
We work through your remote access and your ticketing system. Discovery output becomes documentation you keep regardless of what happens next.
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Delivery inside agreed windows
Work executed on the schedule the client agreed to, with progress visible to you throughout and change orders raised before scope moves, never after.
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Validation, documentation, handover
Testing evidence, as-built documentation, operational runbooks, and a knowledge transfer session so your team owns the result.
Questions
Commercial questions
Commercial questions
What paperwork do we need in place before starting?
A master services agreement between your firm and ours, with individual statements of work beneath it for each engagement. We can execute your paperwork or provide ours. A mutual non-disclosure agreement is typically signed before scoping discussions involve client detail. Certificates of insurance are available on request.
How is pricing structured?
Project work is priced from a written scope with hours and rate stated in a schedule of fees, so you can see exactly what drives the number and add your own margin. Blocks of hours are prepaid at an agreed rate. Retainers are a fixed monthly fee against a defined coverage window and service level objectives.
Who owns the client relationship?
You do, without ambiguity. You hold the contract with the client, you own the communication, and you decide whether we are ever named. Our contract is with you, not with your client.
What happens if the client wants to talk to us directly?
We follow your lead. Some partners bring us onto technical calls as their engineering team; others prefer all communication routed through them. Either way, commercial conversations go back to you — we do not discuss pricing, scope expansion, or additional services with your client.
How quickly can work start?
Scoping calls typically happen within one to two business days. Once an agreement and a block of hours are in place, escalation work can usually begin the same week. Large projects are scheduled around your client maintenance windows, which is normally the binding constraint rather than our availability.
What if we only need you once?
That is fine. A single fixed-scope project with no ongoing commitment is a perfectly normal engagement. Most partners come back, but nothing in the model requires it.
Start with something small
A block of hours and one real ticket tells you more about a subcontractor than any amount of due diligence.