Do you know or have experience with either company? Do they have their own techs are they just bidding out for local techs in the area? I have work that needs to be done all across the US and just trying to look for some options.
We currently use BlackBox and they use their own techs where I’m at (Phoenix). We also used them extensively when I worked for Level 3 several years ago. As with anything, your experience with them will vary largely by location and can even vary within a market. I have dealt with some awesome BlackBox techs. And I have dealt with some really bad BlackBox techs. The guys I work with on a regular basis in Phoenix are great.
I back Mike’s comments, they support some of our on-prem hardware/software. To my knowledge their senior techs/engineers work remote. For on-site they do not farm services to 3rd parties but to the local BB office. This means the field tech may be trained in the solution but may not be an expert. (I’m certain there is some logic to the assignment, if the expert should come from the 2nd closest location.) There are going to be those who understand it and those who can just follow the script.
We’ve not needed to dispatch local. Our engineer contact have been excellent so far.
LQ Marshall | Sr. Network Engineer
For national (U.S.), on site techs I can recommend http://www.servicecommunications.com we subcontract for them on the regular and they run a tight ship and have many large national accounts. I would not get hung up on choosing someone with their own employees vs. contracting or hybrid, but more on choosing a company with experience managing projects like yours and a good project management team to run the show.
It all depends on the nature of your project, of course. There are “self service” tools like Field Nation and Work Market that you can find all your own techs and they handle 1099 and insurance, etc. for you.