Not long ago, many companies could informally, but effectively align technology with their business needs on an incremental basis, as individual issues and problems arose. Now, rapid advances in technology, continued growth of the Internet, and the “web-enabling” of an increasing number of business processes have raised both the difficulty and urgency of deploying the right technology tools to the right people at the right time. Never before has the coordination of business process throughout the entire organization been so critical to competitive success. All of these factors make developing a complete and coherent IT strategy more complex, more difficult, and more essential than ever before. Technology can no longer be viewed simply as another cost center and a "keep the lights on" function.
Our Consulting Services are geared to help you build a strategy to align your technology investments with your business goals. We leverage our technical expertise to assist in developing and managing a long-term technology plan – one that will optimize the value of and future-proof your investment in technology.
We will integrate our technical expertise with your business acumen to accomplish the following:
- Develop and manage a detailed annual IT plan and budget that encompasses all aspects of the IT environment.
- Develop a strategic three-year technology roadmap with an eye on emerging technologies.
- Evaluate and oversee IT system policies, standards, and procedures.
- Manage technology projects.
- Provide overall coordination and management of IT vendors including those providing broadband circuits, phone systems, network scanners, copiers, faxes, and Line Of Business applications.
- Design
- Secure
- Recover
- Connect
- Maintain
We specialize in the design, implementation and support of network and communication systems. After reviewing your requirements and consulting with key vendors, we will customize a technology solution to meet your specific needs. Our design will be right-sized, whether that is simply sharing a printer between two computers, integrating cloud apps, or securely connecting remote sites and providing network access to a geographically dispersed work force. We apply our expertise to every aspect of the project, regardless of size or complexity. Our goal is to deliver the most secure technology foundation possible while optimizing operational flexibility, performance, scalability and recoverability.
Because the threat landscape is ever-changing, we continuously track and lab-test security and anti-malware solutions. This rigor enables our team to deliver the very best solutions for protecting your systems from data breaches and malicious activity. Depending upon the specifics of the network design, a multi-tiered approach may be required to optimally secure your systems. We perform a security audit that is not limited to the core infrastructure. As network perimeter security has become more effective in mitigating data breaches, endpoint devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones and other mobile devices have become primary entry points for malicious activity. They are ubiquitous and have underlying technologies that are continually changing, making them one of the top security challenges. If you have any questions regarding the need for state-of-the art security protection, please take a moment to review the various security-related links we have compiled.
Every component of your network is relatively easy to replace, with one exception - your information. No matter how small your network, a comprehensive backup solution is absolutely essential. Not all solutions are created equal and, as with security, a multi-tiered approach is often required to assure adequate protection. Several questions must be answered before arriving at the optimal solution; one that addresses data location, time to data requirements, rotation schemes, retention requirements, and off-site storage. We have expertise in a variety of backup technologies and can work with you to make sure that your data is protected and recoverable.
We will work with you to implement a plan to provide secure and reliable connectivity between all of your employees, partners and key systems regardless of geographical location. We can help you to sort through all of the various broadband, wired, wireless, and remote access technologies. We offer certified value in deploying routers, switches, remote access servers, and security appliances. We follow industry best practices in the design, configuration and installation of all components and align ourselves with partners and vendors who share our values.
The right network systems, properly configured can be a tremendous asset to your business. To ensure security, optimal performance, and to reduce costly break-fix scenarios, these systems require ongoing maintenance. We will work with you to set up a proactive maintenance and monitoring plan that will increase uptime, decrease support costs, and assure optimal network health.
Cloud computing has been around for a long time, beginning with the likes of AOL, CompuServe, and a variety of information aggregation services in the form of bulletin boards. The cloud domain basically encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, can extend existing IT capabilities. It provides the ability to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly, without investing in new infrastructure or licensing new software. Technology advances have exponentially increased the types of applications that are offered in the cloud environment. A myriad of providers both large and small deliver a host of services, from full-blown applications such as CRM and Email, to Data Storage and Spam-filtering services.
Our team holds certifications in several of the leading cloud technologies and can help you not only understand the nuances, but also to make informed decisions about when and where to implement cloud services. A hybrid network composed of both locally hosted and cloud sourced applications will likely be required by most organizations in the foreseeable future. Integration between the two environments often presents challenges that we are well positioned to address.
In addition to assisting with public-cloud services and integration, we have designed and implemented private-cloud solutions for clients requiring access to tightly integrated application platforms by a geographically disperse workforce. We partner with Tier-3 infrastructure providers to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable cloud-based platforms.
Partnerships with leading cloud providers enable us to use specific tools and support channels to assure a smooth transition to cloud-based services. Many details of cloud adoption come into focus only as you begin to vet application requirements and interdependencies. The following are some important questions to be answered prior to adopting a cloud-based solution.
- Is there a potential to be locked into a single vendor with no avenue to extract your data if you choose to terminate the cloud service? What if the provider terminates the service?
- If your data is extractable, will it be in a format that is portable to similar applications?
- How secure is your data? What tier datacenter is supporting the cloud application?
- How is data backed up? Off-site? What are the retention policies?
- What happens if there is a data-center outage/disaster? What is the timeframe for resumption of service?
- Will critical application and data interdependencies continue to function? If not, what is the work-around?
- Given the laws and regulations governing certain industries, governments, and business practices, what data can live in the Internet cloud? How does the provider attest compliance?
- Does the provider guarantee specific levels of performance? What will it look like to end-users? Do you have sufficient bandwidth and connectivity fault tolerance on your end (client) to achieve adequate performance? Will the distance to the Cloud provider’s infrastructure impact performance?
Please feel free to give us a call if you would like assistance evaluating or transitioning to cloud-based services.
A small investment in prevention often results in significant long-term savings by identifying problems before they result in catastrophic failure and downtime. Our Managed Services program was designed for this purpose and has identified scores of such failures since its inception in 2003. In most instances, proactive resolutions are achieved without impact to productivity or uptime.
Our subscription-based program provides a 24/7 real-time view of your core infrastructure, enabling us to support your business as a true IT Partner rather than just a provider of reactionary “break / fix” services. We will work with you to identify the mission critical technology components vital to your business operations. We will then customize and scale a program that is right-sized for your needs.
If you would like more information regarding our Managed Services program, please download our brochure or give us a call. We will be happy to provide a free assessment of your network and recommendations for a customized Managed Services implementation.
We can help bring your phone system into the digital age. Our fully integrated Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions are tailored to provide robust capabilities while remaining affordable for small to medium sized business. Our solutions offer enterprise-class features such as seamless remote office and mobile user connectivity without requiring an enterprise level budget. In many cases, monthly costs for phone services can be significantly reduced. Our VoIP solutions are built on industry standards, helping to ensure that investments in equipment are broadly compatible both now and into the future.