Failover and Disaster Recovery are defined as follows:

Failover – This refers to the ability to automatically and immediately switch over to a separate redundant server, system, etc. in the event of a failure of a main production server, system, etc. Failover solutions are generally physical (i.e. failover servers) and are kept on-site.

Disaster Recovery – This refers to the ability to recover from a disaster, to a state that allows you to conduct your main business operations by switching to a new server, system, etc. Disaster recovery solutions keep your data off-site in a safe, secure location and are readily accessible at all times to be utilized in case of a disaster in which on-site, physical equipment is destroyed or somehow rendered unusable.

A Brief History

Failover and Disaster Recovery solutions are completely different today than they were just a few years ago. Before, only Enterprises could afford to implement such redundancy solutions because they were so complicated and costly. They were largely unknown to the small and medium business owners because they simply weren’t within reach. These smaller businesses would run the risk of critical data loss and downtime simply because the effort and costs were so extreme. It is actually still somewhat common for small and medium business owners to ignore these solutions because they feel that they are too time and resource consuming and are therefore near impossible to implement.

Great News

These solutions are now within reach for any business! Due to the widespread adoption of virtualization and cloud computing, these solutions are possible for even the smallest business to implement, and it is absolutely necessary that they do so. These solutions have always been a necessity for every business, but never before have they been so easy to achieve. With one simple phone call you can have one customized and implemented in a matter of hours. It really is that simple.

Virtualization and Disaster Recovery

Thanks to virtualization, disaster recovery solutions have become amazingly simple to implement. Virtualization has taken all the difficulty out of it by enabling IT professionals to set up virtual servers with the click of a button. This means that by making one simple call to your local Managed Services Provider, you can have a solution implemented quickly and at an affordable rate.

Why Should I Implement a Failover or Disaster Recovery Solution?

The real question is, “Why wouldn’t you?” Do you really want to risk losing all your business critical information or going through days of downtime? You may be saying to yourself, “My company is too small to justify paying for something like this.”, but even the smallest company needs to be safe from a failure or disaster. In fact, it’s the small companies that pay the biggest price if a failure or disaster occurs. One of the greatest things about the solutions that exist today is that they are fully scalable. This means that even the smallest company can justify implementing a failover or disaster recovery solution. The smaller you are and the less you need, the smaller the solution and the lower your cost. You can afford it! Others simply have not assessed the risk they are running by not implementing one or both of these solutions. Downtime is extremely costly. Check out this great blog by KI Technologies called Understanding the REAL Cost of your Computer Network Repair to get an idea of how much failing to implement a failover or disaster recovery solution could potentially cost you.

Testing Your Solutions

After your solutions have been implemented, it is absolutely imperative that you have experts test them. Making sure that your failover and/or disaster recovery solution is going to function properly the moment you need it is crucial. This is another place your local Managed Services Provider can be a big help. Whether it is a simple backup solution or a complex failover or disaster recovery solution, their computer support professionals will be able to proactively ensure that if the worst happens, you are protected and can be up and running again ASAP.

You Can and You Must

Don’t risk losing massive amounts of money on unnecessary downtime or business critical information. Failover and disaster recovery solutions are less expensive and easier to implement than ever before. There is no longer a reason to risk it. Contact your local Managed Services Provider today and protect your business!

Highroad IT is a Managed Services Provider in Newport Beach, California. They combine the advantages of solid partnerships with their expertise in a variety of products and services to provide you with the absolute lowest cost, highest quality solutions customized specifically for your business continuity needs.

Also, database applications such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange Server transfer data in blocks without having to worry if files are open or if they are in use.

Some Key Components of NAS Technology Are:

1. Imaged based backups. An exact copy of the entire disk is created using the low level bits which enable a complete restore in the event of a server crash without having to reinstall the operating system and programs.
2. Incremental backups are then taken every 15 minutes or hourly which increases your data security instead of having to rely on nightly backups.
3. Database applications such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange Server transfer data in blocks without having to worry if files are open or if they are in use.
4. There are no file or folder level exclusions due to the imaging technology.
5. Incremental snapshots are then periodically merged with the base image to simplify restoration of files, mailboxes, SQL tables/Databases or entire systems.
6. NAS Device backup images can be mounted and used as a server in the event of a server crash. Your business can be up and running in less than an hour and when your equipment is repaired or replaced the image can then be restored on the new server in a fraction of the time it would take to reinstall the operating system and programs before restoring data.

Off-Site Storage Facility

For complete disaster recovery protection, data can be securely transferred to an off-site co-location each day. Then, in event of a major disaster, a new NAS device can be imaged with your latest data and your data will be assessable usually within 24 hours.

A quality offsite storage facility will provide:

• Backup images stored at an out of state  data centers and then replicated to a secondary facility
• Connectivity provided by multiple providers with automatic failover capabilities
• Full physical security at each facility including security cameras and key card access
• Network is secured with high-end redundant, automatic failover firewalls
• Fire suppression and environmental control
• Automatic back-up power provided with on-site generators

In summary, data backup and disaster recovery are an often overlooked aspect to a network. Very Often backups are not monitored and tested properly and are assumed to be working until a restoration is needed only to find out there was a backup failure when it is too late. In the event of a complete disaster very often a company will fail when it cannot restore their data. The combination of a NAS device with imaging capabilities, off site synchronization and remote monitoring from your managed services company will give you the security and peace of mind that your data is secure.

This is due to many different factors, but it has a lot to do with the increasing popularity of cloud computing, which fully depends on their existence. The data centers used by cloud computing providers aren’t like the ones you’re used to. They aren’t just a few servers sitting in an air conditioned room in the back of the office. They are giant server farms that can consume extremely large amounts of energy and other resources if not powered in an efficient manner.

In fact, they can consume 10 to 30 times the energy of an average office building. They can also produce a whole lot of E-waste if end-of-life hardware is not recycled or reused. This can be scary to think about considering how much we hear about diminishing resources, rising energy costs, and the harmful effects of E-waste.

On the positive side, awareness is growing and the demand for more efficient data centers is too. Providers have and are proving that being able to boast operating efficiently creates quite the competitive advantage. The ability to claim your company is “green” has become a strong selling point. Providers that are investing in becoming more efficient are increasingly able to reduce costs and, in turn, offer lower prices on a wider array of offerings.

At this particular point in time (I don’t like saying “in this economy”), most companies’ priorities are as follows:

1. Reduce spending.
2. Reduce spending.
3. Maintain image/integrity (while reducing spending).

Smart Support Companies are Offering Green

There aren’t many better ways to turn a company with priorities like these into a customer than to offer them a solution that simultaneously enables them to save money and do what’s right for the environment.

This is a big reason why providers are starting to make progress towards consolidating resources, conserving energy, and reducing pollution. Take a look at Google’s latest “green” data centers, for example. The average energy overhead of all of Google’s datacenters combined is only 19%. The industry average is a whopping 96%! How is Google able to accomplish such efficiency? There are many different ways, but here are a few of the ways they’re doing it:

1. Using 100% recycled water.
2. “Free cooling” utilizing cooling towers rather than chillers.
3. Recycling or reusing 100% of end-of-life hardware.

Additional methods for increasing efficiency are in the works as well. Possibilities being explored include implementing “utility-scale” solar power, which would require the use of solar power plants that can provide massive amounts of energy at prices that can compete with fossil fuels. Also, geothermal cooling is a very interesting new concept. The bigger providers – like Google and IBM – are diving in deeper because they can afford the up front costs associated with constructing fully “green” data centers. In the long run, these providers will be the ones achieving the real cost savings, which will then be passed down to the consumer.

Data centers are becoming more efficient by the day. Experts are spending more and more time coming up with new concepts and solutions for inefficiencies and proper disposal of E-waste and are seeing real results. As long as the awareness and demand is there, focus on research and development will continue to increase and we will all be rewarded with lower cost solutions and a cleaner planet. Sounds good to me!

This article was contributed by Highroad IT. They are a managed services provider in Newport Beach that specializes in “Green IT”.

Suppose you arrive at your office at 8am to find that your server isn’t working properly. Your staff starts to arrive and they are unable to get email, work on documents, or schedule appointments. Worse yet, they can’t see the appointments that are scheduled for this morning, so no one is really sure where they should be.

You place a call to your computer support company and are told that they can’t have anyone onsite before 10am. Once onsite, the problem turns out to be fairly simple and by noon, your server is running properly and your staff is able to get to work – at least those who aren’t at lunch.  Your computer support company sends you a bill for two hours of onsite time and travel. The invoice total is $400 and you consider this a rather inexpensive repair.

And if you only look at the hard costs of the repair, you are correct.

But you also need to consider the soft costs associated with lost productivity and your inability to service your clients. Perhaps you also failed to show up for scheduled meetings and prospects are questioning whether they should hire your firm or your competition.

If you have 20 employees and you pay them an average of $15 per hour, you have just spent an additional $300 per hour for employees who weren’t actually able to work.  The network was down for 4 hours, so the total cost for unproductive employees is $1200. Of course, you need to consider taxes and benefits as well, let’s say that is 30% of wages, so you need to add another $360 of costs there, for a total of $1560 in lost productivity.

It’s more difficult to attach a dollar figure to the damage done because of your inability to service your clients. Perhaps you will lose a client, or maybe you lose a big sale, adding even more to the cost of being down.

Most business owners ignore the soft costs associated with downtime and keep paying for service when things aren’t working. Smart business owners instead contract with a computer network support company (like this mid-Michigan computer support company) that provides managed services under a fixed fee arrangement. While you may pay a bit more to your computer support company for this type of service, you will experience far less down time and avoid the more expensive soft costs of unplanned downtime.

Best of all, your computer support company will be focused on making your system run as smoothly as possible. If you have fewer problems, they will make fewer service calls and they will make more money. Instead of hoping that you have a problem that generates billable hours, they will be focused on making sure that your systems are up and running so they won’t have to make a service call.

This article was contributed by KI Technology Group. They are a managed services provider in East Lansing that specializes in providing technology solutions to small businesses with 10 to 150 employees.

Gartner Group predicts that by 2013, 40% of professional PC’s will be managed under a hosted virtual desktop model of some kind. The next few years will be a time of monumental transition as companies of all sizes begin to deploy Desktop-as-a-Managed-Service to reduce equipment and labor costs.

Desktop Virtualization is just like Server Virtualization, but Better

Recently, we published an article on server virtualization and its benefits. Similar to server virtualization, desktop virtualization is the concept of removing a workstation’s desktop environment from the physical machine. Complete desktop environments are hosted as virtual desktops on servers located in a centralized server or datacenter. Users connect to these virtual desktops using either inexpensive thin clients or repurposed PCs.

When users work from their remote desktop client, all of the programs, applications, processes, and data are kept and run centrally, allowing users to access their desktops on any capable device, such as a personal computer, notebook computer, Smartphone or thin client. Users may be in different geographic areas, but all can be connected to their personalized, familiar desktop via the central machine by a local area network, wide area network, or the public Internet.

Shared Resources from  a Centrally Located Server

Managed virtual desktops allow multiple users on a network to maintain individual desktops on a single, centrally located server. Sharing the resources of a server offers advantages over the traditional model, in which every computer operates as a completely self contained unit with its own operating system, programs and peripherals.

Overall hardware expenses may be reduced as resources can be shared and allocated to users on an as-needed basis. This model also makes it easier to backup all data in the data center.
Other potential advantages include:

• Provisioning a desktop is significantly faster and less expensive
• Reduced downtime with server or client hardware failures
• Application deployment is faster and less expensive
• Desktop image management
• Longer refresh cycle for client desktop infrastructure
• Secure remote access to the enterprise desktop environment
• Excellent user experience and Multi-media capabilities
• Data security and compliance

Limitations of desktop virtualization include:

• Potential security risks if the network is not properly managed
• Some loss of user autonomy
• Challenges in setting up and maintaining drivers for printers and other peripherals
• Difficulty in running certain complex applications such as multimedia
• Increased downtime in the event of network failures
• Complexity and high costs of VDI deployment

Desktops as a Managed Service

With Hosted Virtual Desktops or Desktop-as-a-Managed Service, the common denominator is that virtualization promises to revolutionize desktop management for companies of all sizes.  With the need to reduce costs and increase efficiency and become more green organizations will take advantage of the deployment advantages inherent in virtualization. The “Cloud” whether public or private, promises to offer hosting of not only applications and services, but also desktops.

This article was contributed by VTECH. They are a managed services provider in Naples (Southwest Florida).

Whether it is your vacation photos, or your valuable company data is essentially a bunch of 1’s and 0’s on some sort of media that can be made completely unreadable without much effort at all. The only reason that most people haven’t lost data is really just good fortune. Most people and many companies simply have a poorly planned data protection strategy. Many have no strategy at all.

The Data on your Network is Priceless

Your priceless pictures become microscopic magnetic particles on a thin film of a disk rotating at 10,000 rpm just below a stationary read/write located microns above. This is the same hard drive that has been spinning like this 24 hours per day for 3, 4 – maybe 5 years. Data is not permanent. That is why you can overwrite your Word file with a new copy. Poof! It’s gone.

Copying it to another form of media like an external HD, spreads your risk, but doesn’t eliminate it. Once you’ve thought through how to protect your data, you have to think about things like: what you are backing up (sometimes it’s not practical to backup everything), how many versions of a file you will keep, how long you will keep it and how you will keep track of what you’ve decided to do.

Then there is the whole question of checking that what you think is being backed up, is actually being backed up (Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?)

Managed Services Providers Think about Data all the Time

I really wish I didn’t think about backup so much, I really do. But as I think about how many hard drives we have spinning, tape drives whirring, and the terabytes of client data we manage on a daily basis, I’m really glad that I do.

This commentary was contributed by Axcell Technologies. They are a managed services provider in Chicago Metro.

Chances are the answer to that question is never.

Backups are Worthless. Restores are Priceless.

Remember that there is really no way, short of an actual failure, to be sure that the time and money you have invested in your backup solution is worthwhile unless you test the recovery process. As this South Florida computer network support company always says: “Backups are worthless. Restores are priceless.”

Maybe you are thinking that this seems like a lot of trouble for something that probably won’t ever happen to you. Before you dismiss all of this as unimportant, ask yourself these questions:

1. How would it affect your business if you arrive tomorrow morning and your server is not running and won’t come back up?
2. What will it cost to pay your employees while they are waiting for the server to be repaired?
3. What will happen when your clients find out you can’t service them in the way they have come to expect?

Backing up your Network Server is not Enough

Someone should be verifying that your backups are actually working and can be restored in the event that you need them. After all, you will want to be sure that if you experience a complete failure, say due to fire or flood, you will be able to recover quickly. [You are remembering to take your backup media offsite every day aren’t you?]

If you are not testing your backup system regularly, you are not alone. Most small businesses do not test the ability to restore their backups, because it is often a time consuming and expensive procedure.

Testing Traditional Backup Methods is Like Pulling Teeth

Most small businesses are using Windows Backup, Veritas Backup Exec or Acronis to protect their network servers. This means that an near-identical copy of the server is stored either on tape or on an external hard drive.

The best way of ensuring quick recovery of a server-based backup like this is to restore to completely different hardware.  Most times network companies will test the restoration on the server in which it was created. This is not a valid test. If your server died and it to needed to be replaced, you may not be able to get that exact model server again. Without testing it on completely different hardware, you won’t know if you are able to restore it or not.

Once the second server is restored, you need to test it to make sure everything is functioning properly. You will want to make sure that all user accounts are intact, that the users’ rights are correct, your mail can be read and your documents and databases are still accessible.

This is a very involved process to say the least.

Managed Services Providers offer Smarter Server Backups

Your computer network support company has probably recommended that you implement a more robust backup strategy as part of their annual review of your business and technology. If you have held off on implementing a more robust backup solution because of cost, it is probably worth you reaching back out to your favorite local Managed Services Provider. New technology has made it affordable to have a server that does more than just make a copy of your data.

The best backup strategy will do these three things for you:

1. Allow you to test a full restore as often as once a month.
2. Copy your data more frequently than once a day – perhaps as frequently as every 15 minutes.
3. Actually step in for your server in the event of a failure.
4. Automatically send your backup images offsite through the internet to at least one, and preferably two, secure data centers that are not geographically close to your business.

A top tier computer network support company (like this mid-Michigan network support and managed services provider) will be able to provide a solution that provides all of these items (and maybe more).

They should even suggest placing the backup server in an area of your office away from your server. Imagine arriving in your office to find that a leaking roof has damaged both your production and your backup server!

Right after Ensuring your Data is able to be Recovered is the Speed at which you can be back to Normal

You also need to consider how long it might take to recover from a failure.

8:00AM – You are unable to log into the network. You call your Managed Services Provider.
8:15AM – Quick troubleshooting by support has determined that an onsite visit it necessary.
9:15AM – Onsite tech determined that two hard drives need to be replaced and a full system restore is necessary.
1:15PM – HP arrives within their four-hour response to replace the two drives. Tech begins restore.
5:15PM – Restore completes. Tech reboots server and prays that it boots cleanly.

Even if the backup was 100% successful, you have lost an entire day.

If the backup was not successful, your technical folks may be spending the night to reinstall the Windows operating system, reinstalling all of your applications, restoring the data again and then attempting to match the hundreds of custom system settings that made your network special. Chances are that you will be feeling the after-shocks of this for a week or more.

Managed Backup Systems offer Rapid Recovery and Virtualization

Newer backup systems offered by computer support companies (like this mid-Michigan network support and managed services provider) offer virtualization in addition to standard backups.

With a backup system that supports virtualization, your computer network support company can virtualize your server remotely as quickly as an hour. If the failure is during non-business hours, they can even have you back up and running before you arrive in your office.

Here is how the scenario above would have played out with a virtualized backup system:

8:00AM – You are unable to log into the network. You call your Managed Services Provider.
8:15AM – Quick troubleshooting by support has determined that the primary server is down and cannot be repaired quickly. Tech initiates a virtualization of your server on the backup system.
9:30AM – Virtual restore completes. Tech reboots server and employees get back to work.

The primary server can now be repaired and placed back into production at a convenient time.

If you never have a failure, then it is less expensive to have done nothing. The moment you experience any type of failure or disaster, the cost of implementing a solid backup and disaster recovery plan becomes far less expensive than the cost of doing nothing.

This article was contributed by KI Technology Group. They are a managed services provider in East Lansing that specializes in providing technology solutions to small businesses with 10 to 150 employees.

An Internet website defines “virtualization” as: A method of partitioning one physical server computer into multiple “virtual” servers, giving each the appearance and capabilities of running on its own dedicated machine.  Each virtual server functions as a full-fledged server and can be independently rebooted.

You and your Network Support Company are Looking for a New Management System

Suppose you start looking at a new line-of business application to manage your business. You have been on plenty of sales calls and attended a few web-based presentations. You are sure productivity and increase your customer service levels. Everything is moving along nicely until…..you find out that the software company requires that their application run on a dedicated server that is not providing email services (Exchange) or providing user authentication services (Active Directory). Now what?

You do have some choices in this situation. Just a few things you might consider are:

1. Move email services to a hosted exchange solution so it will no longer be running on your in-house server. Although, this will not solve the Active Directory issue.
2. Determine if the new application is available as a hosted solution, which may have the added benefit of lower upfront costs in exchange for higher on-going monthly costs.
3. Purchase a new server to add to the network. Install the new application on this server.
4. Purchase a new server with sufficient capacity to run multiple servers in a virtual environment. Migrate your existing server to the new virtual server. Install the new application onto the virtual server as well.

Definitely the Time to Call in your Managed Services Provider

Because her team works with your network day in and day out, they will be familiar with your systems; how they are working now, what capacity they have and what technical hurdles there are. They will be able to talk to the application provider to determine which of the above solutions will work and which will not.

Your managed services provider should work with you to explain each option so that you can make the best decision for your company. If you feel that their ultimate goal is to sell you a new server regardless of whether you have discussed all of the options first, then you need to find a different managed services provider. [We recommend taking a look at our list of reputable regional managed services providers.]

Having intimate knowledge of your network, knowing your business and having a model based on long-term relationships – not short-term sales – are the biggest benefits of choosing managed services over a break fix model. When you enter into a contract with a managed services provider, they become part of your team and should be working with you to achieve the best use of technology for your particular situation.

Expect to hear ‘Server Virtualization’ more often when Discussing your Small Business Network

But since we began by talking about virtualization, let’s get back to that….

Let’s assume that you just aren’t comfortable moving your email or your application to a hosted solution – option #1 and #2. Perhaps you just aren’t able to get a really reliable, fast internet connection in your area and you are concerned that the applications will run too slowly. Maybe you just don’t want to have your data stored anywhere other than your location. That’s fine.

Let’s also assume that you really don’t want to purchase a whole new server on which to install just this one application – option #3. Servers that are single purpose like this, often, are only using about 30% of their capacity. What a waste of money and power.

Virtualization – option #4 – is your answer if you want to keep data local, provide the new application an isolated environment AND speed up your existing system at the same time. In addition to these benefits, you get easier migration to new hardware in the future, disaster recovery built in and the ability to test major upgrades with instant roll-back capabilities. All of these reasons help explain why vitualization is becoming more common for small business networks.

What is Involved with Implementing Virtualization in your Small Business Computer Network?

So, you decided that it might make sense to purchase a new server and use virtualization to partition off a piece of it for your new line of business application.

What Does it Cost to do Server Virtualization?

All current servers on the market support virtualization. You really don’t need to spend much more money (if any at all) to get a decent virtualization platform. If you have a server that was purchased anytime after mid-2009, you may be in luck and already have what you need. The software necessary to run virtual servers used to be pricey, but many software vendors are offering a free version that is plenty powerful for small business networks. Even better, the return on your investment really pays off when your current server is ready for an upgrade in the future. Instead of purchasing a new server, it can be migrated into the virtual platform that you just purchased. Instant benefits with near zero cost.

How much pain is involved? What’s the downside?

As long as you are using a managed services provider who has a handful of (or more) virtualization implementation references, there should be no more pain than with any major implementation. Done properly, you will not notice the difference.

What Should I be Asking my Managed Services Provider?

• Who have you done an installation like this for, and may I speak with them?
• Have you spoken with the application vendor to make sure that we will be fully supported if we virtualize our environment?
• How will we backup our system? I understand that some tape drives do not function properly in a virtual environment.
• Once we virtualize this first server, what is the plan to get our other servers virtualized? Will it require downtime?
• What can I do to ensure that we are as ‘green’ as possible in respect to this server?

This article was contributed by KI Technology Group. They are a managed services provider in East Lansing that specializes in virtualization for small businesses with 10 to 150 employees.

As the IT industry continues to grow worldwide, energy consumption and pollution caused by computer use and end-of-life electronics disposal are becoming a cause for concern. Computer usage worldwide is at an all time high, which also means that energy consumption and the improper disposal of environmentally hazardous materials are also at their peak.

Thanks to the raised awareness of these issues and the demand for “greener” technologies, there are ways for us to increase our use of information technology while reducing the escalation of energy consumption and our impact on the environment. We can’t create an inverse relationship and reverse our negative impact, but we can minimize it if we all make a commitment and do our part.

Why are your Computers, Servers, Network and that new Google Nexus such a Problem?

Inefficiency

Computers and related equipment are not terribly efficient. Chances are, the computer you are working on right now is only being used at 5-15% of it’s working capacity and, while idle, is consuming about the same amount of energy as when you are using it fully. Laptops, desktop computers, and servers, are energy-hungry machines – they’re consuming electricity even when they sleep.

It has been estimated that in 2006, in the United States alone, datacenters consumed $4.5 billion worth of electricity. Can you imagine where that number is today? With industry growth continuously reaching new heights worldwide as an increasing number of people and businesses adopt current technology, one can only assume that energy usage is increasing dramatically.

E-waste

Information Technology is a very large global contributor not only to wasted energy, but to waste in general. The fact is, end-of-life electronics such as computers and monitors contain large amounts of hazardous materials that can be disastrous to our environment. These materials can be properly disposed of and recycled, but more often than not they are dumped in our landfills or sent overseas where they are cheaply and harmfully processed.

The main reason for this is that correctly disposing of E-waste in an environmentally friendly manner can be costly and resource intensive. Unfortunately, awareness has not yet been raised to a level where we take the steps necessary to stop the disastrous effects of improper E-waste disposal on our environment. We aim to help change that.
Here are a few facts about E-waste that you should know:

1. At least 60 million PC’s have already been dumped in U.S. landfills.
2. 250 million computers have become obsolete between 2004-2009.
3. Computers and monitors contain 2-8 lbs. of lead, cadmium, mercury, and other neurotoxins that are not safely contained in landfills.
4. When neurotoxins are dumped in landfills or incinerated, they release toxins into the air and soil that according to health experts, can cause cancer, birth deformities, and arrested brain development.
5. According to Basel Action Network (BAN), 75%-80% of American E-waste wind up in Africa, China, India, and other developing regions – where much of it is processed cheaply, under unsafe and environmentally unsound conditions, exposing them to dangerous chemicals.

As you can see, the disposal of E-waste is a big issue not only in the U.S., but worldwide, and it becomes a bigger issue every day.

How do you Continue to use your Computers, Servers, Network and that new Google Nexus with Minimal Impact?

Increase Efficiency

There are many things you can do to cut energy consumption while improving your bottom line.

• Centralized cooling and air/heat containment for your datacenter. There is no longer any reason to air condition an entire room to keep your systems cool.
• Server and desktop virtualization allow you to consolidate workloads so that you don’t have five systems at 20%, but one at 100%.
• Cloud and application hosting services for email, Microsoft Office, backups, etc. These alternatives are not only affordable from an cash-flow standpoint, but will actually prevent costly upgrades that create e-waste in the future.

The time has come for you to do away with excess hardware and start saving money, space, and, most importantly, energy

E-waste Recycling

Taking necessary action by recycling your end-of-life electronics is extremely important. There are a growing number of E-waste recycling companies that offer pickup services at a very low cost and, in many cases, free of charge. Please join in helping stop the improper disposal of E-waste and start looking towards a cleaner and greener future. Contact your local E-waste recyclers today!
If you have any questions at all on how to accomplish your goals of becoming more energy efficient or regarding how to recycle E-waste in your area, please contact the a managed services provider in your local area.

This article was contributed by Highroad IT. They are a managed services provider in Newport Beach that specializes in “Green IT”.

There are a lot of computer network support companies out there. Some are good, some are great and some are just plain bad for your company’s health.

Just like there are many different companies to choose from, there are different ways to get support from your computer network support company. Because many firms are beginning to change the way they deliver computer network support (like this South Florida computer network support company) to their clients, you need to chose what type of computer network support you want before you can choose which company.

[For a full fact guide on how to ensure that you are selecting the best Managed Services Provider, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.]

Managed Services Provider vs. Hourly

The different types of computer network support are Managed Services and Break-Fix. They are industry speak for the two primary ways to deliver computer network support:

1. Managed Services – a fixed-fee model where you get a predetermined amount of services each month.
2. Break-Fix – a model where you call your computer support company when something breaks and they bill you hourly to complete the work.

Managed Services-Based Computer Network Support

With the Managed Services model, you can expect to pay a fixed-fee. The fixed-fee can be based on any number of variables, although, per workstation/server, per employee or a dollar amount that is agreed upon quarterly are all standard. The fixed price should provide, at the very minimum, automated workstation/server monitoring, system patching and some amount of preventative maintenance.

Many Managed Services Providers have plans that provide unlimited remote support in addition to the basic necessities, above. This benefits you in two ways:

1. No surprises - you are able to predict your monthly expenses for computer network support.
2. Aligned goals – the computer network support company is going to want to fix every problem perfectly, the first time, to prevent downtime and additional service requests. It doesn’t benefit them to fix a problem over and over.

[For a full fact guide on how to ensure that you are selecting the best Managed Services Provider, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.]

Break-Fix Computer Network Support

The most obvious benefit to the Break-Fix model is that you will have not committed to a monthly fee. Generally, this type of support is best suited for very small companies who cannot afford to be under a contract of any type. While less expensive in the short term, the long term effects of not having basic monitoring and preventative maintenance could be drastic.

Just like anything in life, it is generally more costly to fix something after it has failed. Especially if you find out that your backup hasn’t been working after you need it, or a security patch was not applied after you get the virus.

Picking the Right Computer Network Support Company

After you have determined that Managed Services is the way to go for your small business [hey, this is a site dedicated to Managed Services Providers], now it’s time to pick the right computer network support company.

Ask these Questions of your Managed Services Provider

Q. How long have you been in the Managed Services business?
A. Most pioneers in the industry have been in the business for 5+ years. Some as long as 10 years. Many Managed Service Providers don’t get their ‘sea legs’ until year 3-5. I would be skeptical of any company that says less than 3 years and does not do a stellar job with the rest of these questions.

Q. What platform will you use to monitor and support my computer network?
A. Besides customer service, the platform they use is one of the most important pieces of the Managed Services offering. It is what alerts them to Exchange Server errors and SQL database errors. It is what handles preventative maintenance tasks like disk scans and Microsoft patching. There are many platforms out there, but there are only four primary ones. They are: Kaseya, Level Platforms, N-Able and Zenith.

Q. What are your Service Level Agreements (“SLAs”) and how often do you hit them?
A. Any good provider should be able to rattle off their SLAs for how quickly they promise to respond to your needs. Great providers (like this South Florida computer network support company) actually measure those numbers regularly and should be able to provide their performance to you. Be careful of a quick answer on their performance – it’s likely made up on the spot. Ask them to pull a report from their Professional Service Automation (“PSA”) system and send it to you. That way, you will be getting the real story.

Q. What professional organizations are you a member of? Any partnerships or community involvement? Any press?
A. Partnerships at the Silver or Gold level with companies like Microsoft, Citrix, Cisco, NetApp and other industry giants are very important. They indicate, not only that they are able to pay their annual partnership dues, but that they have a decent number of certified individuals associated to their computer network support company. Professional organizations like MSPAlliance and CompTIA do a good job of assisting Managed Services Providers to be their best and hold them to a ethics code. Computer network support providers who are involved with charities or their local community are more apt to provide good service because their reputation depends on it – word travels fast in those circles. While not necessary, any company who has been written up in local papers or in industry magazines like ChannelPro or CRN are obviously doing something unique.

Q. Will you provide at least three references who have been on your Managed Services program for longer than one year?
A. References are golden. References who have used the computer network support company for Managed Services for longer than one year are priceless in your assessment of their ability to deliver. Many Managed Services companies require a one year contract. If their client references have been with them long enough to sign on again, the company must be pretty good.

Questions to ask the Managed Services Provider’s References

When you speak with each of the computer network support company’s references, the questions you ask them are just as critical as the questions you ask the provider. The Managed Services provider is in the business of selling you their services – any decent provider s going to interview well.

However, unless they are family, their client references don’t care if you go with them or not. Ask them questions that will illicit much more detailed responses than “yes, we use them and they are good,” and you’ll have a better picture of how doing business with your new computer network support company is going to be.

For a list of questions that you should be asking your future Managed Services Provider’s references, please get into touch with us via the comment section below, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.