FAQs

Our Managed Services differ from the traditional model of IT support for small business. To highlight these differences, we offer this set of frequently asked questions by our clients.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we contact you with problems?

You can use a variety of methods that you think best represents your need for service.

Our Managed Services clients get 24X7 service so you will get a response without having to wait until
the next business day.

Some examples and information follow.

Example issues:

Set up a new computer – Generally 1-2 days’ notice, just send us an email.

Suspected Virus – Give us a call right away, be prepared to turn off the computer.

Several people can’t work – Give us a call right away.

Contact methods:

Email

Phone

Open a ticket from our website

Text

How am I billed for services?

Invoices will contain two different kinds of line items:

For services payable in advance

Any regularly recurring services like a service plan, phone system, email hosting, etc. is invoiced on the first of the month for the service delivery of that month. So, you get an invoice dated July 1 for services you’re expected to use in July.

For services performed in the last month

Any work performed in the last calendar month that weren’t billed in advance such as buying a new computer, labor for a hardware or software project, or any on-site service needed (depending on your service plan).

How long should the work take?

This is an intentionally broad question to cover some common scenarios.

Most fixes can be done within an hour – problems aren’t uncommon and usually some quick troubleshooting can reveal the problem and it can be resolved.

Some problems involve unique software or hardware products like scanners, cameras or specialized accounting, design, and database software. In these cases, we might lean on a particular team member with experience in this, contact the vendor, or coordinate support between vendors (like Microsoft and the developer). These resolutions can take a few hours to a
few days.

The longer an issue takes, the more likely we might develop a “workaround”. The idea is to restore productivity while we resolve the root problem. We can’t create workarounds for everything, but spare hardware or software can certainly help.

Does Managed Services save me money?

Yes. In our process, we help you determine what you’re spending today, and make sure we build a program which addresses areas of weakness and support business growth and expansion without adding a lot of cost.

On average, clients who come on board with us in our Managed Services program save 30% over their IT costs year over year. We must understand that the costs of systems that aren’t maintained and have poorly responsive support cost more than just the bill from the IT provider. Lost sales, employees who can’t do anything while they wait for support, and of course the bill all contribute to the total IT spend.

Typically, the first few months run a little bit higher, but after the systems are in place which PREVENT problems, and SPEED resolution of those problems with faster response time, the savings are clear.

Is [insert name of antivirus] good enough to protect my computer?

There are many solutions out there for security software. Many of them are very good. Usually there’s a tradeoff in terms of how effective it is, and how much it might slow your computer. The most modern computers today (with abundant memory, processor speed, and solid state hard drives) aren’t impacted by these slowdowns.

Additionally, there’s consideration for what kinds of activities the computer is doing. Some activities expose the computer to more threats than others. Responding to public requests for information and clicking on many inbound links can create problems. As well as searching websites for information that might not have good security standards in place and could be hijacked and spreading malware.

We do provide a managed security product which is a very effective balance between protection and performance impact and can be customized for whatever threats the computer might be exposed to.

Is the Cloud secure?

There are good reasons for this question. It seems like every month there’s a new, major company who has suffered a security breach. Most of these companies have their own programming staff which write the software to the specifications of the company. Unfortunately, in nearly all these cases, proper attention wasn’t paid to security which allowed the breach.

We recommend cloud services which encrypt the data in all stages of the data transmission process and offer two-factor authentication. These two best security practices thwart most security risks and keep your data safe.

Isn’t employee monitoring just spying?

Once an organization reaches a certain size, attention to the productivity of a single employee can wane and it is common that despite more people, productivity drops. Employee monitoring can be an excellent benefit to the organization, yet there is a stigma of spying which makes business take pause.

Monitoring doesn’t have to be the collection of data; the words an employee types, the specific websites they go to, what they said to their kids, etc. In fact, much of the data can be changed to simply report a type of website instead of the exact name. The words one uses aren’t collected, and it also tracks the amount of time the employee is doing productive work.

Instead of being a negative, it’s turned into a positive and can give the employer insight into some silent

Have a specific question?

Search our Knowledge Base for the answer.

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