Two problems that most organizations have with this is that either their IT department has completely maxed out its resources, or your organization doesn’t have an IT department. Since easy access to an IT helpdesk may not seem like a necessary expense for the modern office, it is often overlooked; usually, at a detriment to the organization. As more technology gets introduced, IT problems are inevitable and White Mountain IT Services?s IT services can present real value to any small and mid-sized business struggling with downtime as a result of ineffective IT. It?s a safe bet that you don?t think about most of the technology that your organization uses. Of course, you have your computers (servers and workstations), and people are always on their phones, which if they are using the network, require Wi-Fi (routers). Your average employee doesn?t pay any mind to the other parts of your network infrastructure that all come at a substantial cost and will fail at some juncture. We understand the balancing act. At White Mountain IT Services, we offer several IT-related services that hold value for any organization having problems with their IT. Our first consultation will be a complete assessment of your computing infrastructure. We comb over your technology to see that every essential component of your company?s IT is working as intended. Using the information that we gather from this assessment, we will then build a roadmap to provide you the support and innovation you need to get to where you are going. Our managed IT services package includes complete remote support of your network and computing infrastructure (servers and workstations), IT consulting, hardware and software support, vendor support, comprehensive network security, and a potentially business-saving backup and disaster recovery solution. If, after the consultation, you believe, as we do, that managed IT services can help your business see more uptime, higher degrees of productivity, and access to some of today?s most innovative technology, give us a call at (603) 889-0800. We can provide you with the peace of mind that your network and infrastructure are properly managed, so you can again focus on what?s important to you: your business.
Business is a fickle thing, as acquisitions can be the end of both major and minor vendors. This can also lead to the untimely demise of some of your partnerships with these companies. Take, for example, a recent acquisition by Fitbit, which acquired a former Kickstarter project Pebble, showing the world that these types of acquisitions can be major problems for consumers. Pebble, a hardware company, made the announcement on their Kickstarter page that, ?due to various factors,? the company ?could no longer operate as an independent entity? and had ?made the tough decision to shut down the company? after Fitbit completed the purchase of some of Pebble?s assets. Pebble went on to admit that they would no longer be building hardware and cutting production of their wearable products. Of course, you have to take into account all of the devices that have already been sold. Pebble has claimed that the devices will continue to operate as intended for now, but these devices will go without critical software updates, making them vulnerable to all manners of online threats. Furthermore, these devices will no longer be available for return or exchange, so the user is basically stuck with a device that?s both without updates and without the possibility for financial reimbursement. In other words, you?ll notice how this isn?t a decision that affects just Pebble, but all of the users of their products. Pebble fans are stuck with devices that have a limited lifespan, no warranty, and no support, making you wonder why Pebble would have agreed to such a thing. Granted, this exchange probably won?t affect your business much, but you need to think about it in a more broad sense. What if your workstation were dealing with a software vendor, which was one day bought out by another company out of the blue. If these devices aren?t supported any longer by your vendor, since they are no longer offering support or services that were agreed upon, your office will be filled with devices that have no real practical use. As was seen with Windows XP?s end of life event, custom service might be available, but at an unreasonable and expensive cost. If you want to ensure that you don?t fall victim to a random acquisition in the tech industry, reach out to White Mountain IT Services and have our professional technicians be your single point of contact for your IT vendors. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Of course, our goal is “Disaster Avoidance”, but when it comes to protecting your business, we need to be prepared to deal with the worst case scenario. OK, first it’s important to understand that there is a difference between disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC). Disaster recovery starts with documentation, systems and plans so that in the event of a disaster (think fire, etc) everyone knows what to do and how to do it. A disaster recovery plan will identify the key systems, processes, people, and vendors needed to ‘quickly rebuild’ the business and get your key systems running in a reasonable period of time. A business continuity plan, on the other hand, will allow your business to CONTINUE to operate even in the midst of a disaster. For the purpose of this short article, I will discuss a basic DR plan, business continuity is covered under our consulting plans listed under Strategic Planning on the right. A comprehensive Disaster Recovery plan addresses issues such as: Identify and document contact info for all key employees, vendors, suppliers and customers Full information for all insurance, utility and facility information List all software license and subscription info, including all cloud services List all ISP & telecom info including phone numbers, account numbers, IP addresses, SIP or PRI line info etc. A full asset list of all computer office and other equipment, including serial numbers Detailed instructions: What to tell staff, suppliers, customers and vendors Execution plan for the IT staff: How to rebuild and restore standby systems Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg, every business is different and your team will need to dedicate time to help craft a DR plan that addresses your unique needs. We can provide a template as well as guidance to help your team address the business process side of the plan. White Mountain can easily deal with the IT and technology side of the plan, starting with restoring the off-site backups into virtuallized cloud severs and desktops to get your core systems, email and telecom back online. Engineering & Support Help Desk Services Onsite Services Server Support Network Management Data Backup Disaster Recovery System Engineering Network Operations Network Security Project Work Staff Augmentation Cloud Services Computer Consulting Professional IT Management Service and Support Management Project Management Standard Operating Procedures IT Policies Systems Documentation Technology Consulting Cyber Security Training Reporting and Metrics Co-Managed IT Services Planning & Consulting Virtual CIO Services Strategic Alignment Budgeting IT Road-Map Business Continuity Workflow Analysis
The Systems Engineering team handles the most complex network design and troubleshooting issues. The systems engineering and consulting groups are where many of the problems requiring creative solutions end up. Anyone can handle a simple network with one or two new servers, or even a large environment that is all new and up to date. But in the real world, most businesses have a mixed bag when it comes to old versus new technology, frankly sometimes its just a mess. Businesses that have customized databases, based on non standard or non supported technology can be a challenge to work with when we are virtualizing or moving to the cloud. We take pride in trying to always find the most economical and expedient solution to help our clients move forward. We never push technology for technologies sake, and we always find a way! Our Systems Engineering team handles issues such as: Network and server design and troubleshooting Server upgrades and migrations Escalation from the rest of the support team Cloud infrastructure design and migration Advanced virtualization and storage systems Complex VLAN, switching, and routing systems Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity systems Cyber security systems and training Helping guide and evaluate plans for future needs Assistance with compliance and security audits Being part of the engineering and NOC teams can be a lot of fun, everyday is different, and we always seem to have an abundance of interesting and challenging projects. Engineering & Support Help Desk Services Onsite Services Server Support Network Management Data Backup Disaster Recovery System Engineering Network Operations Network Security Project Work Staff Augmentation Cloud Services Computer Consulting Professional IT Management Service and Support Management Project Management Standard Operating Procedures IT Policies Systems Documentation Technology Consulting Cyber Security Training Reporting and Metrics Co-Managed IT Services Planning & Consulting Virtual CIO Services Strategic Alignment Budgeting IT Road-Map Business Continuity Workflow Analysis
The Network Operations team, and our associated tools, systems and processes, make up the Network Operations Center (NOC). The industry term for the Network Operations Center is usually just NOC (pronounced ‘knock’). We have two primary functions, the first is to build, manage and maintain the infrastructure that we use to manage our clients infrastructure. The second is to work with the engineering team on the most complex and involved client projects. The Network Operations team’s responsibilities include: Managing multiple monitoring and alerting systems Monitoring of thousands of network devices, servers and firewalls Responsible for Windows updates and security patches for all client systems Security configurations and motoring for client firewalls, VPNs and servers Anti-virus and anti-malware systems across all client networks Data backup systems and management for all client data Managing multiple private cloud platforms Round trip email monitoring for client email servers Producing reports for management and client review Compliance and security audits Offsite data backup infrastructure and systems Performance monitoring of client database systems And on and on, you get the point. Network Operations is the team that provides the back end systems, automation, and management platforms that the rest of the team uses to manage our clients technology. We also help with escalation for the engineering team and assist with more complex client migrations and projects. Engineering & Support Help Desk Services Onsite Services Server Support Network Management Data Backup Disaster Recovery System Engineering Network Operations Network Security Project Work Staff Augmentation Cloud Services Computer Consulting Professional IT Management Service and Support Management Project Management Standard Operating Procedures IT Policies Systems Documentation Technology Consulting Cyber Security Training Reporting and Metrics Co-Managed IT Services Planning & Consulting Virtual CIO Services Strategic Alignment Budgeting IT Road-Map Business Continuity Workflow Analysis
