| For many Independent Computer Consultants | | | | monitoring gives you the ability to prevent these |
| who continue to operate on an hourly-rate billing | | | | unexpected emergencies. |
| model, being proactive in maintaining their client's | | | | Besides being able to save the day from disaster, |
| networks can be a challenge. | | | | you'll also be able to improve performance on a |
| Rationally, the small business owner is aware that | | | | day-to-day basis. |
| to get the most out of the network, it should be | | | | Too often, performance of equipment is allowed |
| monitored and maintained. But when there's an | | | | to degrade to the point where the device is no |
| hourly fee involved to do extra work when | | | | longer functional or usable. You'll be improving your |
| everything seems to be working just fine, | | | | client's productivity by more closely examining |
| emotions overtake rationality and proactive | | | | inventory reports for outdated or inadequate |
| maintenance is often put off. | | | | equipment or applications and performing |
| Proper proactive maintenance of a network will | | | | upgrades before productivity can suffer. |
| improve your client's productivity, increase the | | | | 2. Improved reliability - If you can identify and |
| reliability of the systems, and quite possibly save | | | | correct small problems early, before they have a |
| them money in IT support costs. | | | | chance to develop into larger problems, and most |
| For me, my Proactive Maintenance Plan includes: | | | | small problems are addressed by you remotely |
| - monitoring all server event logs | | | | and therefore immediately, your client will have |
| - monitoring for proper AV updates and activity | | | | very few complaints about their systems. |
| - monitoring backup status, whether on-site or | | | | Providing that you keep your client constantly |
| remote | | | | informed about the status of their network and |
| - monitoring firewall activity, hack/spam relay | | | | the services your providing through excellent |
| attempts | | | | reporting (a MUST!), they will have little reason to |
| - monitoring system bottlenecks (system | | | | ever consider replacing you (and a lot of reasons |
| processes, processor/ram utilization, etc.) | | | | for recommending you to someone else). |
| - monitoring application services (Exchange, ISA, | | | | 3. Save them Money - Hourly based, reactive |
| IIS, etc.) | | | | support for a small business customer is typically |
| - Real-time Inventory collection and web-based | | | | unstable. There will be very busy months, often |
| reporting | | | | off-set by quiet periods where everyone (including |
| - remote support for most issues | | | | the computer consultant) is just happy that things |
| Monitoring is performed 24x7x365 by configuring | | | | seem to be working nicely for a change. And |
| the hosted software that you select to perform | | | | once in a while, one of those crisis situations I |
| these tasks to send you an email or sms alert | | | | mentioned earlier will occur and the consultant |
| whenever an event occurs that needs your | | | | delivers an invoice that could be relationship |
| attention. The software I use, GFI Max, performs | | | | changing. This is a tough pill for the client to |
| all of these tasks as well as provides many more | | | | swallow after suffering through whatever |
| features not listed above for a low monthly fee. | | | | downtime was just experienced. |
| The benefits your client gets from having this | | | | Average out the cost of hourly support |
| level of monitoring is: | | | | long-term, taking into account both the good and |
| 1. Improved productivity - Most problems display | | | | the really bad times, and the average monthly |
| warning signs of some sort before becoming | | | | costs should actually be somewhat reasonable |
| critical issues. Check the event logs of any | | | | from both the computer consultant's and the |
| unmonitored server and I would bet good money | | | | customer's viewpoint. |
| that they'll be more than a couple of red X's that | | | | If proactive monitoring can be delivered at a |
| warrant some level of attention. Same goes for | | | | similar cost to hourly, reactive support, there is |
| the odds of an unmonitored backup system | | | | little reason for a small business owner to opt for |
| having more than an acceptable amount of failed | | | | the old model of hourly support. |
| backups. Or an AntiVirus system that hasn't | | | | Factor in any financial benefits as a result of |
| updated in weeks. Or even the possibility of | | | | increased productivity, or the prevention of a |
| having a hard drive in a drive array completely | | | | single disaster, and a flat-fee, proactive monitoring |
| failed without anyone being aware. | | | | plan should be easily justified as a valuable and |
| Any one of these examples, or countless others, | | | | cost-effective solution. |
| if gone unchecked could easily develop into a crisis | | | | If you can convey this to your potential |
| situation where there could be very serious and | | | | customers when starting a computer consulting |
| possibly unrecoverable losses to productivity and | | | | business of your own, you should be well on your |
| to the finances of the company. Proactive | | | | way to expanding your client base. |