Fluid Does Managed Services
Managed Services Going Big for Business
One of the issues facing business today is the need for better, more pro-active management of all systems. Things like keeping up patches, monitoring backups, keeping Anti-virus and spyware up to date and making sure the servers and network doesn't fail are critical to company's trying to keep their people working. Most small to medium businesses simply wait for a problem to occure before they take action... usually resulting in a large bill and much lost revenue, productivity and even data.
Businesses are also recognizing that technology is no longer all about who's server you bought or which manufacturer you like for your PC's and printers; it's much more about building and managing a complete system that works together and is managed together. Introduce new VOIP and Video solutions to the mix and the need for greater compatibility, management and accountability is most apparent.
Managed Services Addresses these Issues
Starting beginning of Q4, 2008, Fluid Networks is making a large investment in a new Managed Services Platform which will take help take the guess work out of what's going on in your network. What's Managed Services? We're glad you asked. Here's a quick run-down of what Fluid Networks will be offering our customers:
- Total Server Monitoring and Management
For a set monthly fee Fluid Netowrks will monitor your server (even virtual servers) and historically track performance matrix which will identify any potential issues before they become debilitating. When a server is goiong to fail, there are usually signs like dwindaling drive space, drive errors, fan errors, low or bad memory, services failing to start, etc that can clue you in on the inevitable. The key is having a reliable mechanism to track these things and alert you when they become critical. If an issue comes up, a Fluid engineer can work imediately to resolve the issue... even before you or your users even know there's a problem.
- Automatic Patch, Anti-Virus, License and Backup Management
Are your Servers and PC's up to date on everything? Are you sure the patches Microsoft has just released are necessary? Will they cause a problem if you install them? Are your backups working properly? These are constant concerns for the business owner or manager who wants to ensure the law of unintended concequences doesn't bit them. Our MSP platform allows us to "approve" new patches before they are rolled out, then we can have them rolled to your network automatically.
- Administrative Task automation
Our new Managed Services Platform will allow us to automate many administrative tasks like generating printer mappings at bootup, rolling out software updates, applying uniformity accross desktops, applying security elements to PC's and laptops, etc. If a critical server service fails, we can be alerted, yes, but we can also have a script that automatically restarts the service to ensure the failure is not service affecting. This meanse you need less time from a technician and that saves you money.
- Monitor your bandwidth and Network performance
Know for a fact when network performance is being hampered by over utilization or other issues. Make more informed decisions about what changes need to be made to make the most positive impact.
- Remote Maintenance on PC's and Servers without interupting the Users
Fluid Networks engineers can remotely administer a PC without disturbing the user. We can see in real time what processes are using what resources while the user works. Reports of slow performance, etc can be easily diagnosed and solved with minimal user impact. If the user requires assistance, an engineer can also remotely access that PC. Most user issues can be resolved remotely without requiring an expensive truck roll which means your business saves money by only having to pay the monthly maintencance fee on that device.
- Staff can request Service from Anywhere
If a user requires assistance, they can ask for help on our website and an engineer can drop right on to their PC no matter where they are. This is great for road warriors, etc who need help when they are out of the office.
- Management Portal and Ticketing System
You have access to our customer network management portal where you and/or your IT staff can see at a glance what your network health is. You can see any tickets that have been generated and you can open new tickets. It's all designed to ensure you are comfortable that Fluid Networks is effectively managing your IT needs. If you have an in-house IT staff, we can even open up our back-end systems to them so they can better serve your users... All the while keeping everybody in the loop.
- Monthly Executive Reports
Monthly reports get emailed to you showing overall network health and giving a high level overview of any issues that were worked on that month. More detailed reports can be setup and sent out when you need them.
Call (805.856.1807) or email us today to find out how the Fluid | MSP platform can help you cut IT costs and increase overall network health.