| I am constantly amazed at the state of computer | | | | A twelve-hour SLA would have a technician on-site in |
| systems found in most small businesses networks. | | | | less than twelve hours. Naturally, the quicker the |
| Spyware, adware, malware, poor security, you name it! | | | | response the more the costs. This can work in your |
| Why is this so? | | | | favor if you can afford to wait a little while for support. |
| Small business owners often find themselves in a | | | | On-site Support |
| situation where they need to do everything. They are | | | | This is when a technician is dispatched to your location |
| their own IT person, writer or even delivery person. | | | | and should be considered the minimum level of service. |
| Sometimes they have had their next-door neighbor | | | | Telephone Support |
| setup up their peer-to-peer network. Maybe they had | | | | Telephone support offers your business two big |
| a computer person set things up then tried to maintain | | | | incentives, quicker resolution and lower costs. Phone |
| the network on their own. There are many reasons. | | | | support can return your employees to a productive |
| What it all adds up to is you have a network with | | | | state faster than On-site support. |
| many security problems and poor performance. | | | | This should be included in the contract. Some |
| Poor performance can lead to lost productivity due to | | | | companies consider it an add-on and charge an |
| lost data or hardware and software problems. If every | | | | additional fee. |
| time you start MS Word it takes five minutes to open | | | | Additional Services |
| up, and you open it four times per day, you could loose | | | | Since the goal of contracting for your IT support is to |
| as much as twenty minutes per day. That is over 120 | | | | provide your business with the maximum benefit, for |
| hours per year for just one application! | | | | the least cost, consider including these additional |
| A system heavily infected with adware and spyware | | | | services |
| can easily take this long to startup or shutdown | | | | Acceptable Use Policies Project Management |
| programs, if it does not crash frequently. Since adware | | | | Network Security Network Design and Development |
| and spyware authors do not care if your PC crashes, | | | | Remote Office Support |
| they tend to write sloppy programs that cause | | | | The more complete the services provided by your |
| problems when they interact with legitimate | | | | support company, the better off your company will be. |
| applications. | | | | Here is a sample package that is popular with my |
| The security side can be even more problematic. Do | | | | customers. A yearly mutually renewable contract that |
| you maintain customer data on your network? If you | | | | may be terminated on sixty days written notice by |
| do, you may have a legal responsibility to safeguard | | | | either party. Stipulating a twelve-hour SLA and limited |
| that data. Failure to do so could open your business up | | | | phone support. |
| to litigation. We all know how lawsuit happy Americans | | | | Included in the project initiation package is an |
| have become. | | | | Acceptable Use Agreement that has to be signed by |
| So what do you do? | | | | all employees. This is a precondition to finalization of |
| Do what the big companies do, turn the problem over | | | | the service contract. An acceptable use policy defines |
| to your IT department and make them solve the | | | | the actions that may and may not be taken on your |
| problem. | | | | network. This helps protect you from wrongdoing by |
| You do not have an IT department. Well you could call | | | | your employees. |
| George, the guy who setup your network in the first | | | | The way my technicians service our contracts is to |
| place. George is the "computer technician" who failed | | | | attempt to give the customer a four-hour or better |
| to setup your network security, when he created your | | | | response regardless of the contracted SLA. Our |
| network. | | | | phone support goal is to contact the customer in less |
| I like George; he gives me a lot of business fixing | | | | then 30 minutes. |
| problems he leaves behind. | | | | Since this is a service contract, my technicians, as a |
| One of the advantages of having your own IT | | | | minimum, spend one entire day per month at the |
| department is they become familiar with your | | | | client's office maintaining the network environment. |
| operations and can quickly resolve any problems that | | | | This means ensuring all PCs have all the required |
| pop up. | | | | security patches and hot fixes applied, updated virus |
| How can you take advantage of having your own IT | | | | definition files and that all spyware/adware has been |
| staff? Hire an IT support company for the service. I | | | | removed. These actions ensure your network runs |
| know "outsourcing" is a dirty word these days, but if | | | | smoothly, reducing employee downtime and the |
| you think about it small businesses have always | | | | support required to maintain the network. |
| benefited from outsourcing. | | | | In addition to the monthly maintenance, the contract |
| Why contract for your IT support? One reason is you | | | | allows for up to five hours free on-site labor per |
| may not have a need for a fulltime onsite technician. If | | | | month. Any work carried out beyond this time frame is |
| you only have a need for a technician ten hours a | | | | billed at fifty percent of the current billing rate. |
| week, do you want to pay for a full forty hours? | | | | The client is responsible for all hardware and software |
| To protect yourself and maintain a professional | | | | costs. |
| relationship with your support company always insist | | | | Special projects are billed at a reduce rate also. |
| on a service contract. This contract defines the | | | | Initially, a large amount of work is required to get the |
| responsibilities of both parties. | | | | client's network setup efficiently, after this; few clients |
| Your service contract should cover the following | | | | need services outside of the contracted hours. When |
| aspects: | | | | they do, it is mostly for special unanticipated projects. |
| Service Level Agreement | | | | Now you can give your business a "corporate" IT |
| This is the performance standard you use to measure | | | | department even if you are not a big corporation. I |
| the response you receive from your support company. | | | | have seen real estate agents who make high six |
| For instance, my company typically offers three levels | | | | figure incomes spending their time fixing computer |
| of service level agreements. Each level costs a | | | | problems. Ask yourself, is my time better spent fixing |
| different amount based on the timeliness of service. If | | | | this computer or should I call in a specialist and spend |
| you contract for a four-hour response, you are | | | | my time making money for my business. |
| guaranteed a technician on-site in less than four hours. | | | | |