Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of frequently asked questions from our customers. Add to our Frequently Asked Question list by submitting questions here.

What is a Managed Service and why do I need it?

In simple terms, a managed service is the difference between having your IT infrastructure proactively managed and protected 24/7 against outages vs reacting to outages on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, in the second scenario an IT support company responds to your call with no information about the configuration of your computer network. Is this an ideal scenario for a small business? For example, we had a retail customer who experienced an outage affecting all point-of-sale (POS) cash registers in the store. This outage occurred on the busiest day of the week. Thus, the outage affected in-store customer shopping experience for 9 hours.

In the interim, intensive troubleshooting occurred and we configured backup applications on a temporary platform. Because managed service providers have a deep understanding of our customers’ business and operational needs, we can minimize downtime using automated tools and setting up your infrastructure for redundancy. Essentially, a managed service provider is your partner and an essential part of your team. The information stored in your computers systems is critical and protection like any other business asset is important. In short, managed service providers will save small businesses money in terms of downtime, productivity, and lost revenue. Hope this explanation answers your question.

When should I hire a Managed Services Company?

Here are a few reasons to consider:

– The owner of the business is spending too much time working on, resolving, or managing IT related issues.
– An extended power outage occurred and you don’t have a disaster recovery plan.
– You need to expand your office. However, your current IT network is inadequate.
– Your hosting company is overcharging you to maintain your website.
– You are unsure of the most cost effective computers to operate your business.

How do I know when my hard drive is damaged?

The main signs are:

– Loud noises or a grinding sound emanating from the hard drive
– Drive not being recognized by your computer is it is an external drive
– Computer experiences boot up

If you hear any unusual sounds, immediately turn off your computer, otherwise permanent damage will occur making data retrieval impossible.