Consulting is an often overlooked need in the business world. It is also one of the most critical. Before deciding what path you should take and what equipment you should buy, you need to know what you need. An experienced consultant can work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you need and that you get it set up the way you need it. By contrast, an amateur"computer guy" generally has little or no experience and can't provide you with the varied solutions that you need to fill your technology needs.

What's the Difference . . . Really?
If you have a company with several computers, a network, Internet access and a server containing all of your corporate records, could you say that it is set up properly? Most businesses answer "Yes" or "I guess so". But are you really sure? Bad setups can let hackers in, allow viruses to run rampant and can bring your company to a halt. You can usually tell whether you have a professional consultant by what topics he covers with you. A good professional consultant will also approach your needs with an eye toward long term solutions. They will avoid short term solutions that will be risky or inadequate in the future.

Viruses
Did your consultant discuss viruses with you? With the prevalence of viruses on the Internet today, all businesses must address this issue. Amateur and freelance"computer guys" working out of their homes will often overlook the virus issue or - worse yet - they will install a cheap, out-of date anti-virus program which gives you a false sense of security. Your consultant should cover what virus threats exist, what anti-virus software to use and how to update it. He should also work with you, as your partner, to educate your staff about potential virus threats and solutions to those threats.

Choosing how your computer systems are set up is also another factor that can influence how susceptible you are to virus attacks. This issue is almost always overlooked by amateurs who don't understand the issues of ensuring data security. Professional consultants will work with you to isolate systems that are more susceptible from systems that contain critical data, thereby helping to ensure your company continues to function properly.

Data Integrity
Did your consultant discuss data integrity with you? Most amateurs skip this topic. Unfortunately, some address the topic by installing a tape backup or giving you floppies to "make backups on" and instructing you to backup every day. This sounds like they have addressed the problem. But did they really? If you are using that same tape day after day to backup you will always have a backup from the day before. But what if you discover that you lost data two days ago? Three days ago? A week ago? Can you get it back? Probably not. An experienced, professional consultant will work with you to ensure that your data is safe and can be recovered for more than one day. Establishing effective backup and restore procedures is serious business if you are serious about your business.

Quality Equipment
A professional consultant will quite often not recommend the cheapest equipment possible. This is because a good consultant realizes that quality computing equipment is not just about price or even quality. Several factors must be taken into account. Does the equipment being recommended come from larger, established companies that have a track record for quality? This is important because, like any machine, computers can fail. You want to make sure that the company supplying the components will be around to back it if a failure occurs. Does the company supplying the parts have an acceptable replacement and repair policy? This is an often overlooked detail that can bring your company to its knees. The problem is that some companies have a mandatory two to six week turnaround on failures and replacements. This means that if your server's motherboard fails, you could be facing a two to six week period without the use of your server. Can your company accept that? Probably not.

Another issue that is often overlooked is standardization. Good professional consultants will not depart from standardized products without good reason. This ensures that you can easily expand your systems or replace failed components. One of the worst things that can happen is to have a failed server component that requires replacement of the entire server. Proprietary components can save money in the short term while costing a small fortune in the long term.

Equipment Location
Professional consultants will be interested in ensuring that you have the correct facilities available for your needs. Often times clients will locate equipment in closets or small storage areas that have substandard power systems or inadequate cooling. This can cause your equipment to fail and data to be lost due to "dirty power" and overheating. Proper ventilation and isolated circuits will most often cure this problem. Your consultant should work with you to ensure that your older building can fit your needs.

Total Solutions
The bottom line is that your professional consultant should be interested in working as your partner to ensure that your business continues to run smoothly. They should be educated, skilled and ethical people that will listen to your needs and help you to select the right solution.

If you would like like to work with us on a project, please feel free to drop us a line through our contact form. If you already have assessed some of your needs, you can provide us more detailed information in our project summary section.