Case Study – Network Support

The Challenge

End server tape backups and move to Network Attached Storage (NAS) backups with a proper, robust Windows domain and Exchange-capable backup solution. Also implement a new domain-wide security solution with alerts and reports.

The Solution

We purchased and installed affordable but capable NAS devices with RAID mirroring for extra backup redundancy. Symantec Backup Exec and Symantec Endpoint Protection was licensed, installed, and configured and on the client’s Small Business Server. We configured weekly reports and as-triggered alerts for a variety of conditions, to be sent via email to proper personnel.

Remote-access technology was leveraged to allow us to perform weekly reviews of key reports and ensure regular updates on server and client machines. Verifying backups and maintaining space on NAS for continuous backup sets is also done remotely, minimizing costs and overhead for the client.

Migrating to Office365 from onsite servers

Image by Microsoft Sweden via Flickr

This week our team will be doing another “move to the cloud” for one of our clients.

Small and Medium Organizations who have previously installed onsite Windows Servers in order to run Microsoft Exchange for email, contacts, and calendars can benefit from the new cloud services Microsoft is offering.  This is a particularly well-timed decision when you might be considering upgrading an aging Small Business Server 2003, or other aging Server platform running Exchange.

Why?  Because the cost of migrating a smaller organization to Microsoft Office 365, plus the ongoing annual cost of a relevant subscription tier, can be less than

or equal to the cost of a new server and associated costs.  The added advantage of much lower ongoing maintenance and upkeep costs (as Microsoft staff do 90% of that work at no additional cost) can be a very wise choice in today’s business and technological marketplace.

Beyond email, as I have written about previously, Office 365 offers online, browser-based versions of Office applications for document creation and editing on-the-go, and also features the newest Microsoft SharePoint cloud interface for online document storage and sharing (as well as other intranet-related features).  The newest addition to the offerings is Microsoft Lync, which replaces the older Office Communicator and Live Meeting products and empowers instant messaging, real-time voice chat, screen-sharing, and other cool communication tools.

A small business or organization without an on-premise Windows Server or Exchange environment can easily setup new accounts and enable better email, calendaring, contact management, document sharing and storage, and IM and collaboration tools than they have previously had available.

All this can be had at around 6.00 per user per month for the features I have described, a price competitive with Google Apps for Business but which integrates much more organically with Windows operating systems and Office products.

More and more of us are moving to the cloud for essential services for our agencies andy businesses.  Office 365 provides a cost-effective and very useful set of tools for any organization today.

If you are interested in learning more or want to receive a free quote on how NSI Partners TechConnect can assist your organization with cloud-based technologies, contact us today at tech@nsipartners.com !

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Wide Area Network Solutions for SMBs through Software, not expensive Hardware

One of the exciting things about the TechConnect services we provide here at NSI Partners is being able to constantly innovate technology solutions for the Small-Medium Business (SMB) universe.  From software to hardware to smartphones, technology is often fluid, and one of the advantages of smaller organizations is being able to move swifter with less cost and investment than large enterprises.

Image via Wikipedia

A great example of this is a business with multiple locations in one city or regional area that relies on software solutions designed for the more-traditional Local-Area-Network (LAN) architecture.  For instance, let’s say your business wants to use a time-sheet program that allows employees to log in and out for the workday and track hours , as well as enabling reports and calendaring features for the admin staff.  One such example of this type of program is ShopClock.  Designed to work with a Microsoft SQL back-end database residing on a computer in the LAN designated as a server, then allowing workstation or client installs on multiple computers for employees to access and sign in and out.  Problems start to appear when you want to have one server at one business location but install licensed copies at other store locations that need to reach out to the server across the internet.

One traditional solution to this problem is from a hardware perpective:  work with your ISP to create a tunneled VPN via routers and switches, or get your own routers with VPN features that tie your public IP addresses together into a Wide Area Network (WAN) allowing the devices at each store to communicate with each other as if they were on the same network.  Thousands of dollars can be spent successfully implementing such a solution.  A second option that is less than desirable is to install stand-alone server/workstation setups at each location.  However, this can cost more as often additional licenses are required, and the stores don’t communicate with each other.



A third solution, and one we enjoy recommending and implementing for our TechConnect SMB clients, is LogMeIn Hamachi.  A great product that allows us to do a simple software install at each computer needing access to the WAN, and viola!  Instant connectivity between multiple geographical office locations for the purpose of connecting workstations to a server as in the case of ShopClock.  This has other obvious uses too, such as file sharing, remote printing, and even includes chat functionality.  For a handful of dollars a month, it could take over a decade for the costs of this option to catch up with some of the hardware solutions (not to mention saving on electricity bills and space not being used for additional hardware).

This is just one example of a creative, cost-effective technology solution for a small or medium business that enables the business to focus on growing and servicing customers with excellence, without sacrificing lots of time, energy and money on enterprise-type solutions.  If you work with a small or medium business needing better support and implementation of technology, feel free to contact us at tech@nsipartners.com.

Small Business IT Support Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-computers     -software     -operating systems     -printers     -scanners

-smart phones     -mobile devices     -networks     -routers     -switches          -file sharing     -data backup

-application choices     -databases     -training and tutorials

-cloud services

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com

Remote IT Support Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-COMPUTERS -SOFTWARE -OPERATING SYSTEMS -PRINTERS -SCANNERS

-SMART PHONES -MOBILE DEVICES -NETWORKS -ROUTERS -SWITCHES

-FILE SHARING -DATA BACKUP                - APPLICATIONS -DATABASES

-TRAINING -CLOUD SERVICES

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com

Network Design Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-COMPUTERS     -SOFTWARE      -OPERATING SYSTEMS                 -PRINTERS     -SCANNERS

-SMART PHONES     -MOBILE DEVICES     -NETWORKS                                                    -ROUTERS                         -SWITCHES   

-FILE SHARING     -DATA BACKUP     - APPLICATIONS     -DATABASES

-TRAINING                        -CLOUD SERVICES

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com