The single most important preventative maintenance item is data backup.  Yet many small companies do not have a backup / recovery solution in place.  Many of those that do backup do so only occasionally because of the tedious steps involved.  No one wants to be the backup-person.  If backup is important for residential users (and it is!) then it's even more important for business users whose very existence relies on it's computers!

Through interview and on-site audit, we can determine what type of data backup system is indicated and make appropriate recommendations.  Possible solutions include purely on-site, on-site with off-site rotation, and purely off-site.  Backup systems might include backing up only a file server or may include end-user computers as well, depending on how your company stores and accesses it's business data.

But regardless of how your company uses data, a working backup system is of utmost importance.  There is simply nothing more important!

As you know, computer technology advances rapidly, obsolescing your computers in just a few years.  A high performance computer with ample speed and capacity purchased today will be middle of the pack in two years, back of the class in four years, and obsolete in six years.

Computer hardware itself doesn't slow down with age, but operating system and applications get bigger and fatter, requiring more horsepower and memory than before. Fortunately, new computers are also far cheaper than the old ones they replace.  For example, a decent computer that cost $1,500 six years ago may cost half that today -- and be much faster and smaller as well.  In selecting new computers, we examine such things as cost, parts availability, and adherence to hardware standards.

Be it servers or workstations, we can replace your existing aging hardware with new hardware, moving all your applications, data, and settings to the new machine.  We do not mark-up computers.  We purchase current-technology computers specifically for you and your business and pass along the actual cost of the hardware.

As a bonus, we will dispose of your existing hardware for you. Of course, all data will be completely and securely removed, making your old gear safe for disposal. This way, you are relieved of the environmental costs associated with trashing old computer gear.

A fault-tolerant computer (or server) is one that can suffer from some types of hardware failure and still continue running.  This is important when a company has a computer or server that is business-critical -- that must be online in order for business to proceed.

The most common part to fail, by far, is the hard drive (where all the data is stored).  A fault tolerant computer or server has two (or more) hard drives that operate together and duplicate information across the hard drives.  This way, if one drive fails, another drive immediately takes over so there is no interruption in work-flow.  Then when it's convenient to the business, say after hours, the failed hard drive can be replaced.

Some fault tolerant computers and servers have duplicate power supplies as well.  This isn't quite as common since power supplies don't often fail.

In short, any business that would come to a screeching halt without one or more of it's primary computers or server is a candidate for fault tolerance.

This is not the same as doing a daily backup.  Backing up is always recommended whether you have a fault tolerant computer or not.

Your company probably has a Local Area Network, or LAN, that connects all the computers, servers, and printers together.  Make sure your network is secure and that employees cannot access computers that they aren't supposed to.  We can also share your printers so that one printer can serve multiple computers.

We install network cabling.  If you want to put a computer into a previously unwired office, we can wire it.

Would you like to access your computer or even your entire network remotely?  Maybe you'd like to access your office-based accounting system from home or another location?

There are solutions that can give you secure access to one or more computers and even your entire network from anywhere on the internet.  Some of these solutions are free.

Even using an iPhone or other smart phone, you can access and synchronize your calendar, contacts, email, and office computers from anywhere.

Clients and customers love free public internet access!  Do you offer wireless or wi-fi "hot spot" access to your clients or customers?  If not, would you like to?  Clients and customers appreciate being able to check email, read the news, or maybe log into Facebook while waiting in places of business.  This is especially true if you have a formal waiting area, such as a doctors office.  Wireless access is also very popular in restaurants.

Setting up a public access wi-fi hotspot is not expensive or time-consuming, but it must be done correctly so as to keep your back-office business network secure.  You don't want your customers having access to your business computers.  We can setup a secure wireless hotspot that gives your clients and customers access to the internet only -- and NOT to your private business network.

If you already have a public access wi-fi hotspot, you may want to have it checked out to make sure it's secure.  Just because it requires a network key (a type of password) to join, doesn't mean it's secure.  Yes, a network key will keep out random, uninvited visitors, but it does nothing to firewall your private network from customers that you have given the network key to.  It's important that even invited customers and clients are kept out of the private part of your network.

A public access hotspot does not increase your monthly internet bill from your ISP.  It's just a one-time cost for the proper wi-fi router and installation -- no ongoing expense.

Does your business email address look anything like these:
   joesplumbing33467@aol.com
   rickthehandyman@hotmail.com
   berniesautorepair@comcast.net

These aren't very professional (and they are just made-up examples for illustration).

My real email address, robert@pbcit.com, looks much more professional, yes?  And with your own domain name you will never be forced to change email addresses if you change internet providers or if your email provider changes it's name.

We can setup a customized domain name just for your company.  It can serve as your email address and/or web site.  The hosting is free and the domain registration runs $10 to $15 a year.  There are no recurring monthly expenses!

Fax machines are nearly ancient yet they refuse to go away.  A better faxing solution may be to use your computer.  You won't tie up your phone line.  If you are paying for a second phone line just for your fax machine then you can cancel that second line and save money.

If faxing is important to your business, let us discuss new ways to do faxing that eliminates the physical fax machine and the second phone line.