How fast can you get here?
In most cases, we are able to be onsite within hours of your call. We prioritize our service calls based on the impact of the issue. If a server is down, we will respond quicker than a simple issue that is not preventing one of your staff from working. For example, a routine call to clean a system would be rescheduled to ensure a network outage or server failure takes top priority.
Do we have to have a service contract?
We do offer service contracts for our clients who require a predictable expense to fit their budgets, however we also operate on an hourly rate for our other clients.
Our router died. Do you fix that?
It is always best to have your network configuration documented, and to have that documentation available to a technician working on your network. Far too often, businesses have their network setup and are not given any information on how it is setup, or what passwords might be for different devices. It has almost become a specialty of ours to be able to go into a network, and reverse engineer the network structure to be able to configure a new router to function almost identically to the previous one.
Another item to note is that a failing router doesn’t always identify itself right away. Symptoms may include the need to reset or reboot your Internet connection from time to time. A failing router can also cause slow speeds, or inconsistent connections. If you are unsure on the health of your router, contact us for a review.
Our last computer guy didn’t leave any notes. Is that a problem?
Many times, we find that other technicians fix a problem, but don’t usually leave notes on the changes that they have made. In an ideal situation, you would have a manual created over the course of setting up your network. This should show the detailed configuration of each device, it’s location, serial number, firmware version, purchase date, technician responsible for the installation and configuration, etc. This manual is great not only to have all of the notes to be able to program a replacement unit, but it also covers requirements for accounting and insurance purposes. This requires a little more time while setting up something new, but it saves a tremendous amount of time later in the event of a problem. Before you have a problem, have us document your configuration for you.
Can you add our photocopier as a network printer & scanner?
Sharing resources on the network is a huge time and cost saver. Instead of having many smaller simpler printers at each workstation, you consolidate the ink and toner that you need around your office. Most photocopiers have advanced features such as folding, stapling, double sided (duplex) printing, etc. Adding the copier to your network is far easier that you think. If you have documentation on your network configuration, this is likely completed in as little as an hour.
We have a nice website, but our email addresses do match our website address. Can you help with that?
Time and time again, we see companies with their own domain name, and a nice website, but then their email address is @gmail, @hotmail, @bellnet, @sympatico, etc. Most hosting companies that would be hosting your website offer free or low cost email as well. In many cases, it may just forward something like sales@yourdomain.com to a @gmail, @hotmail… account. For easy ways to make your small – medium sized business appear to be a large corporation just by cleaning up your appearance (Email address, Email signatures, etc.) give us a call. These things are quick and easy, yet they can set you apart from your competition.
Our staff seem to have lots of trouble with their mobile devices. Can you help with that too?
From screen replacement to data transfers, we can help. In many cases we can work remotely with people and help them with the issues right on their device.
Do you work on Macs?
Some of our staff have great experience work on the software side, as well as the hardware side of Apple products. For more information or to setup an appointment, give us a call.
We have outside staff that need access to the information on our server in the office. Can you help with that?
Remote access is our area of expertise. There are countless ways to accomplish this. After reviewing your specific needs, and business goals, we will show you a couple of solutions that can facilitate your business growth. Contact us today!
We need a constant connection between two locations. What are our options?
How far apart are the two locations? Do you have direct line of site? What type and amount of data do you expect to transfer over the connection? Is this connection going to be permanent? Ah, heck… just give us a call and we will review all of this with you. There are a ton of different options for connecting 2 locations. Distance and speed are 2 big factors that determine your options.
We need wireless access in our office.
Adding wireless can happen in a few different ways. This is typically done with a wireless router, but sometimes it may be easier to add a wireless access point instead of replacing an existing router. We will consult with you on your best option, and typically complete the install all in the same visit.
We have wireless, but it doesn’t reach everywhere we need it. What do we do?
A simple solution is to add a wireless access point that is wired into the network. This can be a second wireless network, or if your staff roam throughout the facility, we can setup one wireless network that is covered by many radios. Contact us to setup a time to review your needs.
What is “The Cloud” and is it good for my business?
So, you want us to explain “The Cloud” and keep it short? That’s hard but here is goes. “The Cloud” is simply services offered over the Internet. Previously, companies had their in-house servers to meet their needs. When staff started working outside the office, or sudden growth made the idea of keeping all of these services in house rather difficult. Companies saw the need for sharing resources, costs, and giving access to people anywhere. Essentially moving the in-house servers out to a Data Centre is a move some companies have made. Some companies offer individual services like storage (DropBox, Google Drive, etc.), or email (Hotmail, Gmail, etc.). One important thing to keep in mind is that “The Cloud” is often like a magic trick. Users typically have no idea how this is accomplished, but are amazed at the results. Beware that “The Cloud” has many draw backs. You want to be sure that you read the Service Level Agreements. Where is your data stored? Is the company your dealing with going to be in business for the long haul? If you would like more information, let us know. There are certainly pro’s and con’s to “The Cloud”.
We are moving to Office 365. Can you help with that too?To start thing off, you would want to list us as you “Partner of Record”. For information on how to do this, read this PDF.
We are looking to cut I.T. costs. What can you do to help?
We offer many services and have different pricing options. Sometimes it is as simple as reviewing your setup and finding ways to improve your operations. Other times, you might want to look at outsourcing your help desk. Let’s talk. Thinking outside the box is what we do best.
