Complex hybrid IT infrastructures comprised of network, key servers, applications, clouds, services, data, storage environments, and, yes, users require constant care and feeding to ensure that performance goals are met and systems and data remain protected.
Beyond your clients’ reach
Effective support for these IT infrastructures requires both human expertise and sophisticated automated tools that can be beyond your clients’ reach.
IT support capabilities now must span both cloud and on-premises deployments, including virtualized environments and mobile networks, that typically cross premises boundaries. Plus, support for cloud services cannot ignore the major public cloud vendors or cloud development and management standards like representational state transfer (REST).
An enterprise IT support services provider can help
The good news: your clients can get help from an enterprise IT support services provider able to integrate diverse IT infrastructure support functions such as monitoring and alerting, software patching, and help desk operations.
But which provider would be best? Two suggestions:
1 Distinguish between the need for IT infrastructure support and IT infrastructure improvement
Many enterprise IT support services providers will both support IT infrastructure and make improvements to overcome performance issues. But not all enterprise IT support services providers will separate these efforts in ways that minimize costs and maximize efficiencies.
A better bet is an enterprise IT support services provider offering a set initial period of IT infrastructure support (Quest’s Umbrella Support Plan puts this at six months).
During this period, the provider conducts an infrastructure assessment and delivers prioritized infrastructure improvement recommendations. Your clients then decide what needs doing, and these efforts proceed independently of operational IT support services.
2 Look for an enterprise IT support services provider able to deliver…
- IT infrastructure support that includes:
- Monitoring of supported devices;
- Security alert monitoring;
- Hardware support (as defined by your current OEM maintenance agreements);
- Best-effort support to patch servers and operating systems under valid maintenance agreements;
- Server diagnostics and troubleshooting;
- Firewall, switch, and wireless AP troubleshooting;
- Opening tickets to address telecom circuit outages;
- Performing (on request) adds/moves/changes, user mappings, and server reboots.
- 24 x 7 x 365 user help desk services that include:
- Remote hands support;
- Best-effort support for Windows-based desktops and applications;
- Answering basic “how to” questions;
- Server-based password resets;
- Workstation and server troubleshooting and triage;
- Addressing network/internet connectivity issues;
- User administration of MS Exchange or hosted email applications; and
- Active Directory adds/moves/changes.
- A single point of contact and an established escalation process for all contracted support needs;
- Customizable service levels, so your clients pay only for the support they want; and
- The ability to expand support coverage to additional infrastructure components as needed in a single customizable service level agreement.
Unlike many other enterprise IT infrastructure support services offerings, Quest’s Umbrella Support Plan maximizes your clients’ flexibility and budget because they can dynamically adjust their IT support to their evolving needs and priorities.