Dallas Desktop Support
Alexander Muse , February 27, 2006
Comments (0)Here in Dallas many company claim they provide outsourced IT support for clients. Many of them provide website support, managed hosting, application support, and networking monitoring. When we talk about outsourced IT support at Architel what we are really talking about is desktop support.
Doing desktop support right is certainly not a science, it is more of an art – an imperfect art. Think about how hard it is to please people that are already not happy. Make one false move, say or write the wrong thing and you can set off an already annoyed end user into a raging fury. Think I am exaggerating? Think again (we have the recorded phone calls to prove it).
How do we do it? Very carefully. First, we give each end user a trouble ticket icon – with it they can submit problems and receive attention within 30 minutes. Second, we give them an emergency escape value in form of six phone numbers (the office, cell and home numbers of the top three managers). Next, we give them visibility into the process by allowing them to view the notations made on each trouble ticke they enter. Finally, we record each support call for future reference.
So next time you hear some say they offer outsourced IT services ask them if they will come onsite and fix your PC.
SimpleTicket Meeting
Alexander Muse , February 25, 2006
Starting next Tuesday (2/28/06) the SimpleTicket team will be holding a standing conference call at 10:00AM Con Bridge: 214.550.3540. The calls will last between 10 minutes and an 30 minutes as needed. We will be discussing the future of the project, ongoing initiatives, and division of duties. The calls will be open to anyone interested in the project.Can’t make the call? Don’t worry, we will be recording them and will make them available via a public podcast we call the SimpleTicket Podcast. Oh and if you miss the call, but want to make a comment, suggestion or offer just record your thoughts (in an mp3) and insert them into the podcast.
Blackberry News
Alexander Muse , February 24, 2006
The Patent office issued a final rejection of NTP patent, the issue at the heart of the infringement case brought against RIM, the maker of the Blackberry. This might not mean the end to problems for RIM as NTP can appeal, but it seems unlikely that the judge would grant an injunction given this latest news. Read the news directly from Patent Office’s Web site. Read the full architel here.
Great job guys!
Alexander Muse , February 20, 2006
We received an email from a Dallas law firm that we support this evening that made me proud of our team of dedicated and hardworking engineers. I will let the email speak for itself:
On Thursday morning we learned at 8:00 a.m. that our building lost power sometime during the night. Unfortunately we had recently removed the Architel monitoring server for repairs, so we were initially not sure when the outage occurred and Architel had no way of knowing. We called Architel immediate and issued an alert that we would we be needing major assistance to ensure that our systems came back up, that our backups ran, that email and remote access were functioning, etc.  We learned later in the day that the building’s entire electrical system was damaged, and that the main buss duct was fried beyond repair. Architel sprung into action and removed our servers, installing them at your location to restore email and remote data access. This was a vital step in our business continuation efforts. Although we had ordered a generator the situation at the building was so bad that it took over a day to get even minimal power to our suite. During that time Architel proved to be our most reliable partner in the entire situation. Patrick and this team were professional and responsive. I felt that Patrick was ready to do whatever it took to keep us operational. Late Sunday the power returned and Patrick and Andre returned our servers and got us back on line. Your guys made it look easy. On our end the IT process seemed uncomplicated and seamless. That’s what a great job your people did. Our partners had no fear, no concerns, no suggestions even – they carried on with total confidence that Architel was handling everything the best way possible.  In my analysis you did just that.
Major kudos to all involved. Once again, Architel saves the day. My sincere thanks to everyone who got us through 4 miserable days.
Hosted Applications Rule?
Alexander Muse , February 20, 2006
Lots of companies are building web services instead of traditional boxed software solutions. Salesforce.com is perhaps one of the most famous hosted applications – they offer companies a hosted CRM solution. We even used it for a while.
Then we realized that Salesforce.com didn’t work so well when the internet went down, or when we were not connected to the internet or when their servers went down. Wow, we might as well send the salesfolks home when the CRM system did not work. What if we did our accounting on a hosted system? How about our other applications?
It seems like other people are starting to realize that there is a significant downside to hosted applications. Check out these articles here, here, and here. Scott calls them ‘hostage’ applications – because we feel like hostages. Our data is held hostage and our business is held hostage.
Five reasons to wait!
Alexander Muse , February 19, 2006
Not so fast. Windows XP is now a fairly stable, and increasingly secure OS according to Michael Desmond. He points out the following five reasons to take pause and delay upgrading to Vista:
- Pay that piper: Vista is an operating system. It’s the stuff your applications run on. But it’ll cost $100 or more to make the switch. Unless you’re buying a new PC and starting from scratch, you may be better off saving the money for something else.
- Where’s my antivirus?: For all the hype about security in Windows Vista, users may be disappointed to learn that antivirus software will not be part of the package. There’s every indication that an online subscription service–possibly under the OneCare rubric–will offer antivirus protection to Vista users down the road. But for the time being, you’ll need to turn to third-party companies like Symantec, McAfee, Grisoft, and others for virus protection.
- Watch that hourglass: Vista is a power hog. Unless you have a top-end PC with high-end graphics hardware, for instance, you won’t see one of the coolest parts of the new OS–the Aero Glass interface. Microsoft did the smart thing by offering Aero Basic and Windows Classic looks as well, which will let older and slower PCs run Vista. It just won’t look as pretty.
- Curse the learning curve: Microsoft has already ditched some aggressive ideas–such as the whole “virtual folders” thing–because the concepts proved too confusing for users. Even so, you’ll find that the new Windows changes a lot of old tricks, and not always for the better. Heck, it took me almost five minutes to find the Run command, which used to show up right in the Start menu. And many users may struggle with the new power scheme, which defaults to putting the PC into hibernation rather than shutting down. I know it frustrated me the first time I wanted to power down the system to swap out a disk drive.
- Meet the old boss, same as the new boss: Microsoft has added lots of new stuff to Vista, but some features are just warmed-over fare. Windows Mail is nothing more than a rebranded Outlook Express, and Windows Defender is simply an updated version of Microsoft AntiSpyware.
Windows Vista (better than XP)
Alexander Muse , February 19, 2006
Ready to upgrade? Windows Vista will be out later this year as a replacement for Windows XP. Here are ten reasons you should consider upgrading:
1. Security, security, security: Windows XP Service Pack 2 patched a lot of holes, but Vista takes security to the next level. There are literally too many changes to list here, from the bidirectional software firewall that monitors inbound and outbound traffic to Windows Services Hardening, which prevents obscure background processes from being hijacked and changing your system. There’s also full-disk encryption, which prevents thieves from accessing your data, even if they steal the PC out from under your nose.
Perhaps most crucial (and least sexy) is the long-overdue User Account Protection, which invokes administrator privileges as needed, such as during driver updates or software installations. UAP makes it much more convenient for users to operate Vista with limited rights (meaning the system won’t let them do certain things, like load software, without clearance from an administrator). This in turn limits the ability of malware to hose your system.
2. Internet Explorer 7: IE gets a much-needed, Firefox-inspired makeover, complete with tabbed pages and better privacy management. There’s also the color-coded Address Bar that lets you know if a page is secured by a digital key, or, thanks to new antiphishing features, if it’s a phony Web site just looking to steal information about you.
These features will all be available for Windows XP users who download IE7. But Vista users get an important extra level of protection: IE7 on Vista will run in what Microsoft calls “protected mode”–a limited-rights mode that prevents third-party code from reaching your system. It’s about darn time.
3. Righteous eye candy: For the first time, Microsoft is building high-end graphics effects into Windows. The touted Aero Glass interface features visually engaging 3D rendering, animation, and transparencies. Translucent icons, program windows, and other elements not only look cool, they add depth and context to the interface. For example, hover your cursor over minimized programs that rest on the taskbar and you’ll be able to see real-time previews of what’s running in each window without opening them full-screen. Now you can see what’s going on behind the scenes, albeit at a cost: You need powerful graphics hardware and a robust system to manage all the effects.
4. Desktop search: Microsoft has been getting its lunch handed to it by Google and Yahoo on the desktop, but Vista could change all that. The new OS tightly integrates instant desktop search, doing away with the glacially slow and inadequate search function in XP. Powerful indexing and user-assignable metadata make searching for all kinds of data–including files, e-mails, and Web content–a lot easier. And if you’re running Vista on a Windows Longhorn network, you can perform searches across the network to other PCs.
5. Better updates: Vista does away with using Internet Explorer to access Windows Update, instead utilizing a new application to handle the chore of keeping your system patched and up-to-date. The result is quicker response and a more tightly streamlined process. The update-tracking mechanism, for instance, is much quicker to display information about your installation. And now key components, such as the Windows Defender antispyware module, get their updates through this central point. Like other housekeeping features, a better Windows Update isn’t a gee-whiz upgrade, but it should make it easier–and more pleasant–to keep your PC secure.
6. More media: Over the years, one of the key reasons to upgrade versions of Windows has been the free stuff Gates and Company toss into the new OS, and Vista is no exception. Windows Media Player (perhaps my least favorite application of all time) gets a welcome update that turns the once-bloated player into an effective MP3 library. The Windows Photo Gallery finally adds competent photo-library-management functionality to Windows, so you can organize photos; apply metatags, titles, and ratings; and do things like light editing and printing. The DVD Maker application, which was still very rough when I looked at it, promises to add moviemaking capabilities–along the lines of Movie Maker–to the operating system. There are even some nice new games tucked into the bundle.
7. Parental controls: Families, schools, and libraries will appreciate the tuned-up parental controls, which let you limit access in a variety of ways. Web filtering can block specific sites, screen out objectionable content by selected type, and lock out file downloads. You can also restrict each account’s access by time of day or day of the week. As a dad, I can tell you this will be great for keeping kids off the PC while you’re at work, for instance. You can even block access to games based on their Entertainment Software Rating Board ratings.
8. Better backups: When Windows 95 first came out, the typical hard disk was, maybe, 300MB in size. Today, desktops routinely ship with 300GB or 400GB hard drives. And yet, the built-in data-backup software in Windows has changed little in the past decade. Windows Vista boasts a much-improved backup program that should help users avoid wholesale digital meltdowns. Microsoft also tweaked the useful System Restore feature–which takes snapshots of your system state so you can recover from a nasty infection or botched software installation.
9. Peer-to-peer collaboration: The Windows Collaboration module uses peer-to-peer technology to let Vista users work together in a shared workspace. You can form ad hoc workgroups and then jointly work on documents, present applications, and pass messages. You can even post “handouts” for others to review.
10. Quick setup: Beta code alert: There are some Vista features I hope dearly for even though they haven’t been built yet. This is one of them. Jim Allchin, Microsoft’s co-president, says that Windows Vista boasts a re-engineered install routine, which will slash setup times from about an hour to as little as 15 minutes. Hurray! The new code wasn’t in the beta version of Vista that Microsoft sent to me–my aging rig took well over an hour to set up–so I’ll believe it when I see it. Still, any improvement in this area is welcome.
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IT Support for Dallas Companies
Alexander Muse , February 17, 2006
Do you run a small business in or around Dallas, Texas? If your company has between 20 and 100 employees you might be a perfect fit for Architel’s outsourced IT support service.
Architel pioneered the concept of a flat-rate, all-you-can-eat type of computer and network support. What do we provide?
- Reactive support (30 minute response during business hours)
- Proactive support (daily server maintenance)
- Project support (no additional fees for projects)
- Consulting services (periodic VirtualCIO meetings)
- Big company services (trouble ticket system, help desk, online backup, email hosting, server colocation, DNS hosting, SPAM filtration)
- Flat monthly fee for all services (no hourly fees)
- Month-to-month contracts
Architel becomes your complete IT department. Requiring one technician to support all of the systems small businesses depend on is unreasonable. How can one engineer know everything, be available all of the time, never take a vacation and never receive ongoing training? It just doesn’t work. Most small business owners cannot afford the management talent to manage in-house or third party resources.
Want to learn more? Email Scott Ryan or give him a call at 214.550.2010.
Dallas Computer Support
Alexander Muse , February 17, 2006
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Architel provides computer support to small businesses in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Our model is unique. We provide an all-you-can-eat level of support for a flat-monthly fee.
For more than five years Architel has been turning the IT support business in Dallas on its head. Our unique, all-you-can-eat computer and network support model is the envy of more than a few Dallas based IT companies. How can Architel offer unlimited support for a flat monthly fee? We are highly selective about who we choose to do business with, it is that simple.
Who hires us? Our typical client is a Dallas business owner who is a visionary and leader in his field. He understands his market and his customers, but he readily will admit what he does not understand. Our clients use technology as a means to an end, not the other way around. Want to find out if you are a good fit for our delivery model? Give Scott Ryan a call today at 214.550.2010.
Cogent Fiber Maintenance
Alexander Muse , February 17, 2006
Cogent sent the following email to our clients this afternoon. If you are on a Cogent network or are trying to reach someone on a Cogent network you may have network interruption from 11PM until 5AM tomorrow. Here is the email:
Dear Cogent Customer,
As a valued customer, Cogent is committed to keeping you informed about any changes in network status. This email is to alert you about fiber maintenance that will potentially impact our network. This maintenance is not expected to cause downtime for your Cogent internet service. You may experience unusual routing and/or latency, but we are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of this maintenance by Abovenet/MFN.
Start time (e.s.t.): 12:00 am 2/18/06
End time (e.s.t.): 6:00 am 2/18/06
Work order number: WO3402
Order ID(s): 1-3ST9Y
During this time, Abovenet/MFN will be making permanent the temporary restoration of some of Cogent’s long haul fibers in New York. After we reviewed their Scope of Work, they modified their work plan, and depending on the amount of damage the backbone circuits may not go down at all. However, if the damage is extensive, requiring a new cable pull or conduit replacement in the manhole we could experience as much as 6 hours of downtime on our backbone spans between New York and Philadelphia and New York and Washington DC. Please note your connection will experience no downtime, but you may experience routing anomalies and latency for 6 hours while Abovenet completes the repairs.
We will be updating our network status page at
http://status.cogentco.com throughout the night as the work proceeds and will do everything possible to minimize impact.
In addition, we have added temporary capacity on the protect path of our long-haul network from New York to Washington DC to carry some of the traffic that would normally take the path Abovenet will be working on. This will help reduce overloads on any of our remaining backbone paths.
If you have any problems with your connection after this time, or if you have any questions regarding the maintenance at any point, please call Customer Service at 1-877-7COGENT and reference this ticket number: WO3402. You can also check for updates at http://status.cogentco.com.
We look forward to continuing to bring you excellent service. Thank you
for being a Cogent Customer.
Sincerely,
Customer Support
Cogent Communications
support@cogentco.com
