When making such a big decision, such as who to chose as your IT provider. At Sagari we feel it is important to be transparent from the start, by arming you will all the details so you can feel confident when making your decision.

Our ‘Products and Services Overview’ was created to provide you with all the necessary information about our products and services, detailing what you will receive with each of our main services and how much they will cost.
We try to answer a lot of the common questions surrounding security, resilience, support, backup and service delivery to name and few.
Our Sagari team have all played a part in building this blog entry and adding information where they feel it adds value.
It has also been created as a reference blog entry you can keep coming back to quickly to answer important question about security, resillience, servce delivery etc..

Terminology

It is important we provide all the relevant definitions and terminology so you understand all the terms listed throughout this document. Please see below for the term and the definition below:

VMware – VMware is a provider of virtualization software.

Hosted Services – Services that house, serve, and maintain files. Servers are either owned and managed by the client or by the vendor, and are either dedicated or shared.

Virtualisation – in computing, is the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as a hardware platform, operating system, a storage device or network resources

Datacentre – is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It generally includes redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression) and security devices.

Network (computer network) – often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of computers and devices interconnected by communications channels that facilitate communications and allows sharing of resources and information among interconnected devices

Internet Exchanges – is a physical infrastructure through which Internet service providers (ISPs) exchange Internet traffic between their networks

ISO27001 - formally specifies a management system that is intended to bring information security under explicit management control. Being a formal specification means that it mandates specific requirements. Organizations that claim to have adopted ISO/IEC 27001 can therefore be formally audited and certified compliant with the standard.

Network Operations Centre – NOCs are responsible for monitoring the network/services provided for alarms or certain conditions that may require special attention to avoid impact on the network’s performance or services provided.

Server Farm – A server farm or server cluster is a collection of computer servers usually maintained by an enterprise to accomplish server needs far beyond the capability of one machine

Private Cloud - Or Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a private cloud existing within a shared or public cloud (i.e. the Intercloud).

PCI DSS Compliance – The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is an information security standard for organisations that handle cardholder information for the major debit, credit, prepaid, e-purse, ATM, and POS cards

Disaster Recovery – Disaster recovery is the process, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure critical to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster

Blowfish Encryption – Blowfish is a keyed, symmetric block cipher, designed in 1993 by Bruce Schneier and included in a large number of cipher suites and encryption products. Blowfish provides a good encryption rate in software and no effective cryptanalysis of it has been found to date.

Continuous Data Protection (CDP) – also called continuous backup or real-time backup, refers to backup of computer data by automatically saving a copy of every change made to that data, essentially capturing every version of the data that the user saves. It allows the user or administrator to restore data to any point in time

Snapshot – (computer storage), a set of computer files and directories kept in storage as they were some time in the past

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line – (ADSL) is one form of the Digital Subscriber Line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide

Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line – (SDSL) In the wider sense it is a collection of Internet access technologies based on DSL that offer symmetric bandwidth upstream and downstream

MPLS - Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks which directs and carries data from one network node to the next with the help of labels

Sagari Hosted Platform

We utilise 3 highly secure datacentres based in the UK to provide all of our hosted service. They have 1GB fibre connections to each datacentre for resilience. Here is some of the main reason we chose our datacentres:

• The network has been independently rated by SpeedTest.net as the fastest network in the UK, and third fastest network in the World.
• Connectivity is excellent with dual entry diverse fibre routes encompassing Telecity Williams House and Reynolds House data centres in Manchester as well as numerous others in the North
• Direct links into Telehouse North and Harbour Exchange, which are Londons more prestigious Tier 4 internet exchanges.
• The network our datacentre utilise has the coveted ISO27001 accreditation which is the highest security standard as well as a 24/7 manned NOC (Network Operations Centre)

Security

We want to make sure we provide the highest level of security, when managing your critical data and applications. We have taken every step to ensure you feel confident when choosing Sagari as an IT Provider.
Here is some of the main security measure we put in place:

• Sagari’s servers farms (VMware) are all separated away from any other company, installed in their own rack with key access.
• Sagari only provide ‘private clouds’. This means you are not sharing resources (applications, processing power, memory) with any other company, but more importantly it means we know exactly where your data is. Most companies do not like the idea of having their data somewhere they don’t know how to retrieve it physically. Your data will be stored securely within our Datacentre which can be accessed 24/7 365
• All data is encrypted (448 blowfish) and can only be accessed if you know the self generated password
• We run PCI DSS compliance checks on all of our infrastructure on a monthly basis to ensure it passes all tests
• Unique password for every user for access to our hosted solution
• Sagari can provide key fobs with a 30 character number which changes ever 30 seconds for an added level of security for accessing our hosted desktop solutions

Disaster Recovery

Ensuring all of our cloud services run seamlessly for our customer’s means we have to deliver a resilient solution.

All of the services we provide are built on our VMfarm which are a cluster of servers all interconnected. Our engineers have built the sever farms using best practice methodology so every aspect from hardware to routing has fail-over (resilience) built in at every level and no noticeable downtime to our customers.

At Sagari we work very closely with our partners to ensure we are building out platform to the highest standards. Microsoft, VMware and Cisco all dial in to our systems and make recommendations that will improve our resilience further
We implement fail-over for all of our core routers and switches. If for any reason a core router crashes or fails, all routing will be passed to the secondary router

Sagari NOC

Our Network Operations Centre (NOC) is where all support of our services is delivered centrally.

The NOC is responsible for monitoring the network for alarms or certain conditions that may require special attention to avoid impact on your network’s performance. This includes monitoring for power failures, communication line alarms (such as bit errors, framing errors, line coding errors, and circuits down) and other performance issues that may affect your network. If necessary our NOC escalates problems to the appropriate personnel.

It is the role of the NOC to ensure seamless and timely delivery of services and also to escalate issues in a hierarchic manner.

Data Backup

Traditional backup solutions meant you would schedule a backup at the end of the day. We use a new technique to backup using a system called continuous data protection (CDP). What this means is as soon as you make a change to a file such as a document or spreadsheet. It is backed up automatically as you change it.
This allows our customers to restore from earlier that day, rather than only being able to restore from the backup the day before.

Server Snapshots

Everything related to your server (applications, accounts, profiles etc) is backed up differently. We take a snapshot of your system which is literally a snapshot of how the system is at that point in time, and we push this to the 2 other data centres VMfarms. This happens all the time and is more of a focus on resilience, so if in the event the primary server fails. All customers can be pushed to the next high availability datacentre.
We complete a snapshot of the server farms every hour so we can always restore our servers with minimum changes

Please keep an eye on this blog for the next part, discussing more about security, resillience and service delivery.

The Ultimate Small Business Guide To Setting Up A ‘Work From Home’ Or Remote Network Access System For Your Staff

Critical Facts And Insider Secrets Every Business Owner Must Know Before Installing A ‘Virtual Network’ To Allow Employees To Work From Home, On The Road, Or From A Remote Office

If you are the owner of a small or medium sized business that is thinking about implementing a “work from home” program for your employees – or if you want to install a virtual network to enable you and certain key employees and managers to work on the road or from a remote office – DON’T – until you read this eye-opening guide.

This report will explain in plain, non-technical terms best practices for setting up remote access for you and your staff, as well important questions you should ask any computer consultant to avoid making the most commonly made, costly mistakes made when setting up the technology for a work from home program.

You’ll Discover:
- What “telecommuting” is and why so many small and medium sized businesses are rapidly implementing work from home programs.
- The single most important thing you MUST have in place before starting any work from home or remote office initiative.
- How one company saved £6 million after implementing a work from home program – and how you implement the same money-saving strategies for your small business.
- How one company slashed its turnover rate from 33% to nearly 0% – and increased productivity by 18% – all by implementing a “work from home” program.
- 8 CRITICAL characteristics you should absolutely demand from any IT professional you’re considering to setup your remote office technology; DO NOT trust your infrastructure to anyone who does not meet these criteria.
- How to get a FREE “Home Office Action Pack” (£45 Value).

From the Desk of: Steven John
Managing Director
Sagari Ltd
Dear Colleague,

Imaging being able to get double the work out of your employees while simultaneously slashing overhead costs, padding your bottom line, and securing incredible loyalty from your staff.
Sound too good to be true? I assure you it’s not…

My name is Steven John and for over 4 years, I have provided business and technology consulting services to 100’s of small and medium businesses in the London and surrounding areas. You may have heard of me before because I write a many article and we are seen as an authority in our field.

While it may seem like I’m making radical statements, I want you to know that I’m not a “radical person.” As a matter of fact, one glance at the enclosed fact sheet about my background and expertise will show that I’m a very grounded and conservative-minded technology consultant with a long track record of helping my clients enjoy more stress-free productivity, lowered costs, and competitive advantages.

That’s why I published this business advisory guide.

There is a fast-growing trend among small and medium businesses that is drastically increasing productivity, cutting costs, and driving more profit to the bottom line. Is it a new management style or marketing trend?

No – it’s telecommuting, which is a 50 cense word for allowing your staff to work from home or while on the road.
Sure it doesn’t sound very sexy when you first hear it, but when you see the bottom line impact it has on profits and productivity and talk to business owners who rave about how much money it’s saving them, you’ll start to see what all the excitement is about.

Steven John Owner of Sagari Ltd
www.itmanagedsupportservices.co.uk

- Is your business limping along using outdated computers or a peer-to-peer network that is constantly giving you problems?

- Are you planning on adding employees, opening a remote location or adding an additional office?

- Are you just sick and tired of dealing with conflicts, error messages, and breakdowns?

If so, this report will reveal if a server is right for your company!

Provided as an educational service by:
Steven John: Owner of Sagari Ltd
2, Dunwich, Sussex Wharf Suite
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5PE
0844 357 7282,
www.sagari.co.uk
www.itmanagedsupportservices.co.uk

Dear Fellow Business Owner,

If you are like most small businesses, you acquire desktop computer support, phone systems, and software in a random, “buy-it-when-you-need-it” fashion as your business operations demand it.

But at some point, this patchwork of stopgap technology you’ve acquired is going to end up costing you more in downtime, system errors, breakdowns, and other problems than it would to rip out and replace everything.

If you’ve suddenly become aware that you’re at that stage of growth in your business, then you want to stop purchasing more software and hardware in a willy-nilly fashion and get serious about planning for your future growth and business operations so you don’t end up with a big pile of expensive hardware and software spaghetti that doesn’t meet your business needs.

One Big Secret To Saving Money

One secret to saving money on IT costs is to strive for as much uniformity and connectivity as possible across your business network – and the first place to start achieving that is through the use of a server.

If you have two or more computers that are loosely connected to share information, printers, scanners, Internet access, or fax machines, then you could inject a great deal of simplicity, productivity, and security with a small business server.

A server simply acts as a single specialized computer that ensures all of the computer connected to it (called “clients”) have access to the resources, information, and systems they need, faster, and with fewer problems. It also acts as a centralized manager to make sure data is secure and organized.

They’re Not Just For Big Business Anymore

At one time, servers only made sense for large organizations because of their high cost and complexity. But today, there are very affordable and easy-to-implement server systems designed specifically for a growing small business. If you’re not absolutely certain that installing a server could help your business enough to justify the cost, here are 12 surefire signs that your business could definitely benefit from an upgrade.

12 Signs That Your Business Is Ready For A Server

1.You have two or more computers that need to share office equipment (printers, fax machines, scanners) and resources (Internet access).

2.You have irreplaceable files and data residing on more than one computer that need to be secured from loss, corruption, or unauthorized access.

3.You need (or would like to have) secure access to your computer files while traveling or working from home.

4.You need to back up critical files on more than one computer, and you would like to be able to restore accidentally deleted files or previous versions of your files.

5.You need CRM (customer relationship management) software and accounting programs to manage and communicate with your growing list of clients and vendors.

6.You need to manage different versions of one file.

7.You need a central communication system that makes it easy to schedule group meetings and share information with employees, vendors, and customers.

8.You need to allow employees to share databases and other software tools.

9.You would like to send group faxes and e-mail broadcasts to customers.

10.You want to save money by hosting your own company website and e-mail.

11.You want to control employees’ access to sensitive financial records and personnel information.

12.You want a central access point for information instead of having to hunt down various files and data on various computers on your network.

Customer Service:

Q1: Do they answer their phones live or do you always have to leave a voice mail and wait for someone to call you back?
Our Answer: We answer our phones live from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and give all clients an emergency after-hours number they may call if a problem arises, including weekends. Why? Because many of the CEOs and executives we support work outside normal hours and find it to be the most productive time they have. If they cannot access their computer network AND can’t get hold of anyone to help them, it’s incredibly frustrating.

Q2: Do they have a written, guaranteed response time to your calls?
Our Answer: We guarantee to have a technician working on a problem within 60 minutes or less of your call. This is written into every service agreement we give to our clients because it’s standard procedure.

Q3: Do they take the time to explain what they are doing and answer your questions in terms that you can understand (not geek-speak), or do they come across arrogant and make you feel stupid for asking simple questions?
Our Answer: Our technicians are trained to have the ‘heart of a teacher’ and will take time to answer your questions and explain everything in simple terms. Just look at what Jame Mcleod of Narvi Digital had to say about us.

We enjoy working with Sagari has they explain things in plain English, that we understand without being made to look stupid because we don’t understand. Their customer service is unheard of in the IT industry and make a refreshing change… Thanks guys

Q4: Do they consistently (and proactively) offer new ways to improve your network’s performance, or do they wait until you have a problem to make recommendations?
Our Answer: We conduct quarterly review meetings with our clients to look for new ways to help improve their operations, lower costs, increase efficiencies, and resolve any problems that may be arising. Our goal with these meetings is to help our clients be more profitable, efficient, and competitive.

Q5: Do they provide detailed invoices that clearly explain what you are paying for?
Our Answer: We provide detailed invoices that show what work was done, why, and when, so you never have to guess what you are paying for. We also double-check our invoices for accuracy before they are sent to you.

Q6: Do they have adequate errors and omissions insurance as well as workers’ compensation insurance to protect YOU?
Our Answer: Here’s something to consider: if THEY cause a problem with your network that causes you to be down for hours or days or to lose data, who’s responsible? Here’s another question to consider: if one of their technicians gets hurt at your office, who’s paying? In this litigious society we live in, you better make sure that whomever you hire is adequately insured with both errors and omissions insurance AND workers’ compensation – and don’t be shy about asking to see their latest insurance policies!

True Story: A few years ago Geek Squad was slapped with multi-million dollar lawsuits from customers for the bad behavior of their technicians. In some cases, their techs where accessing, copying, and distributing personal information they gained access to on customers’ PCs and laptops brought in for repairs. In other cases, they lost a client’s laptop (and subsequently all the data on it) and tried to cover it up. Bottom line, make sure the company you are hiring has proper insurance to protect YOU.

Q7: Do they guarantee to complete projects on time and on budget?
Our Answer: All projects are fixed priced and guaranteed to be completed on time, in writing. This is important because many unethical or incompetent computer guys will only quote “time and materials,” which gives them free reign to charge you as well as take as much time as needed on completing a project.

Q8: Do they give the customer control of how they are doing or is it just words?
Our Answer: Our clients determine where we stand on the scale for each of our core value which is how we determine our staff bonus level which focuses our staff to deliver continued SERVICE EXCELLENCE always.
By giving the client control, provide peace of mind that we are not just words…

Q9: Do they guarantee to add value for your business or your money back?
Our Answer: We design the solution that will address your specific problems or frustration or your money back

After you implementation phase you will be assigned an account manager who will continuously work with you to see where we can add VALUE and IMPROVE your business with technology

Maintenance Of Your Network:

Q8: Do they insist on remotely monitoring your network 24-7-356 to keep critical security settings, virus definitions, and security patches up-to-date and PREVENT problems from turning into downtime, viruses, lost data, and other issues?
Our Answer: Yes; our remote network monitoring system watches over your network and constantly looks for developing problems, security issues, and other problems so that we can address them BEFORE they turn into bigger problems.

Q9: Do they provide you with a weekly report that shows all the updates, security patches, and status of every machine on your network so you know for SURE your systems have been secured and updated?
Our Answer: Every month our clients get a detailed report that shows an overall health score of their network and the updates to their antivirus, security settings, patches, and other important network checks (like hard drive space, backups, speed, and performance, etc.).

Q10: Is it standard procedure for them to provide you with written network documentation detailing what software licenses you own, your critical passwords, user information, hardware inventory, etc., or are they the only person with the “keys to the kingdom?”
Our Answer: All clients receive this in written and electronic form at no additional cost. We also perform a quarterly update on this material and make sure certain key people from your organisation have this information and know how to use it, giving you complete control over your network.
Side Note: You should NEVER allow an IT person to have that much control over you and your company. If you get the sneaking suspicion that your current IT person is keeping this under their control as a means of job security, get rid of them (and we can help to make sure you don’t suffer ANY ill effects). This is downright unethical and dangerous to your organisation, so don’t tolerate it!

Q11: Do they have other technicians on staff who are familiar with your network in case your regular technician goes on vacation or gets sick?
Our Answer: Yes; and since we keep detailed network documentation (basically a blueprint of your computer network) and updates on every client’s account, any of our technicians can pick up where another left off.

Q12: When they offer an “all-inclusive” support plan, is it TRULY all-inclusive, or are there “gotchas” hidden in the fine print?
Our Answer: Our “all-inclusive” support plan is just that – all-inclusive. One of the more popular service plans offered by consulting firms today is an “all-inclusive” or “all-you-can-eat” managed services plan. These are actually a good thing because they’ll save you a lot of money in the long run – HOWEVER, make sure you REALLY understand what is and isn’t included. Some things to consider are:
Is phone/e-mail help desk included, or extra?
What about network upgrades, moves, or adding/removing users?
Is hardware and/or software included?
What about 3rd party software support? (We recommend that this IS included).
What are the costs/consequences of early cancellation?
What if you aren’t happy with their services? Do they offer a money-back guarantee?
If the hardware and software is included, what happens if you cancel the contract?
Are offsite backups included? To what degree?
If you have a major disaster, is restoring your network included or extra?
What about onsite support calls? Or support to remote offices?
Are home PCs used to access the company’s network after hours included or extra?

Backups And Disaster Recovery :

Q13: Do they INSIST on monitoring an offsite as well as an onsite backup, or are they letting you rely on outdated tape backups?
Our Answer: We do not allow our clients to use tape backups because they are incredibly unreliable. We make sure all of our clients have an automated off-site backup solution which we manage for them daily. All data is verified and reports are sent to both Sagari and a nominated member of your team. Any problems are addressed immediately and the customer is informed.

Q14: Do they INSIST on doing periodical test restores of your backups to make sure the data is not corrupt and could be restored in the event of a disaster?
Our Answer: We perform a monthly “fire drill” and perform a test restore from backup for our clients to make sure their data CAN be recovered in the event of an emergency. After all, the WORST time to “test” a backup is when you desperately need it.

Q15: Do they insist on backing up your network BEFORE performing any type of project or upgrade?
Our Answer: We do; and that’s simply as a precaution in case a hardware failure or software glitch causes a major problem.

Q16: If you were to experience a major disaster, do they have a written plan for how your data could be restored FAST and/or enable you to work from a remote location?
Our Answer: All clients receive a simple disaster recovery plan for their data and network. We encourage them to do a full disaster recovery IT plan for their office, but at a minimum, their network will be covered should something happen.

Technical Expertise And Support :

Q17: Is their help-desk US based or outsourced to an overseas company or third party?
Our Answer: We provide our own in-house help desk and make sure the folks helping you are friendly and helpful. We consider this one of the most important aspects of customer service, plus we feel it’s an important step in keeping your data secure.

Q18: Do their technicians maintain current vendor certifications and participate in on-going training – or are they learning on your dime?
Our Answer: Our technicians are required to keep the most up-to-date vendor certifications in all the software we support. All support staff are certified in their area of expertise. All sys admins are MCSE certified, network admins are CCNP and so on. Plus, our hiring process is so stringent that 99% of the technicians who apply don’t make it through. (Guess who’s hiring them?)

Q19: Do their technicians arrive on time and dress professionally?
Our Answer: Our technicians are true professionals that you would be proud to have in your office. They dress professionally, show up on time and if they cannot (for some odd, unforeseen reason) we always notify the client immediately. We believe these are minimum requirements for delivering a professional service.

Q20: Are they familiar with (and can they support) your unique line of business applications?
Our Answer: We own the problems with all line of business applications for our clients. That doesn’t mean we can fix faulty software – but we WILL be the liaison between you and your vendor to resolve problems you are having and make sure these applications work smoothly for you instead of pointing fingers and putting you in the middle.

Q21: When something goes wrong with your Internet service, phone systems, printers or other IT services, do they own the problem or do they say “that’s not our problem to fix”?
Our Answer: We feel WE should own the problem for our clients so they don’t have to try and resolve any of these issues on their own – that’s just plain old good service and something many computer guys won’t do.

1 : Choosing a computer consultant based on a single phone call. We recommend you invite them into your office and ask them for a written proposal. Be clear on what your expectations are and what type of problems you want them to resolve. A competent professional should offer to do an audit of your network to diagnose your system BEFORE quoting you anything. After all, would you take a doctor’s word that you need surgery if they hadn’t done x-rays or other diagnostics? Of course not! Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.

2 : Choosing a computer consultant that doesn’t have a written money-back guarantee. In our view, a good consulting firm should be accountable for their services and fixing things RIGHT. If you aren’t pleased with a job that was done, they should (at a minimum) make it right for free; and if they simply cannot resolve an issue to YOUR satisfaction, you shouldn’t get stuck with the bill.

Plus, the fact that they stand behind their work with a money-back guarantee shows they have confidence in themselves to make you a happy client. And don’t fall for the, “We don’t offer one because people will take advantage of us,” routine. In our experience, MOST people just want an honest service at a reasonable price. If you give them that, they are happy to pay. Are there a few unethical guys out there? Of course, but they are the minority, and we would rather bite the bullet on the very few dishonest people so we can gain the trust and confidence of the majority of clients who just want their problems fixed fast and fixed right.

3 : Choosing a computer consultant without speaking to several of the current clients. Check their references! Don’t just take the sales guy’s word that they are good – ask to speak to at least 3 or 4 clients that are similar to you. If they hesitate or cannot provide you with references, don’t trust them!

Another good sign is that they should have multiple client testimonials and success stories posted on their web site and throughout their marketing collateral. A lack of this may be a sign that they don’t HAVE clients who are happy enough to provide a good reference – again, a warning sign.

4 : Choosing a computer consultant who cannot remotely monitor, update and support your network. In this day and age, a computer consultant who doesn’t do this is living in the stone ages. You want someone to do this because it will dramatically increase your network’s security and will enable them to do faster repairs. That’s not to say they shouldn’t come onsite; but remote monitoring and repairs make fixing problems FASTER for YOU and help PREVENT problems from cropping up in the first place.

5 : Choosing a computer consultant who isn’t certified, experience or trained should never be allowed on your network: All of our staff are vetted from the interview stage and are thoroughly checked for compliance, attitude, skills and experience. We can provide all certification of our staff before deploying them on your network so you can be reassured that only the best are working for you.

A Final Word…

I hope you have found this guide helpful in shedding some light on what to look for when outsourcing the support of your company’s network. As I stated in the opening of this report, my purpose in providing this information was to help you make an informed decision and avoid getting burned by the many incompetent firms offering these services.

If you have any additional comments or questions, we welcome them! Have an idea to make this guide even more helpful? Let us know! And of course, if you are looking for someone you can trust to take over the care and maintenance of “all things digital” in your office, we’d love the opportunity to EARN your business.

Below you will find information on how to request a FREE Network Health Check and Diagnosis. This is, of course, provided for free with no obligations and no expectations on our part. I want to be clear that this is NOT a bait and switch offer or a trick to get you to buy something. My reputation for running an honest and trustworthy business is something I hold very dear. I would never jeopardise that in any way. So why are we offering something like this for free?

Two reasons:

1 : We are simply offering this service as a risk-free “get to know us” offer to people we haven’t had the pleasure of doing business with. Again, our goal is to allow you to make an informed and confident decision; and offering this is one way we can help you better evaluate us.

2 : This will allow us to determine if we even CAN help you. Obviously we can’t help everyone, and our services might not be a good fit for you. Conducting this Health Check enables us to do a small project for you to help you evaluate whether or not we’re the right company for you without risking your money.

Looking forward to your call! 0844 357 7282

Misconception #1: My computer network doesn’t need regular monitoring and maintenance.

This is probably one of the biggest and most costly misconceptions that business owners have. Usually this is because they’ve been fortunate enough to never have encountered a major disaster; but that’s similar to someone thinking they don’t need to wear a seat belt when driving a car because they’ve never had an accident.

Computer networks are complex and dynamic systems that need regular updates and maintenance to stay up, running fast and problem free. In fact, it’s surprising how fast a brand-new PC will slow down after a few weeks of use without proper updates and maintenance. Here are just a FEW of the critical updates that need to be done on a weekly – if not daily – basis:

Security patches applied – with NEW viruses and hacker attacks cropping up DAILY, this is a CRITICAL part of maintaining your network
Antivirus updates and monitoring
Firewall updates and monitoring
Backup monitoring and test restores
Spam filter installation and updates
Spyware detection and removal
Monitoring disk space on workstations and servers
Monitoring hardware for signs of failure
Optimizing systems for maximum speed
Database monitoring and management
Exchange email monitoring and management

Just like car ownership, if you don’t change the oil, replace the filter, rotate the tires, flush the transmission, and perform other regular maintenance, your car will eventually break down and cost you FAR MORE to repair than the cost of the basic maintenance – and cars are far simpler than a computer network!

If your computer support tech does not insist on some type of regular, automated monitoring or maintenance of your network, then DO NOT HIRE THEM. Lack of system maintenance is the NUMBER ONE reason most people end up losing valuable files and incurring heavy computer repair bills. If your technician isn’t offering you these services, you need to find someone else to support your computer or network for two reasons:

1 – Either they don’t know enough to make this recommendation, which is a sure sign they are horribly inexperienced, OR

2 – They recognise that they are profiting from your computer problems and don’t want to recommend steps towards preventing you from needing their help on an ongoing basis. After all, they’ll get paid MORE to remove a virus than to make sure your system is patched, updated and secured (which can be done quickly and inexpensively with good monitoring).

Either one is a good reason to get as far away from that person as possible!

Misconception #2: My nephew/neighbour’s kid/brother-in-law/office manager knows this computer stuff and can take care of our computers.

Most people look for a part time “guru” for one reason: to save a few quid; but this often comes back to haunt them. We frequently get calls from business owners who desperately need our help to get them back up and running or to clean up a mess that was caused by an inexperienced neighbour, friend, or relative who was just trying to help.

If the person you have working on your machine does not do computer repair and support for a living, there is a good chance they won’t have the knowledge or experience to truly help you – they are a hobbyist at best. Do you really want a part-time, inexperienced person responsible for handling something as important as your data and computer network? As with everything in life, you get what you pay for. That’s not to say you need to go broke to find a great technician, but you shouldn’t be choosing someone on price alone.

Misconception #3: All computer technicians are created equal. Your best option will be the one who offers the lowest price.

As we stated a moment ago, you get what you pay for. A cheap price usually means a cheap job. Really good technicians do NOT work at a discount because they are in high demand just like any other professional. The only technicians that will work for highly discounted rates are those just getting started in the business that are very inexperienced.

And some shops will hire college kids or newbie technicians because they will work for next to nothing to gain experience (which means they are learning on YOUR dime), OR they will bring in interns because they don’t have to pay them at all. An inexperienced technician like this can end up costing more because:

1 – They improperly diagnose problems, which mean you’re paying them to fix the WRONG thing and they STILL won’t resolve your problem.

Case in point: A few years ago a TV reporter went undercover to 8 computer repair shops in Brighton with a perfectly working PC, but simply disconnect a cable in the back (a fix that the AVERAGE computer tech would have caught in minutes with a visual inspection). Several shops improperly diagnosed the problem and wanted to charge them anywhere from ?40 to over ?200 to fix it, and some told the undercover reporter that the hard drive would need to be completely replaced!

2 – They could take 3 to 5 times as long to do the same repair an experienced technician could fix quickly. Again, you’re paying for those extra hours.

3 – They could do MORE damage, costing you more money and downtime.

With your client data, accounting records, e-mail, and other critical data at stake, do you REALLY want the lowest-priced consultant working on your network and having access to your data?

We take the view that most people want value for money and simply want the job done right. You will find that we are not the cheapest, but we don’t apologise for that. As the owner, I decided a long time ago that I would rather explain our higher rates ONE TIME than to apologise for POOR SERVICE forever. That said, we’re not the most expensive either. We simply feel that we should offer a good service at a fair price. That’s why we have been able to stay in business for over 2 years and have 24 customers who’ve been with us since the beginning.

Misconception #4: An honest computer support company should be able to give you a quote over the phone.

I wish this were true, but it isn’t. Just like a good doctor, an honest and professional technician will need to diagnose your network before they can quote any price over the phone; consider the example above where all was needed was a simple cable being plugged in. If someone brought that to us, we would just plug it back in and not charge them; but without SEEING the machine, we could never have diagnosed that over the phone.

Also, some consultants will quote you a cheap rate over the phone to get in the door, but then jack up the prices once they get in your office by taking 3 times as long, selling you add-ons and up-sells, etc. And finally, reputable firms don’t charge by the hour anyway — they give you a fixed fee, flat-rate. Here’s why…

One of the easiest ways to take advantage of a customer is to get them to agree to a time and materials repair. Unless you know what’s wrong and how long it should take, they can soak you on the fees. And what are you going to do when they get 5-6 hours into a repair or project and then spring on you the news that it will take even longer than they anticipated to fix, costing you MORE money?

Always, always, always make sure you get a flat-rate, fixed fee quote in advance so you don’t end up getting burned – and NEVER take a phone quote!

We at Sagari, providing a broad spectrum of outsourced IT support services to small and medium sized businesses. Request a FREE comprehensive IT audit today?

Don’t Trust Your Company’s Critical Data And Operations To Just Anyone! This Business Advisory Guide Will Arm You With 21 Revealing Questions You Should Ask Any Computer Consultant Before Giving Them Access To Your Company’s Network

Choosing the wrong computer consultant to support your network can be not only incredibly frustrating and expensive, but could also cost you in downtime, data loss, and expensive repair bills, not to mention the headaches and frustration!

Read this guide and you’ll discover:

* The “dirty little secret” to the computer repair industry that most people don’t know and will NEVER be told by their current IT guy. (Knowing this alone could save you from wasting tons of money and untold aggravation when outsourcing your computer support!)
* 21 revealing questions that will help you instantly spot an unethical or grossly incompetent computer repair/support technician in minutes.
* 4 costly misconceptions business owners have about computer maintenance and repair; one you will need to know BEFORE you talk to anyone on the phone.
* Viruses, worms, spyware, and hackers: what you need to know to protect yourself.
* 5 mistakes to avoid when choosing a computer consultant.
* Why “cheap” or “lowest price” computer consultants aren’t the bargain they initially appear to be.
* The one sure-fire sign that you should run – not walk – away from a computer support firm.

Choosing a computer support company isn’t easy. There is no shortage of horror stories about incompetent computer repair “gurus” bungling jobs and causing MORE problems as a result of their loose morals or gross incompetence. I’m sure if you talk to your own friends and colleagues you will get an ear-full of the unfortunate experiences they have encountered in this area.

Why is this? It’s because the computer repair and consulting industry, along with a lot of other industries, has its own share of incompetent or unethical businesses who will try to take advantage of trusting business owners who simply do not have the ability to determine whether or not they know what they are doing. Sometimes this is out of greed for your money; but more often it’s simply because they don’t have the skills and competency to do the job right but won’t tell you that up front. From misleading information, unqualified technicians, and poor management, to terrible customer service, we’ve seen it all…and we know they exist in abundance because we have had a number of customers come to us to clean up the disasters they have caused.

Buyer Beware: The Computer Repair And
Consulting Industry Is NOT Regulated

Here’s an embarrassing fact about my industry: it is not regulated like many other professional service industries, which means ANYONE can claim they are a “computer repair expert.” In fact, a lot of the businesses in this industry started because the owner was FIRED or laid off from their job and couldn’t find work anywhere else. That means many of the so-called experts are useless and make the sleazy auto repair shops look like the pinnacle of virtue and competence.

Automotive repair shops, electricians, plumbers, lawyers, realtors, dentists, doctors, accountants, etc. are heavily regulated to protect the consumer from receiving substandard work or getting ripped off. However, the computer industry is still highly unregulated and there aren’t any laws in existence to protect the consumer – which is why it’s so important for you to arm yourself with the information contained in this report.

Anyone who can hang out a shingle can promote themselves as a computer expert. Even if they are honestly trying to do a good job for you, their inexperience can cost you dearly in your network’s speed and performance or in lost or corrupt data files. That is why we decided to offer this report. The information in this Guide is provided to help raise standards within the computer repair and support industry, and to give YOU useful information to help you guard against unethical or incompetent companies and technicians.

About The Author : My name is Steven John and I am the owner of Sagari Ltd, based near Brighton on the South Coast. I was working in the IT industry as a consultant and sys admin for 12 years before I decided to start my own business, because I felt there was a great deal of incompetent IT companies providing inadequate services to businesses.

I decided to start a company, focusing the business around core values and identifying exactly what it is businesses are frustrated with. I did a considerable amount of market research, finding out every pain problem and then researching what other IT companies were doing to address those needs. I found that most IT companies all offered the same solutions and benefits as each other, and never actually addressed what customers really wanted.

It was at this point I built my business, with our specific things ‘we do better’ because after spending the time to do the research it was easy for Sagari to supply a service that customers truly wanted. The problem we found is IT companies focus too much on technology which is of course important and customers expect you to deliver on this.

The difference is customers want excellent customer service. This sounds simple and customer service means many things but in a nutshell it is. We understand to provide excellent customer service it starts with the customer and understanding them. Most IT companies just provide a solution they want to supply, but doesn’t necessarily add value which is why we created the following ‘what we do better number 1’

Sagari specialise in identifying what it is specifically you want to achieve for your business. We then design the solution that will address those problems or frustration.

After you implementation phase you will be assigned an account manager who will continuously work with you to see where we can add VALUE and IMPROVE your business with technology

What this means is we sit down and work with you to map out what you are truly wanting to achieve. Most business owners/Director knows what they want, but they don’t know what they need to achieve this which is why they are looking for help from an IT supplier.. We sit down with you and spend the time to get this right early on, finding the correct solution which meets the needs to address this problem.

From my research I noticed a lot of customers seem to be supplied a good service to start with and then it deteriorates over a period of time.

* No more communicating with the business owner
* No more working with them to add value
* No working with them to future proof their business

To resolve this issue I developed ‘how we do things better no 2’

By giving our clients control of how we deliver on SERVICE ensure our staff and management are always focused on delivering on our core values. Our clients determine where we stand on the scale for each of our core value which is how we determine our staff bonus level which focuses our staff to deliver continued SERVICE EXCELLENCE always.

By giving the client control, provide peace of mind that we are not just words…

I felt saying we provide good customer service on our website, brochures and directly to our customers was weak. Giving the client control of how we are performing ensures our staff deliver service excellence all the time, either on their own or as part of the team.

To see the rest of our ‘how we do thing better’ then please look at our website by clicking here

For a relatively new business we have built up an excellent reputation and are now in the process of writing our own book about how to look after companies using hosted and cloud services. We specialise in this area now and have a great deal of skills and experience to manage customers with this technology.

Sagari will enter a number of awards for service excellence and best technology and hope by then that you will be recommending us for these prestigious awards as a valued customer of ours…

We have an excellent list of customers we supply services to and is continuing to grow. Please check out our website for some of the happy customers we have helped by clicking here

E-mail your query
info@sagari.co.uk

Hi All..

At Sagari we have been working really hard to find out more about what you want from an IT partner… We know from our research that IT companies seem to focus too much on technology and not actually address what you guys want… and that is an excellent service..

Excellent service means many things and is only words unless a company can provide quantifiable evidence. That is is why over the past 6 months we have conducted market research with our own staff, our customers and prospects on what customers really want when choosing an IT partner. We conducted over the phone and survey research to find out exactly what it is that makes you guys tick…

From this research we have compiled a report to focus on:

• What it is you really want and how Sagari deliver this every time
• 21 Questions You Should Ask Your Computer Consultant Before Hiring Them To Support Your Network
• The 3 most costly misconceptions about computer maintenance and repair
• 5 more mistakes to avoid when choosing A computer consultant

And there’s plenty more…

We understand there is a lot of information in this report but it should act as an excellent guide so you are fully armed when choosing your next IT provider.

Your IT Partner

To access the report then please click on the image or click here

Sagari
www.sagari.co.uk
info@sagari.co.uk

To celebrate the launch of our new website we have decided to go a little crazy and offer

• Free on-site IT business analysis (comprehensive IT audit).
• Free 1 months trial of our Managed/hosted services
• 3 month money back guarantee

This gives Sagari the opportunity to demonstrate our unique cost-saving delivery without the risk to you.

The above offer is valid until 30th September 2010. To claim the above, please email info@sagari.co.uk or call 08443577282

Best wishes

The Sagari Support Team
www.sagari.co.uk
info@sagari.co.uk

Welcome to our new website and our new blog. To get things started, take a look at our short video demonstrating the many benefits of our market leading delivery by clicking here.