Your Computers and Networks
Whether you choose to keep all of your critical data, files, and E-mail on Internet-based hosts, all in house, or a mix, you'll need some computers and you'll need Internet access from them. You might want only certain personnel to see customer data, a different but possibly overlapping group to see accounting data, sales people not to see vendor data, Internet-only service to visitors who you want to keep out of all of your internal operations, etc.
Personal Computers
No matter where your business critical data and files reside, you'll need appropriate personal computers. Some people might need a large monitor and a real keyboard and mouse on a desktop computer that can be behind a secure firewall on a fixed Internet connection. Others might need a portable computer with Internet service from customer sites or from free Internet service provided by libraries, restaurants, or airports, which requires different attention to safety than computers in fixed locations. Even if you don't need new features in the software you use, part of your defense against attack is keeping your software current with its vendors' patching of security vulnerabilities, and of course you need to run a good anti-virus/anti-spyware product and keep its database up to date. Modern hard disk drives are pretty reliable, but they do fail, sometimes completely with no notice, which is why unless you have no valuable files on your computer(s) you need appropriate backup. A properly configured external backup disk next to your computer will save you from disk failure, but not from losing both in a fire or theft.
Access control, Internet connection, patching, and backup are all critical to your operation. We can take care of those details for you while you concentrate on your business.
Servers
Not too long ago the smallest businesses had to dedicate a PC to being “the server” as demanded by the budget, and hope it was properly configured and backed up. Today's entry level servers are priced like PCs, but with a critical difference. PC users want the powerful graphics demanded by videos, inefficiently written web pages, games, and cool effects. They want immediate response to keyboard input and to mouse clicks. Servers, on the other hand, trade those off for disk arrays that can survive the failure of one unit, error-correcting memory, higher data throughput, and other features that most PC users don’t think about or even need to know about. When you own and operate your own server(s), you are in charge. You define and execute your own security and backup.
We can help you decide what you want in the cloud, what you want on your own equipment, and get everything configured properly with reliable backup. Once in production our servers can keep an eye on your server(s), minimizing the attention required and maximizing notification of current and potential problems.
Local Area Networks and the Internet
We have seen clients' computers with public IP addresses or in a DMZ, clients who had no idea what a public IP address or DMZ is, and who trusted The Cable Guy to set them up safely. As much as one would like to think that installers set things up safely, sometimes they don't and sometimes they bring in equipment that can't be operated safely.
Just as Commonwealth Edison is responsible for power distribution up to and including the meter and you are responsible for all wiring on your side of the meter, your Internet Service Provider (ISP – AT&T DSL, AT&T U-verse, Wide Open West or Comcast cable, satellite, or other) delivers Internet service up to a modem, which you might buy or they might lease to you as part of your service. Downstream from the modem, which might or might not include a wired or wireless router, you are at the mercy of the installer and then you're on your own. On your side of the modem, unless it's connected to a single PC, you have a Local Area Network (LAN), which has more options than could possibly be described here. Set it up correctly, which installers often do, and you'll have a reasonable LAN with outbound-only access to the Internet from your internal PCs. Set it up with a misconfigured or missing router, and you're open to attack from organized and freelance criminals around the world and maybe even from competitors.
We can get your Local Area Network and your Internet service properly connected and configured so that you have easy access for the good guys and fire breathing dragons in the moat around the castle walls for the bad guys.