ActivCare | Concorde Informatics

ActivCare

A traditional "break-fix" support service is no longer good enough. You need a professional  monitoring service that spots problems before they affect performance.

Our investment in the latest service technologies means that we can provide businesses like yours with the service that was previously available only to very large corporations - but at a fraction of the price.

Concorde Informatics ActivCare will provide you with a better IT maintenance and support service without costing you more.

Why an outdated “Break-fix Service” is no longer good enough

The need for system maintenance

It is a fact that unless regular maintenance is carried out, every computer systems performance will start to deteriorate from the moment that it is installed. That’s not because it was badly designed, but because with different software programs running, plus regular updates being installed, the system starts to become a bit cluttered. Without maintenance, performance levels gradually drop and then more serious issues crop up which can stop the system in its tracks.

Traditional IT System Maintenance methods

In the past, most businesses were offered two elements of service:

A “Break-fix Network Maintenance Service” to fix problems as they crop up.

(includes ad-hoc maintenance of operating systems with vendor patches and security updates) A separate software support contract with a specialist software supplier, which includes telephone support as well as vendor patches and security updates

The disadvantages of a “Break-fix Maintenance Service” are very clear:

Because you have to wait for something to go wrong before you receive any service, your business will suffer from down-time and lower system performance before the fault can be rectified.

Because the business software is usually supported by a different supplier, it is often difficult to know who to contact when something goes wrong. For example, if your invoices do not print, is the fault in the accounting software or on the network or with the printer?

Because operating system and business software updates and patches are not regularly applied, your system is vulnerable to security breaches and unexpected performance issues.

Conclusion

Today, no business can really afford the risk and uncertainty of relying on a “Break-fix Maintenance Service” because your business is too dependent on having a reliable IT system. Furthermore, having separate suppliers responsible for different parts of the system puts you in the difficult position of trying to decide who should be delivering the service you require. You simply do not have time for this.

Modern IT System Maintenance methods
Advancements in technology and communications infrastructure (Broadband) now enable all businesses to benefit from the latest “preventative maintenance services” like Concorde Informatics ActivCare, which were previously only available to very large corporations.

The benefits of a “preventative maintenance service”

Preventative maintenance means that your IT system is constantly remotely monitored by specialists behind the scenes and that issues are spotted early and dealt with before they have an impact on IT network performance

Operating system and business software updates and patches are installed automatically, when needed, so you can be confident that the system is always protected and running as efficiently as possible

Ageing equipment is monitored and replacement plans can be made in good time, so you have less unplanned IT expenditure

You can be alerted if your daily back-up does not run properly, so you can do something about it

System security is improved and daily anti-virus file updates are always monitored

You can spot system misuse and ensure that staff are not doing things that can affect overall system performance

Concorde Informatics will also provide a business software support service, meaning that you no longer have to juggle different service providers when something goes wrong

Perhaps most surprisingly, a modern service like Concorde ActivCare does not cost more than a traditional break-fix service. Remote monitoring is more efficient than constantly visiting a customer site, so we can offer a better service without charging more.

Beware of inferior imitations like “remote dial-in”

Providing a professional “preventative maintenance service” such as Concorde Informatics ActivCare requires an investment of many hundreds of thousands of pounds in both technology as well as expert staff to operate the service.

Note that a service that offers “remote dial-in” to fix problems on your IT system is not providing you with a “preventative maintenance service” – this is the same as a “break-fix” service without a need to visit your site. The supplier is not monitoring your system, is not able to tell you where the system is vulnerable and is not able to fix problems before they impact on system performance.

“Remote dial-in” is nothing more than “Break-fix” without a site visit.

Which type of maintenance do you currently have?

If you answer “no” to any of the following questions, then you have an outdated service which could be improved significantly by Concorde Informatics ActivCare, without costing you more.

Do you know exactly which IT equipment you have?

Do you find out immediately if your data back-up fails to run?

Do you know which equipment on your network is ageing and needs replacing in the next 6 months?

Do you know if the latest security patches have been installed on your network?

Do you know if anyone has loaded any unauthorised software on the network?

Do you know who the heaviest internet users are and whether they are downloading large files which can slow down the network?

Do you know which PCs are running out of memory, affecting user performance?

Do you have one number to call for all IT service requirements