Methodology

Diagnosis

Just like a doctor, we begin the process by asking a lot of questions – about your operations and how technology fits into your business. We find out what your technology “pain points” are, and we look for areas where your computer systems are vulnerable to hardware or software failure, or to viruses, hackers or unauthorized intrusion. The work product of this phase is our Wellness Checkup and Inventory. This typically includes an inventory of all your existing equipment and systems, including both hardware and software. We look at operating systems, backups, status of anti-virus, the presence of adware/spyware, disk drive capacity and utilization, software and security patches, etc. We color-code the information, so you can quickly see what is needed.

Prescription

This is where we describe in detail the work we recommend. We develop and present a formal Engineering and Financial Proposal, which details the proposed software and hardware components and pricing, and a Professional Services Agreement and Statement of Work, which lists in detail what work is to be performed. By the way, these documents are in English, not “Geek-speak.” The Wellness Checkup and Inventory, as well as the Engineering and Financial Proposal and Statement of Work, are done under a mutual non- disclosure agreement, as they are QSE’s work product. We typically present several options in terms of cost and functionality, giving you a clear understanding of the tradeoffs and choices available.

Treatment

Once there is mutual agreement on the actual IT system design, then the project is funded and QSE orders all the equipment. Then we utilize our 6,000 square foot configuration lab to actually configure your network system in a “stock” state. We set up the servers, storage and backup systems, workstations and get everything ready prior to the actual on-site install. We do all the software and security updates and patches, and then provide a secure VPN for your software vendor(s) to “tunnel in” and install and test their software. This is particularly valuable in a new facility scenario, where site inspections, last-minute construction hang-ups, lack of power and network connectivity and other factors can otherwise negatively impact the installation of the I.T. systems. With QSE’s approach, none of those issues matter. We can have your systems ready when the facility is ready.

Follow-up

QSE provides ongoing technical support through its SmartPak support plans – a flexible, cost-effective way to obtain top-notch technical support. We work with you to help determine the amount of support needed, based on number of users, complexity of your system, etc., and then you can pre-purchase a discounted block of hours that are good for up to 12 months. We send you a report twice a month of each service call and hours used. The hours can be used for routine maintenance, remote monitoring and diagnostics, scheduled site visits, as well as emergencies. We do extensive remote monitoring of your systems, which can diagnose and troubleshoot many problems before they grow into disasters. When on-site work is needed, we have a highly-skilled staff of trained, certified systems engineers, plus a nationwide network of skilled technical resources to handle troubleshooting and support virtually anywhere in the country.