Service Agreements

JWCS clients sign up for annual Technical Support and Service Agreements (TSSA) to be assured of receiving timely emergency support, computer wellness services, and expert advice. Computer networks are useless if they are not operational. We work to reach that elusive 24/7 uptime goal by providing an array of services to support your network systems:

Remote monitoring of your primary servers and systems. We check your servers every week using a check list, and maintain a data base that we can track the health of the server. A copy of the monthly monitoring report is sent to our service contract clients each month. Issues dealt with during the monitoring prevent problems.

Twenty four-hour emergency service. When disaster strikes,JWCS moves quickly to resolve the problem, whenever it occurs. JWCS defines an emergency as one or more servers being nonfunctional or a group of workers unable to use their computers effectively. If such an event occurs, our personnel be on-site within four hours working to resolve the problem.

Monthly service. JWCS personnel schedule in for periodic service to handle important software upgrades that improve functionality or prevent problems. These critical updates are important to workstation and server health.

Quarterly service. Our personnel schedule quarterly appointments to complete a 25-point service check on each workstation covered by the service agreement.

Semi-annual evaluation. JWCS completes a semi-annual evaluation of your system to keep you abreast of the health and functionality of your network system, to inform you about relevant new technologies, and to help you stay current on your technology plan.

Scheduled service or service by appointment. Most service tasks are not responses to emergencies and can be scheduled. Our personnel can schedule in at your site on specific days of the week or via appointment. For operational problems below the emergency level, we will be on-site resolving the problem within eight business hours. Many such problems can be dealt with remotely.

Telephone support. Since many problems can be resolved via a telephone call, JWCS offers telephone support to our TSSA clients. We also will provide telephone support at reasonable rates to our on-demand network clients.

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Backup

Backup refers to making copies of data; these copies may be used to restore the original data should it be lost. A complete backup of data should be made every working day, and a complete set of data that is no more than one week old should be kept off site for all clients.  Some clients in the financial sector are now required to have daily backups of data off site. The backup for a particular client should include any specific requirements, the cost of loss of information, the quantity of data that is to be backed up and the infrastructure required. 

We have three principles for backups.

1. Daily backups must be made automatically, with no required intervention of the clients’ staff. We have found that backups that require client intervention are unreliable for most clients.
2. The entire backup process needs to be competently reviewed at least once per week to ensure that it is working properly.  Too many things can go wrong with any backup process to avoid this step. We know. We monitor our clients’ backup every week.
3. A complete copy of all important data must be made and kept outside of the office or work place at a remote location.

Data backups are of three types.  First there are archival backups, where clients wish to have copies of information as it is at a specific date.  Secondly data backups need to be made for disaster recovery, in the event that the primary copy of the data is lost or destroyed.  Third copies of data may be needed to restore a particular file or group of files that were recently corrupted or lost. Any backup system needs to address all three needs.

The backup procedures that are designed for a particular client must deal with ease of use, cost, and reliability.  Hard drives are today reasonably inexpensive, so that for our business clients, we prefer a set of solutions that include:

1. Mirrored hard drives.  All active data of value to a client ought to be on a hard drive that is mirrored. This is the first line of defense. If one drive fails, the data is fully functional and usable.
2. Daily separate backups. Usually we have five separate backups per week to a hard drive, which contains full exact copies of data for each of the five preceding business days.
3. Complete copy of reasonably current data outside the office. A complete copy no more than one week old should be available. This is in the event of catastrophic loss of the server and its hard disks.  We may point out that no client of JWCS has ever required the need for this out of office backup.
4. For those that need archival records, periodic writing of selected data may be made to a DVD, and these stored outside of the workplace.

It may be noted that the quantity of data kept by a client keeps growing.  Sometimes we have had clients’ whose data has increased dramatically in a short period of time.  Scheduled backups usually require up to data user names and passwords.  If  the administrator password changes, scheduled backups may stop. If a disk fills up, further backups will be incomplete. Individuals may put security onto a file folder which prevents backups.  In some cases, users may use such long file names that the files are not properly backed up.

One of the reasons that clients like JW Computer Systems is because of the way that we manage and monitor the backup systems. We believe that our backup support provides signficant value to our managed services.

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Networking

JWCS sells, designs, installs, and services solutions for business networking and productivity. We specialize in the use of Microsoft® networking software such as Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP Professional, and Exchange 2003 Server.

Local networking needs to provide trouble-free connectivity within the office, with no significant problems in connections to servers, workstations, printers, and scanners.

Wide area networks enable remote connection from home to office, or between office locations. We specialize in enabling both remote desktop applications and VPN connections between remote locations.

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Consulting & Design

JWCS consulting and design services enable clients to identify business problems that can be addressed by computer technology and to define solutions to those problems. JWCS consultants can examine all facets of your business or association to track the flow of data, discover impediments to that flow, and provide solutions to restore proper data movement. We can also help you to take on new technologies and integrate them into your business.

Designing, procuring, installing and supporting data management systems that enable the organization to do its job better, organize data for more effective use, provide access to all appropriate users, enable users to ask questions of the data and receive useful answers, minimize new piles of paper, produce reports to clarify management’s view of the system, and store and back up the data safely and securely.

Managing the planning and roll-out of new technologies such as email and groupware systems based on Microsoft Exchange Server, active directory structures based on Windows XP, and new technologies in the future such as Microsoft’s Windows and .NET systems.

Field-checking your new or existing office space to assure that the electrical system is sufficient and laid out properly, that your network cabling meets specifications, provides all the connection points required, and that your network operations center is designed to handle your business properly.

Installing the hardware, software, and infrastructure necessary to make your network fully functional. JWCS custom builds servers that are designed to meet your exact requirements. We are a DELL partner and recommend Dell products for workstations.

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Installation

JWCS can handle all aspects of network installation including:

1. Site design
2. Cabling
3. Server and workstation installation and configuration
4. Internet connectivity and Remote access
5. Software selection and installation
6. Initial end-user training and support.

Our personnel adhere to all code standards and professional cabling standards. We also will check your electric service to assure that adequate and protected power is available at all required install points.
*Please be advised that we are not electricians, nor do we do the work of electricians. When additional electrical work is required, hire a qualified electrical contractor to do the work properly and safely.

We usually schedule major installations over weekends to minimize the downtime associated with such transitions. We will be happy to work with you to schedule the most suitable time.

JWCS is not a training firm, but we do provide training services for your network users and onsite network for making full use of Outlook in managing e-mail, joint contacts, and calendars, and in using the facilities of the network for remote desktop and VPN.. Typically, these training sessions are oriented toward making full use of the features that are available with the software that has been purchased.

We will be happy to schedule an initial consultation or site inspection at your convenience. Contact us here to set up an appointment.

Sales

JWCS sells and installs a complete array of software, equipment, peripherals and accessories for the smaller business network

1. Microsoft operating systems and business productivity software
2. Custom-built and tailored Servers based on excellent components from Intel, Dell, APC, and other fine vendors.
3. Dell workstations
4. Standard and specialized Internet Security software from Trend Micro
5. Network and secure remote access applications and solutions
6. Hewlett Packard printers, scanners print servers.
7. Custom-designed database systems
8. Network firewalls, routers, and switches from Fortinet, Netgear, Linksys, and other vendors.

For our Non-Profit clients and our service contract clients, we provide all hardware at our cost with no mark-up. We maintain a small stock of items for repair, and can deliver and install most computer parts or components in two or three days