 Technology
Best Practices
Who’s IT?
Questions to Ask Your
Potential IT Consultant?
By T. Scott Plumley
Over the
past few months I have acquired some new clients. Based
on my surveys of their networks, and from my initial
meetings with them, they were under the assumption that
they had a good setup when, in fact, their setups were
mediocre at best. So I have compiled a list of questions
that a business owner should either take into
consideration when bringing on an IT consultant or
ask his current IT consultant.
1.
Does he have credentials?
Run
a background check. You wouldn’t hire an
accountant or
an attorney without getting some background information
on where he came from, what he can do, and who he has
done it for, so make sure to get detailed information on
your IT consultant. Your IT consultant has more access
to your system than anyone. They can see what you see,
what your
accountant sees, what your
attorney sees, and
every other piece of data/information that you have on
your network. If they can’t, start looking for a new
consultant.
2.
Has he worked for big business?
This isn’t mission critical, but it is very important
because it can save you substantially in terms of
support costs. If you have a consultant who has worked
for a company with 1,000 employees or more, he is going
to be more versed in getting you set up in a streamlined
process. 1 out of 10 networks that I go into are
arranged the way a true client/server network should be.
The rest are connected like a couple of PC’s networked
in someone’s home.
3.
Do I have a true server?
Most companies with more than 2 computers have a system
that is designated as the “server”. In my opinion, once
you get past the 2nd or 3rd
workstation, moving to a true server is the right path
to take. It will cost a little more up front, but the
cost will be made up in support within the first year.
If you do have a server, the first question is, what
operating system is it running. Most small business use
Microsoft products, so it is probably running 1 of 3
operating systems: Windows 2003, Windows 2003 Small
Business, or, if it is a little older, maybe Windows
2000. If it is running XP Professional or XP Home, you
don’t have a server.
4.
Does the Server have redundancy?
A server should have some safety nets established that
make it less susceptible to failure. The most critical
factor is that you should have at least 2 physical disk
drives. This way they are mirrored so if one drive
fails, your system continues running until the drive can
be replaced, though at reduced performance. Also, you
will have enough memory so if a module goes bad it can
easily be removed without taking the server down
completely. Redundant power supplies are good components
to have, especially in this area of the country.
5.
Can it be expanded?
Expansion can occur in two ways. Consider adding to the
current system disk space, memory, network cards, video,
etc. Alternatively, consider adding a second server to
your current setup. In some cases it is less expensive
and more beneficial to add a second server than to
upgrade the existing server. It’s always better, if it
is an option, to split your server into multiple servers
and split the computing tasks between them.
6.
Am I backing up daily?
I cannot stress enough the importance of backing up your
data every day. Depending on how much data you have,
there are several methods to use. An external USB is the
most capacity for the money - tape drives, USB
Thumb Drives, writable DVD/CDs, etc. If you are backing
up, how often do you restore some data from the backups
as a test to make sure that it is not corrupt or
unusable? Testing your restore should be done at least
once a year.
7.
Do I have a copy of my data stored off
site?
This needs to be habitual, so come up with a process or
procedure to make sure it gets done at least monthly, if
not weekly or even daily. Some people store their
backups in a safe onsite; however, only a small
percentage of lock boxes and safes on the market are
waterproof.
8.
Do I
have a wireless network and if so, is that wireless
connection secure?
Vendors have done an excellent job of making wireless
devices easy to install. The only downfall is that a
majority of homes and some businesses do not have their
wireless connection secure. If your wireless connection
is not locked down, you are 100% exposed. Your firewall
for your network is irrelevant because it let’s anyone
with a laptop in through the back door.
9.
Do I have control of my information?
If you want to change providers what information do you
need to have in your possession? Documentation is the
most overlooked area of IT. It’s a simple thing to do,
but IT consultants do not like to do it. So here is the
information that you, as a business owner, need to know
to have total control of your network.
a.
The
master password to your server. Usually this account is
called ‘administrator.’
b.
The
login for your router/firewall.
c.
Admin
passwords, if you use QuickBooks, ACT, or any
vendor specific software for your business.
d.
Domain
Registrar login information for Godaddy, Network
Solutions, etc. – wherever your .com is registered.
e.
Where is
your .com hosted? All registrars provide hosting,
but that doesn’t mean your email and website are hosted
at the same place. There are millions of hosts out
there, so you need to find out yours.
With
this list of questions, you as a business owner have the
ability to better understand your IT infrastructure. It
will also give you the information you need to
effectively communicate with the IT consultant you have
now, or the one that you are interviewing to take over
your technology needs.
T. Scott Plumley is the
President of High Speed Network Services. High Speed
Network Services provides full IT support to small and
medium sized businesses. Scott has over 10 years
experience working with small, medium and Fortune 100
businesses. Contact Scott at 813-404-5498 or
scott@hsnsfl.com.
Published August 2007,
Volume 1, Number 5,
Bay
Area Business Magazine
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