Silversands provide a comprehensive and flexible portfolio of Support Services for the core Microsoft server infrastructure, server virtualisation and thin client technologies. These services include:
- Insurance service, on a per server basis
- Points support system
- Hardware maintenance
- Remote system monitoring for both hardware and software
- Microsoft security patching
- System health checks
Server Support - Insurance service
This will typically encompass support for the base Windows operating system and specialist application, i.e. Exchange, Security, VMware, Citrix etc.
SLA’s provided range from an 8-hour response during standard business hours, through to a 1-hour response on 24x7.
Points support
The Points system is a voucher based service used for both re-active support activities and for scheduled work. Engineers and Infrastructure Consultants are available under either a 4-hour or 8-hour response depending upon the service agreed.
Points fit well where you have competent in-house support skills, typically being used for 3rd line support for specific technologies, resource backfill or for access to Microsoft through our Microsoft PSS agreement.
Hardware Maintenance
We provide hardware maintenance services on either the traditional per device ‘insurance’ service or an alternative ‘voucher’ service. The insurance service is an ideal fit for your critical equipment, where guaranteed SLA’s are required. The voucher scheme fits well for a large desktop, laptop or printer environment where you don’t want to be restricted to providing an itemized list of equipment to be supported.
Remote Monitoring
This service monitors critical devices, such as servers or network devices, within your infrastructure remotely and provides notification in the event of downtime or capacity thresholds being achieved. You have web access to view the status of your systems through a clear traffic light system.
Typical areas that are monitored include:
- Network availability
- Disk capacity thresholds and trending
- Processor & memory utilization
- Services such as Exchange, DNS, IIS and Terminal Server
- Hardware health
The system is highly configurable and can be configured to interact with the server manufacturers tools such as HP Insight Manager.
Microsoft Security Patching
We provide a range of services for the routine requirement of Microsoft security patching, ranging from the installation of Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) and handing this over to your IT team with our recommendations for best practice, through to a completely outsourced Microsoft server and desktop patching service through System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
Infrastructure Health Checks
On a frequency to be agreed, our Consultant would check the status of the agreed systems and provide recommendations for patching, system tuning, upgrades or remedial work. This ensures that the audited systems are optimally configured to deliver best performance.
The audit itself will typically include:
- Service packs – check
- Microsoft security updates – check
- Application specific updates and service packs, i.e. Exchange
- Systems backup review
- Performance analysis
- Produce report.
We undertake health checks for the Microsoft Security, Exchange, SQL and SharePoint infrastructure, as well as virtualised environments and Citrix. Either your IT team can implement the recommendations from the audit, or we can undertake the work through the Points Service.
Next Steps
If you would like to find out more information about how Silversands can help you please email info@silversands.co.uk or contact us