What tools and systems do you use to manage clients systems?

We use a suite of best in class IT management tools to help run our business and deliver exceptional service and value to yours. We offer our larger clients who have in-house IT staff the ability to use our tools and systems to help give their team the best tools and allow seamless collaboration for us to work together on problems, projects, and system administration. Here are some of the tools and systems available to our clients: Professional ticketing system User portal and dashboard A comprehensive System Management platform Network monitoring and alerting system Log management and alerting systems Offsite data backup platform Complete cloud desktop platform Robust documentation portal Enterprise password management system Comprehensive security monitoring and alerting systems

What are Standard Operating Procedures, and why do we need them?

According to Wikipedia... "A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with industry regulations." At White Mountain. we follow SOPs for everything that we know will be a task or series of tasks that will need to be repeated in a defined and consistent manner. We generally follow industry-standard best practices for general IT management functions and develop our own, as they relate to our unique processes and client systems. When we onboard a new client we follow SOPs for every step of the process, and as we get to know your workflow and internal procedures, we help develop custom SOPs specific to managing and supporting your technology. Examples of customized client-specific SOPs that we create and maintain: Employee on-boarding and separation procedures Security Event and Major Incident Response procedures Emergency Lock-down procedure Notification procedure for key teams, executive, management, all staff After hours outage, notification and response SOPs for all key failover events (internet, phones, email, etc) Without being disciplined about following SOPs, how can anyone consistently achieve consistent, exceptional services for your users? If each person doing the work takes the liberty of doing it "their own way", I can almost guarantee that it will result in poor service and frustrated users. Not adhering to SOPs leads to: Inconsistent and unreliable results Unnecessary security risks Lack of standards, which frustrates users, and makes ongoing support more difficult Callbacks and repeated interruptions for your users Excessive IT support costs

What are employee on-boarding and separation procedures?

When we bring on a new client, we create a document that outlines all of the steps and tasks required to get a new employee set up in their organization. Creating a step by step procedure and checklist helps ensure that the process is handled the same way every time and that nothing is missed. We work closely with your management team to ensure that new employees have a smooth first day, as well as to protect the business when there is an unexpected employee separation. In Addition to a detailed on-boarding procedure, here are a few of the IT-related things that should be documented for all employees: General description of workflow, function, and role List of devices used and software used List of hosted systems that each user has access to Description of server, and data access requirements (folders, files & shares) Company-owned devices that each employee has possession of (laptop, tablet, smartphone) Any remote access accounts, VPN accounts, or other forms of remote access to company data Physical access controls like key fobs or mechanical keys

Isn't my IT Manager also my CIO?

Not necessarily, but it depends on how you define it and what you expect from the position. Here is my perspective on the differences between the two positions. An IT Manager is concerned with the day to day operational, support and budget issues associated with your IT infrastructure. A Chief Information Officer or CIO is more concerned with how to use technology to gain competitive advantage, increase productivity and support the strategic vision of the organization. In larger organizations, the IT Manager reports to the CIO. In most cases, they are two different sets of skills and priorities. If you are fortunate enough to have one person who is able to do both jobs well, then make sure you hang on to them, they will be hard to replace! At White Mountain, we have relationships with clients where we report to the CIO, and are responsible for IT Management, and in some cases, we provide monthly CIO services, and IT Management is handled in-house. Every situation is unique, and we are happy to customize a plan to your specific needs.

Should we be considering moving to the cloud?

The short answer is yes. Before you spend any money on new servers, you should consider how cloud-based systems could help your business. White Mountain is an IT management and support company, not a server sales company. We routinely help clients evaluate the best use of technology, minimizing the cost of ownership without adding complexity. White Mountain has been providing full cloud desktop platforms to our client for many years and can help you objectively evaluate options, and plan a migration to the cloud if it is the right fit for your business. Today's cloud services can offer a very competitive alternative to having servers and computers on-site. Clients who are best served by moving entirely to the cloud, literally remove all of the PCs and servers and each user has an inexpensive $200 "cloud terminal". Rather than being in the never-ending cycle of buying, installing, maintaining and repairing computers and servers, everything is provided as a simple monthly user fee. Your costs scale almost directly with the growth of the company. Some of the benefits of moving to the cloud include: Never buy another server! Expensive, high-end options become affordable (or included for free) Redundancy & fail-over Virtualization Real-time backups Disaster recovery Secure remote access Per-user software licensing Easy access from Windows, Mac, tablet, smartphone Easy security logging and auditing Standardization, so user support is easier End-user devices become inexpensive and easy to swap Systems and costs scale up and down as your needs change

What should be included in a written IT security policy?

Depending on the industry that you are in, and the data security and compliance regulations that may apply to you, a security policy can be quite involved. At a minimum, every business should have a written security policy to demonstrate that the company takes data privacy and security seriously and has systems in place to protect it. Without having a policy in place, that all employees have seen and agree to abide by, it may be problematic should a problem develop in the future. A basic security policy should include: Password policy Acceptable use policy for email, internet browsing, social media, etc. Access and control of proprietary data and client data Access to company data from remote locations, or on non-corporate devices Physical security protocols for doors, dealing with visitors, etc. Understanding of data classification, what is critical and private data? How to deal with and report lost or stolen devices How to handle and report a suspected security breach or data loss Requirements and expectations for Security Awareness Training Use of third party cloud or file sync services such as Gmail, Dropbox, etc. Requirements for encryption and computer locking procedures

What is involved with a lock-down procedure?

When there is a change in IT Support staff that has access to your IT management systems and passwords it is important to quickly revoke access, change passwords review your security systems. We suggest having a lock-down procedure in place to guide you through the process and ensure that nothing is missed. In addition to the obvious things like keys to building and passwords, here are a few other items to be sure you consider; Firewall and Server administrator access Domain name registration accounts Email and web hosting accounts All remote access and VPN software Change the Point of Contact records for all vendors like the phone company, internet provider, etc. Any online or hosted services Let all employees know about the change, even the branch offices! Encryption keys and passwords for backups Remove them from all internal email distribution lists Access control and security systems Of course, this is all much easier if you have professional IT management systems in place so that everything is fully documented before you need to change it. When the only person who knows what to change, and how to change it is the one who just left, it can be a daunting task.

My IT support company is the only one that knows my systems, Won't it be painful to switch vendors?

If your systems are currently working, we can easily back them up and then document them, if your systems are not currently functioning properly then it is already painful and your business is at risk, the sooner you make the change, the better. We often find that even when a new client that we are onboarding has told us that things were "ok" with the previous vendor when they see how much of a difference having professional IT management can make, they are relieved and excited about the change. I can't tell you how often a new client tells me that they wished they had made the change years ago! Our systems and process are very transparent, as a client, you have access to our systems, records and all of the documentation about your network. With White Mountain, you are as involved as you want to be and will never feel that you are being left in the dark. Don't settle for a vendor who uses knowledge as job security. Let us help you get the situation resolved.

Is My Business Too Small For Professional IT Management?

If your business depends on technology to keep things running, then the answer is "NO," it's not too small for professional IT management.

Does your business depend on networked computers, secure internet access, email, databases, customer lists, online services.....the list goes on and on.

The question isn't whether your business needs it, or deserves it, but rather "Can your provider do the job for a price that is within your budget?"

White Mountain has service plans that make sense for small networks with as few as five computers. Don't feel that you need to go without, and short change your business just because you have a small office - let White Mountain take care of IT!

At White Mountain, we make changing IT vendors EASY!

Thanks for visiting, we look forward to hearing from you.

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