Monday, August 30, 2010

Excellent Software Patch Management Makes A Difficult Task Easy

With some much new technology out in the world, it just makes sense that there is an equal amount repairs needed done. Software patch management helps programs adapt to the quickly changing technological world. More often than not they can be set to run on their own whether the computer is being used or not. This rarely affects the computers ability to process things. To have this as a manual procedure can be very time consuming and inefficient. It costs more hours and money to have your IT staff handle this issue one computer at a time. The automated release features of the patch management program can eliminate the waste of so much time and funds and can allow the IT staff to work on other projects. It also saves money on payroll by ensuring work continues by everyone. If you have to have someone download patches on an employees computer, that person will have to stop what they are doing. This could potentially be devastating for any department from sales to accounting to customer service. Nobody wants to lose clients because of a minor detail that could have easily have been prevented. There are many different software to choose from. Selection will depend upon your business needs and company size. Choosing the one that has the most features is not necessarily the best move. However, selecting the program that allows for the most customizing to suit your needs would be beneficial. Managing patches is one of the many ways to protect your systems from malicious intruders. Hackers are able to get past firewalls and security if one terminal on the network is compromised. This can be an easy fix as long as the patches are maintained. Companies have been disabled or completely shutdown for days because of hackers manipulating security loopholes created by not patched computers. The hackers are able to gain full control of one computer that is not entirely protected and then use it to tie up bandwidth for their own purposes. They are then also able to install viruses and worms on your network. These attacks can be prevented and stopped by continually checking the terminals on your network. If one fails to meet the patch update standards then it will be immediately patched. This means that the opening that was left for the hacker is no longer open and the system is once again protected.

 

The best part about software patch management is that it is done almost completely without your knowledge, and without interfering with an employees workload. Just like with many updates, in order for it to take effect occasionally the computer may have to be turned off and then on again. Of course, the system would never automatically turn itself off without some sort of warning. That would partially defeat the purpose of the software.

Friday, August 27, 2010

MSP Software Can Help You Manage Multiple Networks More Efficiently

One of the most important programs at the disposal of managed service providers today is known as MSP software. This type of software is specifically designed to assist network managers with the monitoring and managing of networks. These programs can help network managers assess the efficiency of an entire network, but it can also help network managers assess the efficiency of individual devices and programs within a network as well.

 

Many managed service providers find it very difficult to provide the level of service their customers are looking for at all times. If you are managing many networks, it can sometimes be overwhelming to attempt to meet the demands of each one of your clients. By having managed service provider software though, you can make the process of managing multiple networks very simple and efficient.

 

Network managers find this type of software to be incredibly useful, because it can provide an abundance of detailed information about a network's activities. Whether network managers need to assess the efficiency of individual devices within a network, or they need to assess a network's overall efficiency, they can easily do so by reviewing the information that is provided by this type of program.

 

Network managers who do not take advantage of this type of software often miss major problems that are occurring within entire networks. When devices within a network cannot sufficiently handle the capacity and demands that are being placed on them, network managers have no idea that these difficulties are occurring if they do not have this type of software in their possession. Network managers who do have access to MSP software though, can utilize the tools and monitoring capabilities of MSP software to quickly and easily assess the congested portions of a network and fix those problems immediately.

 

This software can even automate the process of managing a network as well. This software can provide notifications when a problem is about to arise within a network too. In this way, MSP software can help managed service providers avoid problems altogether, because the problems can be fixed before they actually cause a disruption within the communications of a network.

 

Network managers rely on all of these features, but one of the most useful features provided by this type of software is the remote access capability. This remote access capability allows network managers to access devices without actually being physically present at the location the devices reside in. By being able to remotely access devices, network managers can fix problems instantly and efficiently in order to provide higher quality and more effective services to their clients.

 

Along with monitoring the connections between different devices in a network, this type of software can even provide monitoring services for reviewing the efficiency of individual device components as well. As a network manager, you will be able to access detailed information about each device that may be present within a network when using MSP software. By accessing this information, you will be able to assess whether or not the components currently being used in a network can handle the demands a company is currently facing.

 

So, MSP software can assist network managers in a variety of different ways. Network managers who use this type of software can improve the overall efficiency of the networks they manage by assessing the efficiency of individual devices and the communication connections between those devices. If any issues ever arise within the network, network managers will be notified immediately by their MSP software about any serious issues that may affect the efficiency of the network.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Cost-effective Network Management: The Features And Characteristics

Information Technology could be called the precursor to business automation. The automation extended outwards and included other linked sphere of operations related to the central business venture. Synchronisation of these disparate operations in order to be able to achieve one singular end result gave rise to networks. Managing these networks was a costly affair. In order to ensure profit margins Cost-effective network management systems became an object in demand.

Individual objects make up the network in totality. These objects are both hardware and software components. It needs practical experience to be able to appreciate the large number of objects and their variety that form a network. Uncanny problems are faced by the Network administrator in his day to day work that makes his job extremely demanding. When any one of these components faces a bug that retards or stops its working the Network Manager is the individual who is called upon to provide a solution. A complete view of the network and its operations from wherever the network manager is located becomes a necessity for providing the solution. The task of the network manager becomes even more difficult due to the fact that the network map is never the same even on successive days at some instance. This occurs as every business house has to continuously adapt to the changes in the market and thereby effect changes in the procedures that he conducts his business. A tool which is capable of providing a continuously updated view of the network and its functioning is the need of the day. This software should also have the capability to permit the network manager remotely manage the various components that make up the network..

Managed Services Provider is one such class of software which gives an integrated view of the complete network and the various programs that is running upon it. The software could be one that needs no user intervention, then there are others which need to be executed by a network manager and there are those which are a mix of both. Depending on availability and competence of the network manager the type of MSP software is to be selected. The software solution for managing networks accrues high cost saving to the business house. Instead of separate network managers managing every individual network, it could be substituted by just one network manager sitting at one location with this tool to manage the entire network.

How well and detailed does the MSP software report the network statistics and status and how wide and deep can the software report decide the power and strength of the software.

However there are various other factors and features that each individual company would indicate in their product manifesto. Features like ease of deploying the MSP software itself across the entire network. The demand for system resources that the software be inherent with.

For increased profit margins a cost-effective network management system is a deciding issue to any business house. This is especially so given the 'e' factor that has attached itself in every facet of a business in today's world. A Managed Service Provider is capable of bringing down price incurred by the business house in network management, in turn assuring increased profit margin to the business house. It could therefore be concluded that MSP is a cost-effective tool.