Computer Consulting
The mainstay of the business, this involves making your computers work for you, not the other way around. From first decisions involving getting a new computer, to showing you how you might not need a new system and can get much more out of your existing systems.
The emphasis is always on reducing your total cost of ownership (TCO) of your computing infrastructure, so that you can put that money to more profitable use. Computers and software are mainly tools that should facilitate your mission. If they are costing too much, that can interfere with your real goals. Reducing TCO is not necessarily about getting the cheapest tools, it’s about getting the best performance at the best price. Sometimes reducing TCO is simply a matter of arranging things differently. Other times it will require a complete reworking of the computer infrastructure to perform the same tasks in a more reliable and less costly fashion.
Problem Solving
We have been systematically and reliably solving problems in several fields for almost three decades. Although mainly specialized in solving computer problems over the years, that’s only because computers simply create many more problems that need solving.
The art of problem solving involves an ability to think creatively combined with a breadth of knowledge about how others have solved similar problems. With a knowledge of both modern and ancient technology, as well as having lived in several cultures each of which has different ways of looking at certain problems, we are uniquely positioned to either solve your problems or find someone who can.
Results are guaranteed. You only pay if a viable solution is found. So you have nothing to risk, and everything to gain.
“Second Opinion” Service
So you’ve just paid for a consultant and that company has come up with a very expensive solution to your problem. It also happens that the consultant happens to sell the products that will be used to solve that problem. Call us for a second opinion about whether the product or service you’re being sold is likely to be able to solve your problem, or whether you are just being sold what is most profitable for that company.
We don’t sell hardware or software, which allows us to be completely unbiased in our assessments.
High Availability Consulting
High availability computing is about keeping the applications you need running so that your business can continue to function even if one or more of your computers becomes unavailable. Our high availability consulting has included clients such as UBS Warberg in London, Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, and the Bank of Mauritius amongst others. We have extensive experience with the expensive but well designed Veritas Cluster Server and some familiarity with the free Linux High Availability products.
Smiling Geek is currently designing a turn-key, low-cost solution to the problem that computers are inherently unreliable. If you’re interested in participating in this program, services will be provided only for the cost of the hardware (so no consulting fees) until development is completed.
Disaster Recovery Planning
How dependent is your business on your computers? Can you function without them? How long would it take to get going again after a fire, flood or earthquake? How long can your business survive without your computers? If the answers are anywhere close to “completely”, “no”, “a long time”, “not long enough”, then you need some form of disaster recovery plan. With a good disaster recovery plan in hand, recovering from any form of disaster becomes a lot less stressful. These plans don’t have to be expensive, but they do take some time and effort to create and maintain. Time you won’t have after a disaster. So plan now, and save yourself a lot of trouble later.
Smiling Geek has experience creating disaster recovery plans, and can help you design one that fits within your budget and business requirements.
Systems Administration
All computer systems benefit from having professional attention. From clearing malware to tuning and configuring your systems as your needs change, the system administrator takes care of everything. However, many individuals and smaller businesses just can’t justify the cost of a full-time professional systems administrator. That where Smiling Geek can help. For a small start-up fee, plus a set amount each month you get all the benefits of a professional systems administrator but without the overhead of hiring one full time. The start-up fee includes full system documentation that is left at your site and can therefore be used by any professional, and a thorough check of all your systems. The monthly fee pays for regular visits to your systems to ensure that everything is working smoothly, along with a fixed amount of time to deal with any problems that invariably crop up. Since each business and system is different, the specific fees will depend on your requirements.
The ultimate goal of systems administration is to be invisible. If the systems are properly maintained and administered, you should be able to just walk in and get your work done without fighting the computer. That is therefore the goal of all the systems administration services we offer.