We recognize that networks are the communication backbone of an organization. They must be planned, designed, implemented and managed appropriately. If any one of these activities falls short, the users suffer and Information Technology (IT) costs soar. A hasty decision without a sound justification can have a costly and adverse impact your organization.

You must address many questions to maximize and maintain the functionality of your network:

• When is the right time to upgrade your network?
• Do you stay with your current platform?
• Do you outsource the network to a remote data center or can you implement the necessary controls to maintain your infrastructure in-house?
• What are your competitors or peer organization’s doing?
• What is the trend in terms of network technology and what is available?  
• Is your network secure, are there adequate policies in place to ensure your organization has controls its institutional knowledge?
• Are you compliant with FISMA, and Sarbanes-Oxley. Is implementing compliance crippling your organizations ability to accomplish its core mission?

Design and Planning

When it is time to upgrade your network there are usually several alternatives; the right one depends on your business direction and vision. Based on your mission and vision we will define the best solution for your organization and build a solid case for action.

Often integrating a single product into your environment can fulfill many of your immediate requirements. We can analyze and evaluate your current infrastructure and recommend implement-able solutions that minimize downtime and inconvenience to your current user base.

Integration

COTS solution integration is supposed to be simple -  “plug and play; however many seemingly standard projects end in failure because the requirements are not defined clearly upfront and the full scope of the solution is not thoroughly understood. Many COTS products have features that duplicate existing functions in your environment and some can even conflict with some of your current processes. We understand that integrating any solution into your environment requires iterative rounds of configuration, and testing and tweaking until the product meets a defined specification.

Modernization

Let our engineering integration team help you. When your staff is assigned to an integration project inevitably they will get pulled back into operational issues and your modernization effort will encounter many schedule setbacks. Our experience and dedication will save you time by avoiding common project pitfalls and allowing your staff to focus on the day-to-day operations and the achievement of your business objectives. Our engineering integration team specializes in putting projects into your environment that meet your defined scope challenges. We work with your staff to stay focused and keep the ball moving.

System Upgrades

Often COTS programs are deemed too simple to spend valuable planning time. True most upgrades are routine, however these upgrades also require adequate planning and expertise because if a deployment goes wrong recovery is extremely costly.

Upgrades come in many forms: Application patches include functional product modifications and require compatibility testing with existing systems.

System maintenance patches include UNIX kernel modifications, service patch releases, Flash patches, BIOS upgrades, and other firmware modifications and, security patches.

Version upgrades to a product must be planned for release into an environment.

We have valuable experience planning for system upgrades, and managing and maintaining patch levels on system servers. In an age when patch management and update services pushed from web service-based solution, we take the time to thoroughly test and plan the rollout of patches to avoid adversely affecting the customer’s user community.