Consultancy & Advice

My Consultancy Model

Computing projects vary in terms of technical complexity. And businesses also vary in terms of their technical expertise. I am happy to flex my engagement to suit the job in hand.

Advice

In many cases the client just wants to chat options through to solve a minor technical issue. This could be things like where best to host a web site or to help compare the relative merits of a piece of hardware. In these cases the client is more than capable to implement the solution themselves, and all I provide is a bit of advice. In fact, for a bit of free advice on common questions re. back-up, email and web sites, please read the next pages.

Consultancy

In many of my projects the client preferred me to carry out the implementation of the technical solution, for example to configure a firewall. Where the client is comfortable with looking after the solution on an ongoing basis, e.g. to make minor changes to a configuration, I will not impose myself. I am more than happy to induct a member of staff so they are comfortable operating what I have installed.

Managed Service

There are of course bits of IT that are best managed by a dedicated service provider, either because the service is rather specialist or managing it in-house is not cost effective for the client. A medium-sized business, for example, may choose to have their email hosted by a service provider rather than running a mail server themselves. In these cases I am happy to advise on suitable options and to conduct the initial implementation. As to the ongoing management, the job in hand will dictate whether Help-Desks or another service provider should be commissioned.

Temporary Placement

I am also available to work at my client's premises for the duration of a project on a freelance basis. This is attractive for clients who have a temporary shortage of in-house IT staff or simply need to boost their manpower for a limited period. My particular forte is the installation and administration of Unix systems.