Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) back in March of 2011 as an updated version of the popular internet browser. This new software was initially available as an optional update, however Microsoft has recently announced it will be pushing this updated release out through the automatic update process to all Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems.

At PCM we have been using the IE9 browser for some time now and have found it to be a nice improvement over previous versions. That said, we have held off pushing this upgrade out to our client networks in case there were issues with legacy applications that only worked with the older browser versions. Starting in February we are also planning to approve the IE9 release and have it automatically push out to all client desktops running Vista and Win7.

What’s so great about the new release? Well for starters, this release is the most secure yet with various built in protection mechanisms to stop software from automatically installing itself without a user knowing. IE9 also detects when add-in software is not loading or running slow and notifies the user so these problem applications can be disabled. All of this results in faster browsing and more secure computing which is something we really appreciate.

Apart from being more secure the IE9 browser is also faster and uses a cleaner interface creating a better browsing experience for users. Will there be changes to the layout and some new things to learn? Yes, while all of your favourites and preferences will be retained, there will be some changes to the screen. Most notably is the absence of the favourites bar at the top of the screen, instead people are encouraged to use the new “pinning” feature that allows you to pin sites to the Windows task bar just like other Office applications. Should you prefer the old favourites bar at the top this can still be enabled by right mouse clicking at the top of the screen and turning it on again. For a complete list of all the new features of IE9, including some videos demonstrating the new technologies, please go here.

Due to the security and performance updates we have decided to upgrade all desktops to the latest version available for your version of Windows (IE9 on Vista and Windows 7, IE8 on Windows XP). With today’s internet threat landscape, there’s no question that using an outdated browser is a fool’s errand. Feel free to contact us with any questions about these new releases or concerns you may have about the upgrade process.

This past summer flew by quickly and at PCM the service requests continued to come in non-stop. As we increase the number of computers and clients we support, we also need to increase the number of people available to service them to ensure we continue to give you the best possible support.

Many have you have already worked with him, but I’d like to introduce our newest member, Jake Hoek, who joined our team at the end of June. Jake comes to PCM with over 3 years of IT experience, most recently as a help desk support technician, so while he’s new to us, he’s not new to supporting customers. Jake has been busy learning all of our support tools and has already helped out many of you remotely. Jake was hired for helpdesk support to focus primarily on end user, desktops and notebooks. This will allow Alvar to focus more time on monitoring our client networks and servers. Have an issue with your computer? Send your request into our office and you’ll most likely get to speak with Jake and see for yourself how good he is!

Did you know that PCM currently looks after over 520 computers and 60+ servers? It’s something that we take seriously and by adding resources to our team we hope to maintain the service level that our clients expect.

At PCM we spend most of our time helping clients manage their business networks and software applications; however there are times when we also need to spend time on our in house tools. For the last 3 years we have been using a remote monitoring software package from Level Platforms to manage our client’s servers and workstations. While we have gone through a few releases and updates over the last while, none have been as extensive as this last change. We had already been looking forward to this new release as we knew it was going to give us more tools and capabilities than ever before.

In February we spent a couple of weeks getting a new server prepared and the new Managed Workplace 2011 software installed. Once the testing was complete we then migrated all the data from our old server to this new server and upgraded the monitoring software at all of our client sites. The process wasn’t as smooth as we had initially hoped, however the end result was well worth the time. By the beginning of March we had our main service center running on the latest Windows Server 2008 operating system with newer SQL database software and the new Managed Workplace 2011 software.

So how will this new system benefit us? Right at the start we already saw that the new monitoring interface gave us much more detailed information for each monitored device than before. For example, in the past we could tell how much memory was installed in each device. Now we can see exactly how many memory slots are available, how many have been used and exactly what type of memory chip is installed in each slot! These types of advanced details are extremely helpful for our consultants as they work with the different devices.

In addition to better asset information we also now have a completely new remote monitoring agent. This new agent can be installed on any laptop or out of office computer so that it can still be appropriately monitored and maintained by our system. In the past we only installed an application on the client server, which was convenient, however once a computer left the company network we weren’t able to reach it. With the new remote agent we will be able to stay connect with all devices even if they are travelling outside the company network. This is extremely beneficial for people working out of home offices, or others that are constantly out on the road in hotels. Now their equipment can be managed and maintained just as well as the ones in the company office.

The feedback from our staff has been nothing but positive with this latest upgrade. The result for our clients is that we can now monitor and maintain all devices even better than before, making our Sentinel service stronger than ever. We’ll highlight other features and benefits in future articles.

As with any growing company, at some point you need to upgrade your internal software to match the changing needs of the organization. PCM is no different and we knew it was only a matter of time before we needed to retire our current customer databases and billing applications. The question was, which system should we switch to? Do we stay with our current systems and just upgrade them? Or do we move to a totally new system, perhaps something specifically designed for our industry?

In March of this year we decided it was time to purchase a PSA (Professional Service Automation) solution specifically designed for the IT industry. This new system replaces our existing Microsoft CRM database, many different custom spreadsheets, as well as our Timeslips billing database (after using it for 18 years!). In addition it gives us a new service module that will allow us to properly create tickets and track all outstanding client tasks/projects. We have been excitedly watching this product for a while as it offers an amazing amount of capability in one integrated system which seamlessly integrates with our existing remote monitoring database. Now our monitoring database, client database, service contracts and billing databases are all tied into one solution!

Implementing a new system internally is a huge task, and this one was no different. Staff spent many hours on training to learn the new system plus we spent a fair number of hours with the implementation consultants getting the system properly configured for our needs. The result was amazing and everyone here is excited about the new functionality. April 1st was our cut-over date (no, this wasn’t a joke!) and we are now fully operational in the new system. It will take some time to implement all of the new areas, but we have stopped using our old databases completely and moved over to the new ConnectWise 2011 system.

An immediate effect of this change is that we will now track all service requests as “tickets” in our system. With the new ticketing system we will be able to more easily track the progress and history of all service requests, even if multiple staff works on the same issue. As items are resolved or completed clients will receive an automated email from our server, similar to the “Tasks completed” email we used to send for onsite visits. This new setup will also let us keep a better eye on outstanding items and avoid things falling between the cracks.

To create a new service request you can just email support@pcm.ca, with a clear subject and details of what the request is about and any other information that will help us resolve the item. Our system will automatically convert that email to a service ticket and place it on our service board. This board will be monitored and tickets assigned to staff based on the urgency and content of the request. The system will also immediately respond with a reply email outlining the ticket number so that you can reference this specific item at any time. Should you have something to add to the ticket related to the same issue you can simply reply to the email and your comments will be automatically updated in our system and available to the staff. Once the ticket has been resolved you will again receive an email with our personalized comments related to the resolution and work done. Our hope is that this new system will make our system more efficient, resulting in faster turn-around times and better customer service.

In the future we plan to activate our new client portal feature; however that’s another topic for another time. We hope you find the new system an improvement and we look forward to any feedback or comments you may have.

We are excited to announce that our new Centralized Symantec Server has been up and running for a number of weeks now. This new server adds another level of centralized control and simplifies management of the Symantec EndPoint Protection software used at our various client sites to protect from viruses and spyware. As we continue to build our managed services offering this next step gives us greater control and visibility across all the networks that we manage.

In the past each client site would have had a Symantec Management Console application installed on a local server. As new releases came out, or anytime client policies needed to be updated, we would have to log into each site to make the required changes. Reporting also would have to be emailed to our staff for each individual site, creating a fair bit of work as the client list continues to grow. With our new server, all computers are told to speak directly with our PCM Symantec Server which will then push out updates and policies.

So is this new change mainly for our benefit only? Absolutely not! Now all clients will be immediately updated with any best practices or policies gained from experiences at different sites. This means all client workstations and servers will be automatically configured in the exact same secure way and we don’t have to worry about different settings at different sites. This also means that when we upgrade the central server each client will gain from this immediately, rather than waiting for their turn to be upgraded, or having to decide if this is something they want to invest funds into.

In addition to greater control, this new service also means that there is one less application running on your local servers. As we move clients over to this new central server we are seeing performance improvements on the local servers after the Symantec Management Console software is removed.

Another benefit is that the computers now are updated even when they are away from the office. So for those of you with laptops that frequently leave the office, these will now still be able to get virus definition updates and other changes whenever they have access to the internet.

Some of you may be wondering about bandwidth implications, especially larger sites as all computers now report regularly with our external Symantec Server. We have worked with Symantec to ensure that the “heartbeat” signal is so minor that we aren’t seeing any major impact to internet performance or overall network performance. For our rural clients with slower internet connections we also have the ability to customize the polling intervals so that these slower connections are not noticeably affected either.

All in all it’s an exciting process as we already have seen the benefits of more visibility and greater control of this critical protection software. Not part of our Sentinel network monitoring program? Contact our office and find out how we can remove the stress of managing technology while at the same time increasing the security and stability of your computer networks.

As you may be aware earlier this year we launched a Customer Satisfaction Survey through an outside agency.  This was a completely new thing for us and while we may think we have a good relationship with our clients, would they really take the time to fill out a survey?  With telephone, internet and email it seems that everyone is conducting surveys these days.  Everyone has a busy day and often surveys are seen as an interruption and perhaps even an annoyance.

For this year we decided to send the survey only to clients on the general computer side of the business.  We felt it wasn’t appropriate at this point to include the clients for which we only support software products.  The survey had approximately 30 questions and went out to 150 people.  A big thank you to those who took the time to complete the survey, we really value your feedback.  The survey is optionally anonymous and we are able to see final scores in comparison to other partners.

We were happy to see that overall we scored higher than the average partner in North America with a Net Satisfaction score of 185 compared to the average of 168.

Based on the results some areas of strength are:

• Ease of Doing Business
• Quality of Support
• Ability to Meet Clients Specific Needs
• Cares About Your Business

To be quite honest we were a little surprised that we received almost no negative feedback.  Perhaps with this being the first survey people may not have understood the purpose of this exercise.

In addition to the results of the survey questions, as staff we also discussed that in some cases clients weren’t sure who to contact about a support issue.  To simplify things we have setup a central support email queue that is constantly monitored by someone in the office during regular business hours.  Rather than emailing 3 different people and hoping that one of them will respond in time, the support@pcm.ca email address should make things easier for our clients and allow us to be more focussed.  Our goal is to increase response times which should also help to increase the value received for our clients.

Overall the satisfaction survey was a good exercise for us to go through and allowed us to raise the bar a bit moving forward.  While we received almost no negative feedback not all responses were a 9 out of 9 either.  As a result we are committed to working diligently throughout 2010 in an effort to increase the satisfaction score in future years.

The Level Platforms Comeback of the Year Award recognizes a Level Platforms Partner who has overcome challenges in deploying managed services and succeeded with Managed Workplace.

Hamilton, ON, February 5, 2010 – Professional Computer Management announced today that it has been recognized by leading remote monitoring and management software provider, Level Platforms, as their Partner Comeback of the Year. The award recognizes Ed VanderLaan of Professional Computer Management for overcoming business, infrastructure, technology or economy-related challenges to realize success in their deployment of Level Platforms Managed Workplace and the delivery of superior IT services to their small and medium-sized business customers over the last 12 months.

Professional Computer Management was one of only six award winners announced at the Level Platforms’ All Partner Event on February 4, 2010. The Level Platforms Partner Awards include Community Partner of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Partner of the Year. These awards acknowledge Level Platforms Partners for their success, as well as their commitment and contributions that they have made over the years, both in their partnership with Level Platforms and in the MSP community. A list of nominees and winners can be found at http://www.levelplatforms.com/partner-awards.aspx

A list of over 3000 Partners was compiled and analyzed by the Level Platforms Executive team. Between four and six Partners were nominated for each of the five award categories, and the winners were chosen based on careful evaluation of these top contenders. “Adopting and implementing new technologies and business delivery methods to better service the IT needs of customers is no small task for any business and occasionally requires a step back before taking two leaps forward. Despite some early challenges, Professional Computer Management persevered in 2009, resulting in a true success story.  Today their customers and their business are reaping the rewards of their efforts,” said Dan Wensley, Vice President Partner Development and Marketing, Level Platforms.

About Professional Computer Management

PCM is an IT and computer network support company based in Hamilton, Ontario, providing a variety of computer consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses in the Golden Horseshoe area. Established in 1993, PCM has seen the development of technologies, recognizes the evolving needs of their clients, and seeks to address these needs and help companies grow and expand with the times. http://www.pcm.ca

About Level Platforms

With thousands of Partners in 30 countries, Level Platforms is the leading provider of managed services software for IT solution providers servicing small and midsized end customers through its award-winning agentless remote monitoring and management software, Managed Workplace. http://www.levelplatforms.com