by Marvin Huffaker
How
good are the people that are currently supporting
your business critical Novell systems? Do
you ever feel as if your support people
don't really understand how to work with
your NetWare servers? If you've
ever felt frustrated, angry, or helpless
in the hands of your current Novell support
company, it may be time to make a change.
The very livelihood of your company may be
at risk.
In an attempt to save money
and pinch every penny out of the budget,
many businesses will seek out low cost alternatives
for network and IT support. Although it may
look good on paper at the beginning, many
companies end up paying more in the long
run.
In other cases, businesses
do not understand the importance of using
a qualified support company. Some consulting
firms will say they can support anything,
but in reality they have very little experience
with Novell NetWare. Most of their time is
spent supporting inferior operating systems,
and they suffer from a severe learning curve
when working with NetWare.
|
|
 Marvin L Huffaker
Novell Master CNE
"If
your current NetWare Support company
is running in circles and never solving
anything, it's time to make a change.
Call
us and we'll take care of you."
|
If you're trying to decide if it
is time to change to a different support provider,
ask yourself these questions.
- Does your current support provider send
a different person out each time you need help?
- Do you feel like your support is running
around in circles and never really solving
your issues?
- Have you been led to believe that downtime
is a normal business activity that cannot be
avoided?
- Does your consultant work mostly with Windows
servers rather than specializing exclusively
with Novell products?
- Do your migrations, installations, and upgrades
turn into disasters?
- Do you have to frequently back out of projects
because everything seems to go wrong?
- Does your consultant keep telling you that
switching to Microsoft Windows NT/2000 will
solve all of your problems?
- Is your IT budget out of control?
If you said 'YES' to more than one or two of
these questions, it may be time to make a switch.
But how do you find someone that you can trust
with YOUR equipment? And how do you know they'll
be any better?
A good place to start is by looking for Novell
Gold or Platinum Partners. They have strict training
requirements (Current CNE Certifications) and
are generally better equipped to help you with
your Novell systems. However, it's important
to make sure they are qualified to support YOUR
environment and YOUR needs as a business. Ask
these questions when seeking out a new support
company:
- Do they have a solid reputation of success?
- Do they specialize in Novell NetWare products?
- Do they have extensive experience supporting
NetWare?
- Do they keep up on training and understand
the newest software?
- Can they guarantee their services?
- Will they understand your network, learn
how your business works, and be able to handle
your unique challenges?
- Will they support your existing NetWare systems
without forcing you to switch to Windows?
To find a list of Novell Gold and Platinum partners,
you can check on Novell's web site at www.novell.com/partnerlocator.
Just choose your country and then search within
your local area. Make sure to select "Gold" and "Platinum" and
uncheck "Authorized" and "Silver" Resellers. (Authorized and Silver
Resellers do not have any training requirements.)
About Marvin Huffaker Consulting
Sometimes it may be difficult to find a qualified Novell
Partner in your area. Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc. specializes in Novell services and provides consulting and support remotely and nationwide. If you are having problems finding a good Novell solution provider, Marvin Huffaker Consulting would be
honored to work with you and establish a solid
working relationship with your company. We have
the experience, training, reputation, and common
sense to help you with any of your Novell NetWare
needs. Call
us for more information.
|
