FAQs/Knowledgebase

Management, typically by an outside third-party, of an organization’s services and equipment related to computers, networks, or software, is also known as Outsourced Information Technology (IT).

True Managed Service Providers like MLAN are 100% responsible for the safety, security, and reliability of your IT infrastructure and work on a fixed-fee basis. This changes the incentive from “finding problems” to “preventing problems”. Big difference.

This fixed-fee business model also keeps a client’s IT budget predictable, resulting in no ugly surprises from a billing standpoint. Billing consistency is the result.

Trust increases substantially since MLAN now has assumed a shared risk with the client, enabling what can truly be called a “partnership”. As our client, you can rest assured that any decision we make or advice we give is in both of our best interests because if something goes wrong, it is at our expense.

MLAN provides 24/7/365 network monitoring of all of your IT infrastructure:

  • Our Help Desk will answer your and your staff’s questions.
  • 24x7x365 response for Server/Network Infrastructure emergencies.
  • We provide technical support onsite.
  • We provide technical support using remote connect tools.

If you can relate to 3 or more of these statements, your company will benefit from MLAN’s Managed IT Services approach:

  • You realize that IT is an integral part of your business that can no longer be handled by the boss’s kid, one of your staff members, or the guy next door.
  • You understand that IT is no longer an optional expense, but an operational expense similar to the electric power company.
  • You want an IT firm that thinks like a Business Owner before thinking like IT technicians.
  • You just want it all to work!
  • You don’t want to monkey around with IT issues you don’t understand.
  • You appreciate what it costs your company if you’re not focusing on your top priorities and on IT issues instead.
  • You are done trying to get techies to understand what you really need.
  • You realize the hourly cost of downtime and business interruption is so much more than a technician’s hourly rate.
  • You are done with finding, hiring, and managing IT staff.
  • You never want to deal with Technology vendors pointing their fingers and blaming each other.
  • You realize that a break/fix IT support company is not incentivized to fix your problems.
  • You put up with IT support issues because you do not want the trouble of changing to another support provider.

If you can relate to 3 or more of these statements, your company will probably not benefit from MLAN’s Managed IT Services approach:

  • Why pay someone else? You are a do-it-yourself type and only want help when you cannot figure it out yourself.
  • Your IT plan is to keep the network running until the wheels fall off. Then we will deal with it. But only if we have to.
  • You do not measure the performance of your business and employees.
  • You are content creating “work-arounds” or applying “Band-Aids” to fix problems.
  • You do not care how your employees use business resources during business hours.
  • You think “those IT problems” are not too bad, we can just “work harder”.
  • You believe a PC should last more than 6+ years.
  • You enjoy spending free time learning how to fix computers.
  • You really do not care if employee efficiency or morale can be improved.
  • You depend on “non-professionals” to help you out with IT.
  • You maintain that business productivity and performance are secondary to IT costs.

No, all of our employees and tech support staff are based in the U.S., so language barriers never become an issue.

All of San Diego County, from Oceanside down to San Ysidro.

For MLAN’s services to be of value to your company, you should have at least 10 workstations/end users and at least 1 server.

The maximum size depends on your company’s business model, number of locations, strategic initiatives, growth plans, etc.

For companies under 200 end users, MLAN can represent the total IT department (CIO, CTO, help desk and the like) or just act as a supplement to in-house IT staff.

For companies with more than 200 end users, we usually see businesses hire an in-house technology technician, while still keeping the IT Planning, Network Monitoring, and Windows Patch Management outsourced to MLAN.

Managed Service Providers like MLAN don’t get sick, take vacations, or require benefits. MSPs also generally cost less than a full-time employee.

Outgrowing one’s “computer guy” is an issue that we are seeing more frequently now than in the past. Today’s computer networks have become more complex in the past few years and not every “computer guy” has been able to keep up with the myriad of changes that continue to occur in the industry.

Sometimes the pace of technology surpasses the pace of the incumbent IT person, and that person is no longer a good candidate to manage one of your business’ most important assets.

A skilled and professional IT firm like MLAN will make a changeover as painless as possible.

Every Managed Service Provider will offer the same basic deliverables:

  • 24/7/365 Network Monitoring of critical systems (Servers, PCs, network).
  • Help Desk (questions from you and your staff).
  • Windows Patch and Security Management.
  • Antivirus/antispyware/malware Monitoring.
  • Data Backup Monitoring.
  • Vendor liaison (work with your other hardware/software vendors).
  • Server, PC, and other Hardware repairs and maintenance.
  • Network Performance troubleshooting.

 

But you will find that MLAN is different from other similar firms in that:

  • We are an exceptional IT firm with exceptional
  • Client satisfaction is our top priority.
  • We have superior working relationships with all of our clients and act as their trusted advisors on everything technology-related.
  • We have a great deal of experience standardizing client’s computer networks, resulting in problem-free networks.
  • We work on continuous alignment of our standards with your network.
  • We think like business people, not IT technicians, thereby bringing tremendous value to your company.
  • We focus on the security of your network in order to prevent data breaches.
  • We deliver what we promise…and then…we deliver more.
  • We make decisions based on your needs, not ours, because we act as your Chief Information Officer (CIO).
  • We are so confident in our abilities that we offer guarantees that no one else will.
  • We offer rapid 15-minute response times.

 

MLAN has been in the IT business for 10 years; our Founder for 17+ years.

The “Break-Fix” (pay-as-you-go) model occurs when an organization calls an IT service provider to fix a single problem. The provider usually goes onsite and repairs the issue, then sends a bill for their time. This model rewards IT companies for when things break, or for when they aren’t fixed properly, and they have to return onsite. There is no incentive for them to do it right.

MLAN prefers to focus on monthly maintenance plans over the “Break-Fix” model, because today’s computer networks need regular “care and feeding” to catch and correct problems early, when they are small and easy to handle, before they grow massive and destructive.

It is in the best interest of both companies to maintain a strong and healthy network, and consistent attention and upkeep is central to achieving that goal. An emergency is best solved before it even starts.

MLAN offers 3 plans. A Platinum, a Gold, and a Bronze. Pricing is generally based on the number of devices (servers, PCs, laptops, and other peripheral equipment) or the number of users on the network.

There is no catch. Over the years, we have determined what level of network health is achievable on any given network, and we know how many hours of support are needed for a network of that complexity, when it’s properly managed.

We can use those ratios to predict how much support you’re likely to need once we onboard and stabilize the network.

In the beginning, we will lose money because we are taking care of neglected items and pent-up IT demand. But eventually, we will get all of the gremlins out of the network and move into the next phase of maintaining and planning for the future.

If the problem you are experiencing cannot be repaired remotely, then yes, we immediately dispatch a technician to your office to make the repairs in person.

Platinum level clients are guaranteed a 15-minute response time.

If you are willing to pay 3, 6, or 12 months in advance, we offer payment discounts.

Moves, adds, subscription renewals, and changes are billable items.

MLAN invests large amounts of time, energy, and staff resources into cleaning up and bringing your computer network into compliance with the industry’s best practices. To our way of thinking, it is unfair to ask an MLAN to come in, perform large amounts of work that the previous vendor failed to complete, without a long-term agreement.

Your monthly bill is based on the number of machines or number of employees under management, not on the number of hours of support that you require.

Generally, there is a charge for one day of labor at the billable rate for the plan you have selected.

We work from a real office and have no home-based employees.

We carry Business Liability, Workman’s Compensation, Errors and Omissions and any other state or federally required insurance that will protect you and your business.

No. All of our staff are employees of the company.

No problem. Many of our commercial clients have an existing IT staff. If you already have IT employees, we will work with them to relieve their daily responsibilities so they can focus on larger projects. This allows your existing IT staff to work more efficiently, saving your agency time and money.

We offer customized IT plans based on your technology needs. Our plans range from 100% coverage to simple network monitoring and antivirus protection.

We are able to automate tedious tasks that take up much of your IT’s time and can allow your IT to focus on bigger picture issues.

You pick the plan, based on what you need and your budget, and we will facilitate.

Then this is an issue that must be corrected before moving forward. We are unable to deliver the results you expect if your equipment or software are not current.

Prior to executing a service agreement with your organization, we will survey your network and give you a proposal to document your network and to get your network to a minimum baseline that we will support. This includes an inventory of all hardware and software. You will receive a copy of this documentation for your records.

We highly recommend you have this type of documentation on hand, regardless of who you select for network support, for your own protection.

Most networks that we encounter are actually very far from healthy, although the client often doesn’t realize it.

There is a lot that can be done, from installing patches, to verifying and improving security, to replacing outdated hardware that will improve the average network.

You have to have the right technical knowledge and skills in addition to the right network management systems, and one has to be prepared to spend the time on proactively stabilizing the network.

We’re confident that you’ll find value in our service. So much so, that we’ll allow you to cancel the contract within the first six months if you find our service is not what we have stated.