It's all about the service

We have just won 4 new IT Support contracts in quick succession, and have another 4 ready to drop.

One customer commented that Gareth from our Bradford office delivered his IT Support proposal with integrity and enthusiasm. Gareth demonstrated a true knowledge of IT which was delivered in a friendly and non-condescending manner. IT Made Easy!

The customer went on to say that in the end the decision to go with Eitex was not based on price, but in fact was down to Gareth's commitment to deliver a honest and passionate service.

If you would like to experience the Eitex Effect please get in touch with your local office.

Well done Gareth!

Movember – Final Push

Some of the support technicians here at Eitex have been growing moustaches in aid of Prostate Cancer as part of the Movember charity foundation. Finally on Wednesday Andrew, Lee & Chris will be allowed to shave again!

Andrew shaved his beard of 10 years off specially for this event and Lee and Chris continued growing the “mo” despite derision from their friends and peers.



Please help change the face of men’s health by donating using one of the following links:

• Andrew’s Mospace: http://uk.movember.com/mospace/519508/
• Chris’s Mospace: http://uk.movember.com/mospace/519600/
• Lee’s Mospace: http://uk.movember.com/mospace/522514/

How secure are your Systems?

Despite the dependancy on IT these days it's amazing how many business owners / directors do not know what kind of system/s they have.

It's not perhaps through the need to know, or the desire to know, but simply due to the lack of information provided by their existing IT Support provider.

On a day to day basis system users, business owners / directors know their systems seem to be running 'ok' but often vital pieces of the jigsaw are missing!

When auditing IT equipment and systems supplied by other IT Companies we often find the same or similar trends, and due to their importance it is astonishing that some things are missed!

Such things include insufficient or no backup of system data, user data, email, or disaster recovery information. Users are often not aware of this as they believe the tape they are inserting each night contains backup data, and is working in the correct manner. Unless backups are being monitored, how do you know? It is also a misconception that online / offsite backups contain Disaster Recovery information as often they do not!

We also often find systems are not or inadequately protected against viruses and malware, or virus definitions are not monitored to ensure they are up to date. Virus protection is of paramount importance, a combination of this with lack of backup can be catastrophic!

Another thing we often find us the lack of, or insufficient UPS protection. This essentially is a battery backup system that ensures continued and clean power to your servers. Without this relatively simple device data corruption could easily occur in the event if power spike or failure, even if this occurrence is for a milli-second!

As systems are running 'ok' the above is regularly overlooked and only comes to light when there is a problem. A small problem suddenly becomes a big one!

One final worrying trend I would like to mention is the use of generic passwords for Administrator accounts. These passwords are often insecure, easy to guess, and offer little protection. Worse still the passwords are generally passed on to users which as a result allows staff at Eitex or anyone for that matter to be able if so desired to build a database of Administrator passwords used by other IT companies. This is worrying as unauthorised users may have these passwords to gain entry into your system!

If you are reading this then we don't wish to worry you, instead we intend to offer piece of mind by providing you with a free mini system audit. The above issues will be reported on to ensure your system is safe, secure and is running as well as what it can be.

If you would like to arrange a free audit please contact your local division of Eitex and mention this blog.

Chosing an IT Service Provider

These days, all businesses, large and small use some level of IT within their business.  Whether this is simply using a computer to do the bookkeeping, having a website hosted by a 3rd party, or a major business enabling IT solution for large corporate bodies.

IT support for businesses is now sown in to the very fabric of the modern business world.

But, if you're in the small to medium sized business arena, how do you support your IT needs in a way that's cost effective and provides your business with the level of support and service you require?

Most organisations fall into one of 3 categories -

1. "We do it ourselves"
This is often referred to as "muddling through".  Unless the business is involved in the IT arena or employs skilled IT staff, it is likely that IT support is done simply on a best endevours basis by the business owners or existing staff who "know a bit".  This can lead to potential issues such as problems with security, lack of understanding of new technologies and PCs that become gradually more and more unusable as time goes on.

2. "I have a mate who takes care of it"
This is usually a one-man-band IT company or is literally just a "mate" who has some knowledge of computers (usually little more than the business owner seems to be the required qualification!).  Whilst this is undoubtedly cheap it often fails to live up to expectations and introduces a "single point of failure", whereby if the "mate" or person providing the support isn't available or can't help you're left without your systems for a while.

3. "A local company does it for us"
This is an improvement over a one-man-band as it usually involves the skills of more than one person and provides some level of resilience to the support, meaning that should the problem be outside of the skill set of the regular engineer, or they are on other business then he/she has support from a small pool of additional engineers.   The problem here is that sooner or later their availability or skills are going to run dangerously low or your technical needs are going to outstrip their capabilities.

Well now there's a new solution!

Eitex are a national organisation but with local branches across the UK.  In this way you get the best of both worlds, with dedicated local support as and when you need it, backed up by a team of professional IT staff who can call on each others skills at any time. 

This means that with Eitex providing your IT services and PC support you are secure in the knowledge that their abilities will always match your needs.

For a free, no obligation chat contact your nearest Eitex branch or call 0845 508 3238 now.

IT Support Lancashire - Launch of Eitex Blackburn Announced!

Lancashire businessman Lee Hezzlewood today announced the launch of Eitex Blackburn (IT Support Lancashire), a new arm of the Eitex franchise providing IT support to businesses in Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington, Clitheroe and across Lancashire.

Initially based in Nelson, Eitex Blackburn will provide ad-hoc and pro-active IT support to businesses ensuring their day-to-day operations are not affected by common IT problems.

"Eitex Blackburn brings professional IT support to businesses in Lancashire like they have never experienced before.  We aim to provide quality service at a price that's right for local businesses," said the local entrepreneur.

"IT support in Lancashire will now receive the benefit from the combined experience of the Eitex Team, meaning we can deliver truly corporate levels of service and reliability to the regions' small and medium sized businesses."