What is Help Desk & NOC Outsourcing Services

Outsourced NOC and Help Desk Services –

We create a team structure and ticket delivery process that allows us to meet your customers and provide them with a more personalized experience. Our technical support engineers have been selected for their ability to listen, understand problems, and find IT solutions that allow customers to move on quickly.

One of the many differences that our end customers appreciate is a Live Voice Outsourced Help Desk, ready to answer your calls and questions; no queue or auto-attendant! As an extension of your team, we can customize a private label program that includes receiving calls from your customers as your business.

We are only in the United States. This includes the service providers we work with, compatible end-user subscribers, and the technology providers we resell.

Our Midwest Network Operations and Services Center (NOC) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has accredited support engineers. Collabrance has dedicated subject matter experts or SMEs to each part of our standardized technology stack. Develop your IT services team with highly qualified IT professionals at Collabrance MSP Service Desk, committed to providing excellent service.

Service Desk Hours

Help Desk Services Collabrance has engineers arriving from 5.30 p.m. Mr. CST to resolve high alert issues, so that customer environments are ready to operate without having to face major technical problems when they arrive at work. Our call center has a full team during standard business hours to provide coverage and technicians ready to answer customer calls. Collabrance offers a real-time response support service from 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. CST and after-hours assistance for an additional charge.

Technical Expertise

Technical references are essential, but customer service is necessary. We make sure that our team members take care of their customers.

Certifications

• AAS, BS, BA Degrees
• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+
• CompTIA Security+
• HDI Support Center Analyst
• HDI Knowledge-Centered Service Foundations
• Datto Certified Advanced Technician
• Fortinet NSE4 Security Professional

Skills

• Backup
• Disaster Recovery
• LAN Management
• Network Administration
• Server Administration
• Security
• Microsoft Exchange
• Unified Threat Management (UTM)

The HDI Support Center certification recognizes the support center's commitment to the excellence, efficiency, and quality of services of more than 80% of the members of the service center team who obtain HDI certification.

What technical knowledge and personnel does your team need?

Service providers working with Collabrance will need an engineer who can help SMEs solve pre-sale problems and carry out the project work associated with managed services. This requires good practical knowledge of computers, servers, and network infrastructure (for example, switches, routers, firewalls). Your active role in the sales and support process will require the ability to build relationships with customers and their teams. This person must have more than six years of experience in the implementation and administration of servers and networks.

Service providers will also need a technician who can help with the implementation of tools, integration, and direct support associated with managed services. This requires two years of experience and practical knowledge of computers, servers and network infrastructure (for example, switches, routers, firewalls). Your active role in the sales and support process will require the ability to build relationships with customers and their teams. CompTIA A + and Network + certifications are recommended.

Evolution of Wireless Based Indoor Survey

Abstract –

Internal positioning systems (IPS) use sensors and communication technologies to locate objects inside. IPS arouses scientific and commercial interest because there is a significant market opportunity for the application of these technologies. There has been a lot of previous research on internal positioning systems; however, most of them do not have a robust classification system that structurally maps a large area, such as IPS, or omits several critical technologies or has a limited perspective; Finally, investigations are quickly becoming obsolete in a field as dynamic as IPS. The purpose of this article is to provide a technological aspect of internal positioning systems, including a wide range of technologies and approaches. Besides, we classify existing methods in a structure to guide the examination and discussion of different approaches. Finally, we present a comparison of internal positioning approaches and show the evolution and trends that we anticipate.

Introduction –

Wireless Site Survey - One of the essential elements of contextual information is the location of the position of a user or device in a given space. The widespread use of sensors has produced a growing wealth of this information. As such, localization has received a lot of attention due to its potential to leverage commercial applications, such as advertising and social media [1]. The user context, made up of all the relevant elements that surround it, has acquired paramount importance in the design of next-generation information systems and services. Adaptation to a changing context is precisely what makes new generation systems flexible and robust [1].

Location detection has been successfully implemented outdoors using GPS technology [2]. GPS has had a massive impact on our daily lives by supporting a large number of applications in orientation, mapping, etc. [3] However, Indoor Survey, the usability of GPS or equivalent satellite location systems is limited, due to the lack of visibility and the attenuation of GPS signals when crossing walls. The accuracy of about 50 meters in a commercial environment is useless compared to a task such as placing specific goods on a shelf. Consequently, the need for specialized methods and technologies for internal location systems (also called internal positioning systems, IPS) has been widely accepted [4-11].

Much research has been written based on various subjects related to IPS [12-16]. However, most of them omit several relevant technologies, have a limited perspective, or have no classification structure. For example, the use of visible light [17–19] or the Earth's magnetic field [20, 21] has been neglected in some journals (see Table 1). Furthermore, the absence of a classification system that guides readers properly is a severe failure of some proper research [15]. Also, up-to-date research on internal positioning systems is always welcome, as this is a rapidly evolving field and a decade-long review can be considered obsolete.

In this investigation, we review the area of ​​internal positioning systems (IPS), as it presents specific characteristics, challenges and opportunities. Internal configurations are often filled with obstacles that obstruct signals between transmitters and receivers, and a wide variety of materials, shapes and sizes affect signal propagation more than in outdoor environments. IPS faces an exciting technical challenge due to the vast array of possible sensor technologies that can be applied, each with different strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this specific investigation is precise to Different Types of Site Survey review the various techniques that were used for IPS. We present an exhaustive review of the literature on internal positioning systems to provide a technological perspective on the evolution of IPS, to distinguish between different technical approaches using a classification scheme and to present developments and trends in the field.

We emphasize that, although outdoor positioning techniques can be used indoors, they are excluded from our scope, because this research is specialized explicitly in indoor technologies.

The structure of this article is as follows: after this introduction, we compare this research with others, to justify its publication; then, in section 3, we present the methods and problems related to the domain itself. Then, in chapter 4, we offer a review of internal positioning technologies, which is the central theme of this report. After that, Section 5 presents a comparison of location technologies. Finally, in section 6, we offer a discussion, anticipating the possible evolution of central positioning systems in the coming years, and some conclusions.

Related Works –

Although, as previously mentioned, a lot of research from IPS [12-16, 31-34] has been published, we can see that some research such as Hightower and Borriello [32] is obsolete for a rapidly evolving field, such as IPS. Besides, some right critics lack a classification system that allows the reader to organize the different works in a more useful conceptual structure than in a disorganized and straightforward list. The most representative example of this failure is the complete review by Mautz [15], where a simple list of 16 technologies is presented in sequential order, without any classification. In our article, we offer comprehensive classification criteria that will divide all of the different work, which will make it easier to manage and provide a conceptual framework for mapping the IPS domain. Also, some classification schemes proposed in the previous analyzes are not robust; for example, Gu et al. [14] classified IPS systems as network-based systems, which benefit from the existing network infrastructure, and non-network systems, which use a support dedicated exclusively to positioning, but this leaves no room for purely passive methods, such as fingerprints, magnetic field or ambient light analysis, and other technologies, such as image analysis.

You can also see that most of the analyzes that try to be exhaustive omit complete technologies, not to mention individual work. For example, Gu et al. [14] eliminated inertial navigation, environmental magnetic digital printing, the use of patterns encoded in artificial light (fluorescent or LED), the analysis of ambient light, the use of audible sound transmitted by the infrastructure ( some with coded standards), RFID where the labels are fixed, and the reader is mobile, ZigBee, vision analysis with portable cameras, tiles and internal use of external technologies (GPS, mobile phone, TV and FM signals).

In Table 1, we present the technologies examined in several meaningful technological Indoor Surveys about this Site Survey. In the table, we write "mention" to indicate that the study does not include a full discussion of the corresponding technology. As the reader can see from this table, even current, allegedly comprehensive research, like that of Deak, omits fifteen different techniques.

We emphasize that the names of comprehensive technologies are not suitable as organizational directors in a Network Survey because the applications of a broad technology can be very creative and different. For example, "magnetic" techniques include both those that capture irregularities in the Earth's natural magnetic field and those that generate a pulsating magnetic field that will be recorded by a sensor; These are entirely different technologies. Therefore, saying that a particular survey covers "magnetic fields" is not accurate enough. Some exams intentionally omit certain areas. The review by Liu et al. [12] only takes into account wireless positioning systems, excluding infrared, policies linked to vision, sound or ultrasound, inertia systems, ambient light, floors and magnetism analysis (infrared and The ultrasound is briefly mentioned in a section on "Positioning using multiple supports").

Finally, some research has not focused on the use of technologies like this. For example, Sun et al. [31] analyzed location algorithms, not techniques. In the case of Mautz's exhaustive research, we emphasize the fact that it has a slightly different character, inherent in the fact that it is primarily a thesis and not a journal publication. See Table 1 for a detailed comparison.

How to Use Service-Level Agreements for Success

What is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and its customers that documents the services that the provider will provide and defines the service standards to be met.

A service level commitment (SLC) is a broader and more common form of an SLA. The two differ because an SLA is bidirectional and involves two teams. On the other hand, an SLC is a unidirectional obligation that establishes what an organization can guarantee to its customers at all times.

Why are SLAs critical?

Service providers need Service Level Agreements to help them manage customer expectations and define the levels of severity and circumstances under which they are not responsible for interruptions or performance issues. Customers can also benefit from SLAs because the contract describes the performance characteristics of the service, which can be compared with the SLAs of other providers, and establishes the means to correct service problems.

The SLA is usually one of the two necessary agreements that service providers have with their customers. Many service providers establish the main service contract to develop the terms and conditions under which they will work with customers. The SLA Agreement is usually incorporated by reference in the service provider's main service contract. Between the two service contracts, the SLA adds higher specificity about the services provided and the metrics that will be used to measure its performance.

When IT outsourcing first appeared in the late 1980s, service level contracts evolved as a mechanism to govern these relationships. Service Level Agreement Template defines expectations for the performance of a service provider and set penalties for breaching targets and, in some cases, bonuses for exceeding them. Since outsourcing projects were once customized for a specific client, outsourcing SLAs were often created to govern a particular project.

Who needs a service level agreement?

Service level agreements are believed to come from network service providers but are now widely used in several IT-related areas. Some examples of industries that establish Service Level Management include IT service providers and managed service providers, as well as cloud and Internet service providers.

Corporate IT organizations, particularly those that have adopted the management of IT services, sign service level agreements with their internal customers, users of other corporate functions. An IT department creates an SLA so that its services can be measured, justified, and perhaps compared with those of outsourcing providers.

What is an SLA?

Generally speaking, an SLA includes typically a statement of objectives, a list of services to be covered by the contract, and a definition of the responsibilities of the service provider and the client under the SLA.

The client, for example, will be responsible for providing a representative to solve problems with the service provider regarding the SLA. The service provider will be responsible for respecting the level of service, as defined by the SLA. The performance of the service provider is evaluated based on a set of metrics. Response time and resolution time are among the main parameters included in an SLA since they are related to how the service provider handles a service interruption.

Main components of an SLA

The main elements of a service level agreement are:

General description of the contract: this first section establishes the basic concepts of the deal, including the parties involved, the start date, and a general introduction to the services provided.

Description of services: the SLA needs a detailed description of each service offered, in all possible circumstances, with response times included. Service definitions should consist of how the services are provided if a maintenance service is provided, what are the hours of operation, where the dependencies exist, a summary of the processes and a list of all the technologies and applications used.

Exclusions: the specific services which are not offered must also be clearly defined to avoid any confusion and to eliminate the margin of the hypothesis of the other parties.

Service performance: performance measurement metrics and performance levels are defined. The client and the service provider must agree on a list of all the parameters they will use to measure the service levels of the provider.

Repair: compensation or payment must be defined if a supplier cannot adequately comply with his SLA.

Stakeholders: clearly define the parties involved in the contract and define their responsibilities.

Security: all security measures that the service provider will adopt are defined. This generally includes drafting and concluding anti-poaching contracts, computer security, and confidentiality.

Risk management and disaster recovery: Risk management processes and a disaster recovery plan are established and communicated.

What is Site Survey & How to Conduct a Wireless Site Survey –

Site Survey Definition Wireless research involves the development of planning capabilities for a wireless network. For a specific property search, this involves examining the architectural plans and the physical structures required while assessing the potential of elements such as coverage, capacity and overall service quality.

A wireless search is also called a wireless site search or RF site search.

Part of a wireless survey involves establishing the scope of the project, where some professionals may refer to something like "effective range limit." Engineers also observe any intrusion or signal problems in different parts of the defined area. Different types of tests involve different methodologies to evaluate the signal and the reception potential.

Some professionals divide wireless surveys into three categories: passive, active and predictive. A passive search tends to depend on local network traffic to see how the signals move and where the access points are. A dynamic survey may involve a more accurate recording of data transmission rates and deadlines, as well as observing packet transmission success rates. The third category, predictive research, is based on simulation or model of the environment and is more theoretical in terms of finding plans and other resources.

Conduct a Wireless Site Survey –

With Wireless Survey systems, it is challenging to predict the propagation of radio waves and detect the presence of spurious signals without using test equipment. Even if the system uses omnidirectional antennas, the radio waves do not travel the same distance in all directions. On the other hand, walls, doors, elevator shafts, people, and other obstacles provide varying degrees of attenuation, making the RF radiation pattern uneven and unpredictable. Therefore, a wireless Site Survey (also called an RF site survey) is necessary to fully understand the behavior of radio waves in the operating environment before installing access points.

Website Search Concepts

The ultimate goal of a Wireless Site Survey is to determine the number and location of access points (or mesh nodes) that provide adequate signal coverage throughout the facility or the city. In most implementations, "adequate coverage" means supporting minimal data throughput or performance. To perform a successful search, you must associate the required performance with a value measured by research tools such as SNR. A wireless site survey also detects the presence of RF interference from other sources that can degrade wireless LAN performance.

The need and complexity of a Wifi Site Surveys vary depending on the installation. For example, a small three-bedroom office may not require on-site research. This scenario can probably be resolved with a single Wi-Fi access point (or router) located anywhere in the office while maintaining adequate coverage. If your access point encounters RF interference from another nearby wireless LAN, you can choose a different channel and eliminate the problem.

A larger installation, such as an office complex, an airport, a hospital or warehouse, or an outdoor space such as a city, usually requires a thorough Wifi Surveys

 site search. Without a survey, users risk having inadequate coverage and poor performance in certain regions.

When Conducting A Wireless Site Survey –

Understand The Wireless Connection Requirements. To identify optimal locations for access points or mesh nodes, you must understand the specific network requirements that affect signal coverage. For example, the maximum interval between a client device and the access point decreases as the data throughput and the resulting throughput increases. Therefore, you must know the target data rates (and performance) to correctly interpret the search results. In addition, customer devices may have relatively low transmission power, which should be taken into account when using most site analysis tools. Identify the technologies that your Surveys Network will implement, such as 802.11g or 802.11n, and investigate with these technologies in mind.

Obtain An Installation Diagram. Before going too far with research on the site, look for a set of construction plans or city plans. If not, prepare a drawing that shows the location of walls, hallways, etc. Website search tools import diagrams in different image formats. Of course, mapping software is a good source for outdoor city research. If all else fails in the construction of surveys, consider taking a digital photo of the fire escape diagram, which is often found on the walls of the corridor.

Visually Inspect The Installation. Perform the installation before performing any test to verify the accuracy of the installation diagram. Now is a good time to observe the possible attenuation barriers that could affect the spread of RF signals. For example, a visual inspection will reveal obstacles to signs, such as metal supports and partitions, elements that the planes generally do not show. Also consider possible locations for mounting access points, such as ceiling plates or pillars. For urban outdoor environments, you should carefully evaluate the location and availability of light poles and water towers to assemble mesh nodes and connection equipment. These actions will make subsequent tests more fluid.

Assess The Existing Network Infrastructure. Determine the capacity of any existing cable network that can interconnect access points or fabric nodes. Most buildings have Ethernet networks and, in some cases, fiber optic networks. Check how many of your existing networks may be available to support your wireless network. This will help designers later in their deployment when defining the architecture and nomenclature of the wireless network.

Identify The Coverage Areas. In the installation diagram or city map, indicate all the areas where coverage is required, such as offices, hallways, stairs, laundries, toilets, toilets, courtyards, parking lots and elevators . In addition, it is important to identify where users will not have wireless coverage to avoid wasting time inspecting unnecessary areas. Remember that you could survive with fewer access points and lower equipment costs if you can limit roaming areas.

Determine The Preliminary Locations For The Access Points. When considering the location of wireless users and the range estimates for the wireless LAN products you use, calculate the locations of access points that will provide adequate coverage in all areas of the user. Anticipate some propagation overlap (usually 25%) between adjacent access points, but keep in mind that channel assignments for access points must be sufficiently separated to avoid interference between access points .

Consider the mounting locations, which can be vertical posts or metal supports on the tiles. Identify the appropriate locations to install the access point, antenna, and data / PoE cable. Also consider the different antennas when deciding where to place the access points. An access point mounted near an exterior wall, for example, can be a good place if you are using a remote antenna with a relatively high gain oriented inside the installation.

What is a Managed FireWall Service –

Qualified security service providers (MSSP) often provide an "integrated security service" as a solution to integrate, Firewall Manage, monitor, and maintain the network of integrated systems. MSSP will help you configure, maintain and modify site rules, monitor your network and provide comments, reports and analysis.

Depending on the size of the service contract, MSSP can integrate the phone, application management and Internet filtering, because it determines which applications and Internet (URLs) to block. It will also help you with clip control and updates.

Do You Need A Managed Firewall –

Firearms are essential for the protection of network traffic, including the flow of sensitive information. They are required to implement regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. Companies that do not have employees who can access their servers or other security devices can shut down encryption and better protect information through the use of a Firewall Service provider. Many Firewall Companies have our auditors working and hiring IT professionals to manage their messaging, but many also choose to use a mobile service provider that is more focused on their core goals of the business.

Complete control of a brush requires a high level of experience and constant vigilance. It does not install-click or installs and deactivate engine components. Buying and prioritizing an alarm is appropriate for an environment that is just the beginning.

Whether for the Managed Network Security Service or security of information, the encryption service can increase safety in a network.

Firewall Management Software protects strangers by protecting their computers or networks from malicious and inappropriate sex. Firefighters can be configured to protect data from specific locations, allowing accurate and timely information. Antibodies have also been used to analyze local use and HIPPAA, PCI and other levels, one from data that may not have the same level of sensitivity and safety.

ITSO provides management and network design to University customers to ensure that standards and best practices use chimneys. The publication service is accessible to administrators, teachers and officials.

ITSO offers many functions in this wide range of services, which include:

Initial consultation before starting

Continuous software and performance management.

The business unit manages the creation and modification and emergency calls as necessary.

Features And Benefits

It provides a layer of security between the Internet and internal servers and other network resources and computers, and devices.

Provides integrity and authorization for inbound and outbound network connections to university infrastructure

Able to prevent unauthorized remote connections and allow desired connections

Top Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Tools and Software

As a network grows in size and importance, as does the need to ensure that the network works (and continues to function) effectively. To achieve this, it is necessary not only to know which devices make up the IT infrastructure (inventory) but also to monitor the availability, status and performance of these devices.

If it is possible to monitor the IT infrastructure manually, especially in a small network, it can take a long time and even impossible in most cases. For this reason, there are several NetworkManaging Tools available to help you monitor your IT infrastructure, and these tools will include features such as:

A way to add devices/services to watch (for example, text, CLI, GUI)

Availability, performance monitoring and / or health status

Alert to notify the appropriate people in case of a problem (or about to happen): SMS, email, etc.

Reports that provide details of what happened/is happening

Here's a list of the Top IT Infrastructure Monitoring Tools & Software of 2020

Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)

Solarwinds Server and Application Monitor (SAM)

PRTG Network Monitor

WhatsUp Gold

Nagios XI

ManageEngine OpManager

OP5 Monitor

Zabbix

LibreNMS

Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) –

Solarwinds is a company that offers many Networking Monitoring Tools for different things. The Orion toolset available from Solarwinds is relevant to this article. This set includes means for performance monitoring, configuration management, server and application monitoring, etc. While this makes your solution robust, it can be confusing to know which Network Management Tool to use and which modules you will need to install to use a specific feature. It also means that the total cost of a complete solution can increase rapidly.

Solarwinds Orion is Windows-based, although it can monitor a large number of devices. The configuration is also done from a full Orion web interface, which can provide a wealth of information about controlled devices (depending on the specific Networking Software Tools installed). Alerts and reports are also available in the Orion package.

We will consider two tools from the Solarwinds Orion package: Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) and Solarwinds Server and Application Monitor (SAM).

When you think about general infrastructure monitoring, Solarwinds NPM is the tool that performs this function in the Solarwinds Orion toolkit. It provides information such as availability, health status (temperature, energy, etc.) and performance indicators (for example, use of the interface). You can report this information on several devices, including Cisco, HP and F5.

Solarwinds Server and Application Monitor (SAM) –

Solarwinds SAM provides information about servers (for example, IBM and Dell servers) and applications (for example, Microsoft Exchange, IIS, and Java). The tool comes with monitoring templates to help you quickly configure. Models can also be customized to monitor custom applications.

Solarwinds SAM is also available for a 30-day free trial, after which licenses start at $ 2,995 for 150 monitors.

PRTG Network Monitor –

It is probably one of the best monitoring Network Monitoring Tools Free available in the market, considering its simplicity of configuration and ease of use. PRTG covers the entire surveillance spectrum in an all-in-one solution, which includes:

Network monitoring

Bandwidth monitoring

Server and application monitoring

Virtual Machine Monitoring

Alerts (SMS, email, push notifications of mobile applications, etc.)

Robust reports

Intuitive web interface

While PRTG provides an agent that can be installed on the devices to be monitored, it is mainly based on agentless monitoring using a variety of protocols, including SNMP, WMI, SSH, NetFlow, etc. PRTG can only be installed on the Network Monitoring Tools for the Windows operating system, but it can be used to monitor various types of devices, including Linux, Windows, Cisco, HP, VMware, etc.

PRTG is entirely free for up to 100 sensors. If you Monitor Network more than 100 sensors, PRTG offers an unlimited 30-day trial and then the price starts at $ 1,600 for a license of 500 sensors. For more information on costs, see the price list on their website.

Note: PRTG works with "sensors." A device is not a sensor because it can activate multiple sensors in a single device. Even with this, PRTG is usually cheaper than other paid surveillance solutions.

WhatsUp Gold –

In the past, WhatsUp Gold had many subscribers and full development. For example, about ten years ago, almost all of Nigeria's financial institutions (banks) had a screen to monitor their various branches and used Whatsup Gold. Interest in this tool has declined in recent times, although they have recently renewed the product (versions 16 and 17).

Beyond the story, WhatsUp Gold is an easy-to-use tool that offers several features, including:

Discovery

Configuration management

Alerts (SMS, e-mail, etc.)

Reports

Monitoring of the virtual environment.

Some of these features are only available in specific editions, of which WhatsUp Gold offers four (4) different versions: Basic, Pro, Total and Total Plus. It is also important to note that WhatsUp Gold can only be installed on the Windows operating system and may not be as customizable as other Linux-based monitoring tools.

Although there is no specific pricing information on the WhatsUp Gold website, you can request a quote for your sales and also download a 30-day free trial. WhatsUp Gold also uses a device-based pricing model (a device can have multiple items) versus a question, which means it can be cheaper than an alternative (for example, Solarwinds or PRTG).