› Should I be concerned about "giving up" my data?
› What if the office's Internet connection goes down?
› How do I put a backup connection to the Internet in place?
› What about the speed?

Should I be concerned about "giving up" my data?
Very often people are uncomfortable with the fact their data will no longer reside on-site. This is a valid concern, since in your office you know who is there and who has physical access to your servers. You can put your backup tape in your briefcase at anytime and take it home. Obviously there is a sense of security in all this, and at first glance, it appears as if you're giving this up.

However, the sense of security most people feel when data is housed on-site is based more on their perception than on the reality.

The reality is: Do you really know who walks around in your office? Are you 100% positive that your backups will be there when they're needed? Can you be sure a disgruntled employee will not do some damage? Is there anything in place to prevent an employee from copying private data? Can some clever hacker breach the office connection? Is there anything in place to prevent an intruder from accessing the server? If a competitor wanted to get a hold of your customer list or other sensitive data, would you even be aware that there have been attempts to break into the system?

Protecting your data is very serious business and should be evaluated logically rather than on perceptions of safety. The list of issues is long:

• Exposure to Viruses
• Possible hard drive Failures
• The threat of Intruders
• The need for Privacy
• The levels of Accessibility, etc.

It is easy to think that your data is at its safest in the palm of your hand, but this is simply not true. Data is similar to other valuables, and most times it makes more sense to let the experts provide the security. That is what the professionals get paid to do, but more importantly, they will be far better than you at providing that security.

IT Solutions Now knows how to keep your data safe and is equipped with the latest security technology to do it. Hundreds of companies—and in turn, thousands of users—store data in private client storage areas within our secure data center. These companies do so knowing full well that their data will always remain private, secure, and virus free. IT Solutions Now—similar to the way a bank operates—will maintain the strictest privacy at all times. Security must always be foremost, and in the digital age it is vital. With our commitment and security capabilities you can be confident your digital assets are safe and sound with us.

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What if my office's Internet connection goes down?
As a client of IT Solutions Now your Internet connection is your only responsibility—and in this regard, your only point of failure. There is simply no real way around the fact that if you don't have Internet access, you won't be able to run your applications and access your data. The Internet is the conduit to your data and must be available; however, internet connection failure is a simple problem to overcome:

Put in place a backup connection to the Internet. In today's work environment most clients access the Internet via a DSL or T1 connection to their office, many smaller offices and homes usually have cable modems, and of course, there is dial-up. Most offices today already have these data lines installed and are quite familiar with how frequently—or infrequently—they go down.

Though most people experience very positive results, with lines only going down once every 3 to 4 months (and for very short periods of time), occasionally people have poor results where the line will go down regularly and it makes sense to switch providers or carriers. The truth is that these days, most data lines are cheap and reliable; however, every business should still have a backup connection to the Internet, it's like having a spare tire in case of a blow-out. Even clients who have not had an issue with their line for 12 to 18 months are wise to at least have an active dial-up account in case of an emergency. It is a valuable safety feature and could prove vital at some point in the future.

All of our clients who express this concern at first, once informed of the facts, quickly see that the advantages that IT Solutions Now offer far exceed any potential disadvantages.

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How do I put a backup connection to the Internet in place?
This is a simple matter which requires very minor analysis. The method of backup should be based on the number of users at the location. It is that simple. A small office, for example, which normally uses DSL will have a dial-up account in the event the line goes down. This would carry an additional cost of $10-15 per month. A larger office that normally uses a T1 line will usually have a cable modem or a DSL line as backup. This would carry an additional cost of $50-$120 per month. If for some reason you don't—or cannot—put a backup in place, IT Solutions Now has dial-up accounts that are reserved exactly for this purpose. This is an extra measure of protection for our clients in the event that their connection fails.

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What about the speed?
On first learning of IT Solutions Now, people usually ask if it's slower because the applications are running over the Internet and not running locally. The answer to this question is an emphatic, "No!" On a normal computer, when you double-click an icon on your desktop the application is open and ready to use within 3 to 5 seconds. With IT Solutions Now, you must first run an application that connects to our data center. This actually happens automatically and takes approximately 5 to 10 seconds, depending on the connection. Upon establishing that connection, your applications will actually open in less than 2 seconds—faster than if they were running on a normal desktop. Using the applications once they are open is entirely seamless and you will not be able to tell the difference. An occasional delay may occur on a 56k connection, but this is nothing that would interfere with a user's productivity. We stand by our service and we believe the best way to alleviate any doubts is for users to try it themselves. We would be more than happy to setup a demonstration account for you to see for yourself not only the speed at which your applications will run, but the quality of our service.

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