• Your Systems are Actively Managed, as if you hired full time administrators!
  We do this through semi-automation, remote systems monitoring, and efficient administration procedures.  We frequently discover and resolve problems before you even notice!   <<<click to see moreless

  We configure your system to send alerts and reports to our engineers via e-mail and SMS (cell phone text messaging).

  • Instant automatic alerts are received when the on-site monitoring software detects a problem.
  • Daily detail and summary status reports are received from critical systems on your site.
  • Weekly summary status reports are received and analyzed for long term trends.

• All Covered Equipment is Kept Updated to manufacturer’s specifications, including security patches, service updates, and hardware ROM updates.  Automatic updates can get you into trouble – we research each update to determine its viability for your systems.  

  We update your systems manually using the latest information available from all vendors that have software on your site, and from others that research security and product quality.

  We keep your system protected and up-to-date without getting in your way, because we know what to update and when to do it with a team that operates 24 hours a day, every day.

  Serious security and quality analysis is performed and published by various organizations.  These reports are received and studied by the AR&E team to determine

  • what needs updating,
  • which updates are critical,
  • which problems have no updates available, and how the problem can be resolved prior to vendor patch release, and
  • what is the optimum schedule for updating on your system, given update priority and the workload of your organization.

  Automatic updates work only one way... they download and install all updates they know about as the updates become available.  We do not use automated update solutions because...

  • If the update itself has problems, then the damage may already be done, and the fix has to be backed out until the vendor repairs it.  This happens more often than you might expect.
  • If a bad update cannot be backed out, then more work has to be done to repair the damage.
  • If a critical security problem arises "in the wild", there may be no related updates for a matter of days, or the automated update cycle may not be fast enough.  Your system is vulnerable from the moment a threat comes into existence to the time a patch is made, so timely updates can be critical.
  • If updates are available for products which do not have automatic updates, then you won't know to apply them unless you regularly study each vendor's release publications.

  Some of the research organizations we depend on are:

  • The SANS Institute (www.sans.org),
  • CERT/CC (www.cert.org, www.webopedia.com),
  • Zero-Day Initiative (zerodayinitiative.com),
  • Tipping Point, a division of 3Com (www.tippingpoint.com),
  • Qualys (www.qualys.com),
  • Security Focus (www.securityfocus.com),
  • Symantec (www.symantec.com),
  • Red Database Security (www.red-database-security.com),
    
  • ...among others.

• Problem Resolution on Demand, including network problems, configuration issues, and error interpretation.  We resolve your bottlenecks and problems, and answer your questions.  

  We are your help desk.  Any questions you have, to any level of detail, we'll give the answer -- you call the shots.  If we don't know, we'll find out!

• Accessible Support via phone, email, or pager 24x7x365.  Service performed off-site and on-site, as circumstances require.  No time is the wrong time to get to work!  

  We work around the clock.  Call, e-mail, or text us when you need help.

• Response Time in 1 hour (premium) or 8 hours (standard), most problems resolved the same day.  AR&E has been in the business for 23 years – we have been maintaining Windows systems since version 3.0 beta!  

  The quantity and depth of our ongoing personal and professional research and our many years of maintenance and development experience are integral to AR&E's fulfillment of its mission.

Network Installation / Expansion

Computer systems design, equipment procurement, network installation and management.  We keep costs low by designing systems that fit your current needs and allow you to grow without throwing out your investment.  Systems are constructed and tested in the lab... we install working systems on your site.  

Hardware and software is ordered and delivered to the laboratory in Kimberton, PA.  The proposed network is constructed and operational in the lab before it gets to your site.  This ensures that (1) "clean room" testing can be efficiently performed, and (2) a minimum of on-site time is required for installation.  We do not disrupt your business operations to improve your business!

Optional Network Backup and Failover/Switchover Systems

Real-time continuous mirroring of servers to stand-by or operational servers, one-to-one or N-to-one.  Utilize existing servers for bi-directional synchronization and failover to minimize hardware expenditures, or use dedicated stand-by equipment.

Real-time versioned backup of all servers and workstations to a LAN Backup Appliance for fast restore of current or previous versions of any file or folder, as simple as drag and drop.

Send encrypted archives off-site for maximum safety, you hold the encryption keys.

We fit the solution to your budget and needs!  

3 things must be true for anything procured by a business: (1) the cost must not exceed the value, (2) the cost must not exceed the value, and (3)... well, you get the idea.

Cost effectiveness is critical for any business, large or small, but large organizations can afford mistakes that would sink a small enterprise.

Being a small business ourselves, we know the importance of understanding value before the purchase.