eNews from Appia

This month we introduce LANCare, our new PC and server support service. We also discuss how collaboration services can help employees work as a team, even if they’re in different locations.

Our customer profile includes a case study that describes how one company learned the importance of planning ahead for Disaster Recovery. Finally, the customer tip explains how to connect phone calls instantly with Click-to-Call.

Eliminate the Headaches of PC and Server Management

Most PC and server problems are the direct result of improper maintenance. LANCare automatically provides day-to-day PC and server maintenance, enabling your IT staff to focus on more important tasks.

In some organizations, day-to-day PC and server support takes up a significant amount of IT time. In others, updates and upgrades are neglected, leading to poor performance.

LANCare, a new PC and server support and upgrade service from Appia, makes PC and server support automatic.

The service is deployed by installing an agent on each desktop or server. Software updates, system checks, and other tasks are then completed automatically according to a predetermined schedule.

For example, each week, the agent checks hard drives to see if they need to be defragmented. If they do, the agent runs the function automatically. If Symantec, Spybot, or other programs need updating, the updates are downloaded and installed. Once the updates are in place, a scan is run. LANCare can also provide proactive alerts for CPU, memory, and hard drive capacity.

LANCare can also handle new software deployment and upgrades. The software is simply added to the list of approved applications; uploaded to a network server, and downloaded automatically to each device. And LANCare can be used for asset management, providing easy access to reports on device, system, and software inventories.

For more information about LANCare, please call 877-277-4297 to request information.

Collaboration Brings Teams Together

More and more, organizations are adopting a team approach to problem-solving. With travel becoming more costly and inconvenient, the need for new ways to collaborate continues to grow. Appia offers three services that help you collaborate with fellow employees, partners, or suppliers who are geographically dispersed.

The business landscape is changing, and the traditional corporate hierarchy is being replaced by a team approach. Individual projects, company divisions, and even entire organizations, are now being managed by teams of people, often in multiple locations.

With travel growing more costly and inconvenient, the need for new ways to collaborate with distant colleagues, particularly on the fly, has become paramount. Appia offers three services that can help you collaborate easily with fellow employees, partners or suppliers who are geographically dispersed.

Our audio conferencing service is a traditional service that uses a reservationless audio bridge. There’s no need to schedule an appointment or reservation, just dial the local or toll-free number, enter a pass code, and conference.

Non-verbal communication is very important, and Desktop Video Conferencing makes it easier than ever to have face-to-face contact with someone you wouldn’t otherwise see in person.

Appia’s solution uses Cisco’s VT Advantage software, which integrates with an IP video camera with an IP phone. When a call is placed to another person who has the software, a camera, and an IP phone, a video link opens automatically on both users’ computer displays. Now, employees can do more than talk about a new product or device; they can demonstrate it. Relationships between staff in far-off locations are strengthened from more personal contact.

WebHuddle is Appia’s web-based desktop sharing service. Host impromptu collaboration sessions, or add another dimension to your audio conference by sharing documents, presentations, or other applications, right from your desktop.

WebHuddle uses Java, so there’s no software to download and no need to upload files, although slide presentations can be uploaded if you wish to do so. If a team is working on a document, changes made by the moderator appear in real time without the need for users to refresh their screens. Users can chat and ask questions during the meeting through the WebHuddle interface.

WebHuddle can accommodate an unlimited number of meeting participants, and best of all, it’s free to Appia customers.

To learn more about Appia’s collaboration services, please call 877-277-4297  to request information. 

Appia Named One of America’s Fastest Growing Companies

Appia has been named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the nation’s fastest growing companies. Of the 5,000 companies honored with the award, Appia was ranked #748 overall.

To be considered for the Inc. 5000, a company must be privately held; based in the U.S., and have at least four full years of revenue history. Rankings are based on average annual revenue growth for 2003-2006.

Customer Profile

This hardware and software provider was hit by a major electrical storm, and learned first hand the importance of disaster recovery planning.

Read the case study here.

 Improve Customer Care with Appia’s Help Desk Services

Providing top-quality support to external customers is important for any business, but organizations must also provide assistance to their internal users when they need it. This function is handled by the help desk, which is often operated by IT departments.

Many small to mid-sized organizations operate their help desks only during regular business hours. Unfortunately, users in different time zones may not be available when the help desk staff is on duty, leaving the users to fend for themselves or wait until the next day.

Appia’s Help Desk services take over when the business day ends, providing quality support and continuity of service 24 hours a day. We can also serve as a back-up resource for periods of heavy call volume during normal business hours.

There are two levels of service for Help Desk. We can act as a triage service, answering calls using the customer’s name and a predetermined script. We then document the user’s issue, create a trouble ticket, and contact on-call staff.

Or we can take the service a step further, and manage user problems to resolution. This option gives you the peace of mind that your customers are taken care of, while minimizing the cost of calling employees to duty after hours.

For more information about our Help Desk services, please call 877-277-4297.

Appia Regional Managers

To learn more about Appia’s products and services, and how they can benefit your organization, please contact the Appia Regional Manager for your area:

Michigan and Northern Indiana

Dan Swain
574-707-7788
dan(at)appiaservices.com

Illinois and Wisconsin

Andy Ulrich
877-277-4297, extension 146
andy(at)appiaservices.com

Central Indiana and Ohio

Steve Battiato
317-806-2170
steve(at)appiaservices.com

New York and California

Jason Ulm
317-715-9507
jason(at)appiaservices.com

If there’s a topic you’d like us to address in future newsletters, please let us know by emailing nick(at)appiaservices.com.