A brief checklist on the questions and information we expect you to ask us and any other potential Continuity provider during your decision making process.
 
Questions ?
NetSupport Powerweb
Other Providers
Do you have any existing customers and can you provide us with references? Yes we have a number of customers who have been with us for some time.
Ask Them !
Have any of your customers either had a disaster with you or conducted a controlled test? Fortunately our current customers have not had any disasters, but yes they have conducted controlled tests where staff have been shipped in to our facilities and operation. Telecoms and load testing have been conducted.
Ask Them !
Do you actually have all the computers for your service actually installed and operational so we know you will be ready for us within 4 hours?


Some companies advertise that they have hundreds of seats, yet none of them actually exist, how do we know you have what you are offering?		 Yes all of the seats advertised exist and are operational. You are welcome to arrange a visit to see our facilities and the equipment present.

Remember NetSupport have been operational since 2003 and already have a number of high profile customers.
Ask Them !
Are all your computers, lighting, servers and A/C on backup power and does the specification of the generator match with what is being offered?

Again, some companies advertise they have on-site backup power, but the size of the generator simply does not tally with the volume of systems claimed.		 Absolutely, we operate dual backup generators that power all dependent systems.

As a rule of thumb, allowing for a PC, monitor, surrounding A/C and lighting, you can normally calculate on 1Kva per workspace. So, if someone has 1000 PCs and a 500Kva generator, you can be fairly certain you will be working in darkness.
Ask Them !
What is your external connection for our network - is it a single connection and what redundancy do you have in place? No, we offer 3 separate connections split between connectivity to POPs in Cambridge and Birmingham to provide better redundancy.
Ask Them !
What site security is offered and can we see it? Come and see for yourself - 24/7 CCTV, on-site security, internal & external access control and much more.
Ask Them !
Are the services and specifications you advertise actually implemented or are these simply your future plans ? Everything we advertise to our customers is implemented, tested and available for use right now. We do not condone providers that claim to have services that simply do not exist.
Ask Them !
We have to make sure we conduct "due diligence". Can we see your last audited accounts so we know that (a) you will be viable for the duration of the contract and (b) you actually own the resources you are selling to us? Absolutely. NetSupport Group accounts are available on request. As a company NetSupport has ranked in the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 awards (recognising the fastest growing IT companies in the UK) for the last 6 years.
Ask Them !
You offer phones for all the workstations. Are they fully equipped display phones and does your system support queue management and so on? Yes, our system is specified to meet the needs of the most demanding customer - a call center.
Ask Them !
What ratio of phone lines to seats do you offer? If we invoke as a result of a disaster, we expect the call volumes to be very high with our revised workforce. We run at a ratio of 1.2 incoming lines per workstation. This allows for inbound queues and overflow.

Again if a provider offers 500 seats and only 300 incoming lines you need to question how that will be practical.
Ask Them !
 
We hope the above provides you with some suitable ideas and ammunition when talking with us or any other companies offering Business Continuity solutions. In our experience the most important facts you have to consider are simply:

1) Does the provider actually have the facilities you are buying into?
2) Are you comfortable that they will maintain the services you expect to have available?
3) If the provider does not sell the service to enough people will they be able to sustain your contract?

As business people we all have to take our responsibilities seriously. The fact you are looking at your continuity plans confirms you do, but having got this far, making sure you select the best and most reliable long-term provider has to be the key to being comfortable that your company's future is secure.