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Computer Network Consultants

The Marvel Group has the knowledge and experience you are looking for in a computer consulting company focused on helping small businesses in the Kansas City Metro make wise decisions regarding their network.

Successful companies, large and small, rarely make business decisions without a clear goal or plan in place. Business today is fiercely competitive. One wrong move or misallocation of resources could be disastrous. Good, solid, trustworthy advice is more important than ever. When successful companies need to make critical decisions, they seek out those who have delivered proven results. So, how do you know what advice is good? Where do you find it and how much does it cost?

Which Way is The Best Way?

There are actually many ways to accomplish the same goal. Some are better than others, and one is usually the clear winner. So how do you know which way is right? In business, we call that right way a "Best Practice." Unfortunately for most small businesses, the technology planning and technology consulting they are offered falls far short of Best Practices. They usually get their computer planning from friends, relatives, the local computer mega-store sales person, or someone in their office who is "pretty good" with computers. What they end up with is usually a lot of "budget" computer equipment that doesn't do what they had hoped and seems to have more problems than it should. In short, it becomes an expensive disappointment.

Our adherence to Best Practices for network planning, as well as our team's expertise in the small business environment, gives us a unique advantage over individuals or companies who are concerned primarily with fixing what is broken or delivering cookie cutter answers instead of implementing the correct solutions for your business goals.

Good Advice from Trusted Professionals

Unlike individual computer consultants, The Marvel Group is a professional computer consulting company that provides computer consulting services in the areas of computer management and network design. Our computer hardware consultants have the years of expertise, knowledge and systems to help your company go to the next level, assist you with your network planning and network upgrades and help you choose what computer and network maintenance plan is right for your company. It is our goal to assist you in making the right decisions for your office, not to try to "sell you."

In fact, you can trust that our hardware and software recommendations have your company's best interest in mind. This is because we do not resell hardware or software. That's right, we make zero, zip, nada on the hardware and software we recommend. We do this because we don't want there to be any question as to why we are recommending something for your office other than that it is the right technology to meet your specific business goals. See our complete list of Recommended Vendors. This is just one part of our "Easy to Work With" policy.

Network Upgrades

Computer Project Planning and Upgrades

What is a technology project? A project can be a network upgrade, setting up a new network at a new or remote office, the purchase of new workstations, installing a new server, or implementing network security and virus protection systems network wide. At TMG, our primary goal is to translate the technology needs of your business into an industry standard solution that produces clear, tangible results for your business. It is also our goal to educate and help you understand some of the more technical aspects of your network upgrade by putting it into a simple, easy to comprehend language called...English.

Network planning and network upgrades performed by The Marvel Group follow the accepted best practices of successful IT companies in the areas of network planning, design, deployment and follow-up. This process and our 100+ point project checklist ensures consistent results with zero or minimal disruption to your office during the course of the network planning, network upgrade, server installation or new computer installation. Network planning and network upgrades performed by The Marvel Group are designed with small business schedules and budgets in mind.

Proven Systems... not a Science Experiment or Hobby

Since we place our highest values on consistent, reliable solutions for the long-term happiness and productivity of your office, you can feel confident we will only recommend proven network planning and network upgrades that will accomplish these goals and not those that are the "coolest" or "newest" at the time.

CorporateProjects are overseen and managed by a managing partner to provide appropriate technical expertise, accountability, and consistency with your business goals.

Technology Project Process Summary

Solution Design

• Review Goals
• Create Plan
• Product Procurement
• Scheduling of Resources

Deployment

• Create Scope of Work
• Review Project with Client and IT Professional
• Onsite Project Configuration

Follow-Up

• IT Pro Visit
• Project Manager Walkthrough
• Satisfaction Survey
  
  

Thinking about Outsourcing Your IT Project or Network Upgrade?

In a recent survey conducted by American Express, one-third of small businesses with capital-spending plans will invest in technology this year. PCs will be the largest tech investment, with software, printers, servers, and peripherals not far behind. Whatever the reason for increased technology spending, whether on PCs, or other tech-related equipment, one thing is likely: an IT project is inevitable for the integration of new purchases with your current equipment.

An IT project is an endeavor with a definitive timeline (start date and end date) during which specific goals and objectives are met. Projects occur in addition to the regular maintenance of your network and technology equipment, and often emerge as a result of issues discovered during regular maintenance. Since you may not have a full-time technology staff, there is a high probability that you will outsource an IT project to an IT consultant like The Marvel Group, LLC.

So, what is the strategy for success when outsourcing an IT project? Below are listed four points from our article, "The Four things Small Businesses need to know Before Outsourcing Their Next IT Project." To view the complete article, click here.

The Four Things Small Businesses Need to Know Before Outsourcing Their Next IT Project:

• Have a vision and goal for the project in mind, but seek out the professionals to implement the specifics.
• Manage the expectations of those who will be affected by the project.
• Select an experienced IT support provider team.
• Create a specific contract with your IT support provider as well as have realistic expectations about the costs of your project.

Structuring and governing the outsourced project successfully is the most important factor in achieving a positive outcome and a working relationship for the future. Though this requires some shopping and goal-setting on your part, the due diligence you spend up front will more than pay for the successful new or upgraded system you depend upon daily. To implement a successful IT Project or Network Upgrade for your network, please call The Marvel Group, LLC at (816) 228-9000, x2#, or use the Contact Us form.

Network & Computer Maintenance

What is the cost of computer downtime and ongoing computer problems? Besides the telephone, your computers and the network they are a part of, are undoubtedly the most important business tools in your office. You rely on them every day to communicate, analyze, manage, strategize and perform billable services.

So what happens when your computer or network goes down? Communication is hindered, growing your business stops and billable time is lost. Whether you have limped along with computer problems (that you now "live with") or had major network meltdowns, these problems cost you money and create headaches.

What is Computer and Network Maintenance and Why is it Necessary?

It is easy to think computers are so advanced that they don't have the same problems as other machines. They should work perfectly all the time, shouldn't they? The truth is that your computer network is a collection of complex machines and software, communicating simultaneously, performing trillions of calculations, using hundreds of parts and wires, and under constant assault by viruses and spyware and their own users.

Because of these and other factors (mostly human), your computers require regular computer service maintenance to keep the big problems away and maintain optimal performance. This program is often referred to as a computer maintenance contract, service level agreement, or computer network maintenance plan.

Ten Reasons Every Small Business Needs Regular and Proactive Server and Workstation Maintenance:

1. Microsoft critical security updates need to be applied at least once a month
2. Firewall, virus and spyware protection needs regular review and management
3. Daily use of servers and workstations by office staff can create random network issues
4. Management of backup status, data selected and data testing is critical to data recovery
5. Proactive server and workstation standardization minimizes problems
6. Management of hard drive resources prevents storage issues & server crashes
7. Analysis of server event logs can identify issues before they create network problems
8. Regular optimization of server(s) and workstations to increase speed and efficiency
9. Proactive maintenance provides real peace of mind that someone is regularly caring for your network
10. Predictable monthly budget and support minimizes financial and technical surprises

Regular and systematic network support in the past has not been the norm among small companies because they typically didn't know it was necessary. Because of this, small businesses believe that all they need is for someone to help them "fix" what isn't working right. They assume that the "break-fix" computer support model is how support for computers and networks is supposed to be, when in fact it is not. This in turn leads to doubt, confusion, and frustration with computer service technicians.

Though most "computer service" companies or individual technicians offer only a "break-fix," reactionary style service, The Marvel Group, LLC offers a proactive and predictable computer network maintenance plan to maintain your computer systems, called CorporateMaintenance.

What is CorporateMaintenance?

CorporateMaintenance is the ongoing and immediate technical support for your computer network, systematically managed by our IT Professionals and support staff. These support professionals not only take care of your company's technology on a regular basis but also implement and maintain the strategic technology plan for your company based on your business goals and budget. The end result of a computer network maintenance plan is an office that is happy and productive with a budget line item that is predictable. Computer support by any other method is not measurable.

CorporateMaintenance plans are customized to your company's budget, computer usage levels, number of computers, servers, how you adopt technology, and how involved you want to be with your network and budget. Please see the chart below for the core features of our CorporateMaintenance plans.

CorporateMaintenance features:

• Regularly Scheduled Onsite Maintenance
• Comprehensive Maintenance Checklist
• Emergency and As Needed Support
• Management Oversight
• Predictable Monthly Budget
  
  

Call us when you are ready.....we are here to help!

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Client Driven - Custom Solutions
Niche Marketing Professionals

PO Box 675
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
816.228.9000
Fax: 818-812-7282

Databases/Mailings & Tech Support:
norm@themarvelgroup.com

Web/Graphic Design:
terri@themarvelgroup.com

Admin./Quotes Politicals:
tracy@themarvelgroup.com