One of the goals a good technology provider should keep in mind is how an office or home is currently running. For example, introducing a Windows 7 machine into an office which has been running on XP could create a catastrophic failure if not done correctly. On the same note, mixing new networking technologies with old equipment could also have a negative outcome.
I am in the final stages of setting up another location for my business and have been struggling to match the existing technologies my business currently uses. With each computer upgrade over the years I’ve kept the same Windows XP operating system and diagnostic software I’ve been using since day one. Over time I’ve gradually upgraded my network as needed. My Gardner store is truly a mix of old and new technologies that work seamlessly.
Under my business model it makes no sense to me to change a system that works. All my software is XP based and my employees can jump from one diagnostic machine to the next without taking time to learn new. The same is true of my network. The final iteration is enough to get our work done, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.
No matter what office I have visited over the years, there seems to be one overzealous technician prior to me who integrates technologies. I would say about fifty percent of the time the combinations create some type of fault which is typically why I’m there.
One of the offices I visited a couple weeks ago had a server installed which used a newer operating system than the other offices in the network. I was asked to integrate the new server with the old so the data could talk between the offices. Following the Microsoft protocol for setting up such a network proved worse than the original setup and I quickly learned why the prior integrator couldn’t complete the job.
Sometimes the older technology simply isn’t available and we’re forced to combine different generations. However, most of the time the old can be found. Taking the time to locate the old can save hours of frustration later.
The situation at my new office is not unique either. My goal, having multiple locations, is to make troubleshooting as easy as can be. Even though I’m a technology provider my company still has issues like every other company. I spent hours hunting down equipment similar to that which is currently installed in my Gardner store. Ultimately, making the two offices identical.
One of my good friends works in IT for a large organization and services close to a thousand computers. During a conversation he told me that each computer is identical, down to the software installed. Though different departments may not use the software installed, maintaining the equipment is much easier.
Most major companies and organizations use something called disk imaging. Disk imaging is a technique that mirrors or clones exact copies from one computer to another. After setting up the first computer, the technician makes a duplicate of the drive which is called an image. The image is then loaded onto an imaging server. With the push of a few buttons one technician can easily install the operating system and software onto thousands of identical machines.
Everything changes, and as with life, it would be nice to have a time machine. The simple reality is that sometimes it’s impossible to exactly duplicate the old and existing. In these cases we have to look at all the options and make the best of what’s available. In certain cases it may be easier and less of a headache to upgrade the whole office. Overcoming these obstacles requires nothing more than time and patience.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)