mick
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Question: Who do I call when there is a problem with my computer?
It is difficult to tell when a support problem belongs to RAMS or one of the many other systems within the complexity of your computer system. They are so intertwined that a problem with one is often mistaken as an issue with the other. Because our support representatives actually return support calls and speak English, users often rely on them for help outside our product lines. Just as you shouldn't expect a Microsoft support representative to help with a RAMS question, there are situations where Alpine shouldn’t be expected to support Windows or third party products. Even a support contract does not cover these items as they are outside of Alpine’s control. A sincere desire to help by any of our support representatives should not be construed as an obligation. The more seasoned support veterans will tell you that helping without the full understanding of how a system is setup often does more harm than good.
RAMS communicates directly or indirectly with these computer components and each have a different own manufacture, version and configuration.
- Computer manufactures all with different device drivers
- Operating systems personalized to the business & user
- Printers & drivers
- Scanner, photo and barcode drivers
- Networking and Internet
- Security & Firewalls
- Backup & Restore
- Other Applications
We have attempted to explain the common components of a computer below and clarify who to contact when questions or problems arise.
Computers & device drivers
Although most hardware and device drivers play well together, there are a few frustrating cases where they don’t. This is one of the reasons Alpine has chosen to purchase all our hardware and operating systems pre-configured from a single computer manufacture often paying more than the off-the-shelf consumer price tag to assure quality and support. We also pay for the experts to come in and integrate new technology. We go through regular system audits to make sure we are doing proper backups and are not vulnerable to various problems. Putting your business in the hands of a nationwide computer discount chain that sell gaming systems, appliances and computers may save you initially, but cost you in performance in the long run. Get a local vendor who can give you personal service. These are the guys to call when you’re having equipment or networking problems.
Operating Systems
Well you don’t have much of a vendor choice in this one as Microsoft pretty much owns the world when operating systems. But seven versions of Windows, each one with multiple service pack upgrades make it just as complex. And with Windows Automatic Updates making changes to your system weekly, there is no testing procedure to see what issues they create. Although they are infrequent, a change to the operating system can affect a RAMS installation that has been stable for years. This kind of problems is not our responsibility to troubleshoot and fix. But we do try and point you in the best direction for help. Usually it will be your local equipment vendor or Microsoft.
Printer Drivers
Printer drivers are a particular problem for Alpine to support. They involve Microsoft Windows and the printer manufactures printer driver. RAMS has little to do with the printing other than just to hand off the print job to Windows which then uses the manufactures printer driver to complete the print job. Printer manufactures often do not provide updated drivers when Windows is upgraded which can cause a big problem if RAMS is using more advance functions (like bar-codes) of the printer and they go away. Other than recommending a printer which historically has been a good choice and the initial setup of that printer with RAMS, Alpine support is not obligated to provide free support for the hundreds of printers and drivers on the market. There will be additional charges for implementing report layouts for new printers on an existing system.
Networks
We have sites with 50+ users logged into RAMS on a single network and it works very efficiently. We also have sites that have struggled with 3-4 users on the network. The difference is the investment in architecture. Get a local computer installer who is a Certified Network Engineer (CNE) and invest in the equipment they recommend. They will also support if your network is slow or crashes.
Backup
Because computers have become more reliable over the years it is easy to become lax about backup procedures. But as more information is digitalized in the business, a system failure can be devastating. A good rule of thumb is “you should backup RAMS as often as you don’t want to re-enter the data if a system failure occurs”. Always backup just prior to major processes in RAMS. The End of Period has no Undo procedure or recovery process. So ALWAYS backup just prior to End of Period process. A written backup & restore document needs to be written, implemented and then reviewed and audited on a regular basis. Here the responsibility needs to be the owner & management of the business. Don’t wait till a disaster happens to find out you're not covered.
There are new technologies that self backup like RAID drives and Mirrored drives. On-line backup systems can also assist with automatic backups through the Internet that are off-site in case of fire or vandalism. But be warned. These are not substitutes for pre-process backups for RAMS. Only a pre-process backup will have you back up and running in minutes if the process crashes. Because of all the backup programs and methods available, we cannot be responsible for or advise you how to restore if you’ve had a system crash.
< Message edited by mick -- 6/17/2007 3:26:19 PM >
_____________________________
Mick Baker
mick@rams-pro.com
Alpine Technology Corporation
Ph: (719) 382-8214
Mobile: (719) 338-3555
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