With us, IT stands the test of time
Whether you need some extra support
for your IT department, or someone to
manage your whole system for you, we
can help.
We’re an IT support company, based on the edge of Dartmoor in South Devon. Since 1999 we’ve been providing IT services and solutions for businesses, schools and colleges, charities and the public sector - not just in Devon, but throughout the UK. Our small team of highly-skilled, trustworthy IT engineers has a rock-solid understanding of IT systems and how to get the best from them. Between us we have over 100 years of practical IT experience, much of it spent working in businesses and colleges – so we understand first-hand the issues you face every day. Over the years we’ve seen IT trends come and go – we remember some quirky systems that others have long forgotten or have never heard of! This knowledge doesn’t just help us fix the problems others can’t – it also helps us scrutinise new products, so you get the systems we know will really work.
But most of all, what sets us apart is our commitment to get to know you and your business personally, and support you tirelessly – whatever your IT needs.
With us, IT stands the test of time
How we make
IT happen.
Our services
Our approach is straightforward
– it’s about offering you flexibility and choice, and working alongside you to make sure your IT system performs at its best, and in an integrated way. Here’s how we do it.You come first.
By understanding where you are now and what you want to achieve, we can find the best approach for your IT. Then we’ll work with you to deliver it, manage it, and help it grow with your business.
We give you a key contact
– so you can be sure you’ll receive continuity of service. Many of our engineers have worked with the same clients for years, so know their IT systems inside out.We’ll work whenever and wherever to get the job
done.
We know that IT maintenance sometimes has to happen out of hours, so rest assured that we’ll be there when we’re needed.
Support packages.
We offer ongoing IT support - from providing a full outsourced IT department, to supporting your in-house team. Different levels of support are available, depending on your needs. There’s more information in the blue section.Business support page 4
Education support page 5
Managed services.
These are single services, which we constantly monitor and manage for you. Turn to the green section for details.E-mail filtering
(for viruses and spam) page 6
E-mail archiving page 7
E-mail encryption and
secure file transfer page 8
Anti-virus page 9
Back-up page 10
Broadband & comms page 11
IT solutions.
These services and systems help you address particular IT and business challenges, and tend to be undertaken as one-off projects. The orange section gives a brief overview of the solutions we provide.
IT system infrastructure page 12
Storage page 12
Virtualisation page 13
Business continuity /
disaster recovery page 13
Disk encryption page 14
Network security page 14
We’ve divided our services into three areas:
We make IT easy to
understand.
We use plain English, so even if you’re not an IT expert, you’ll know what we’re doing and why, and always feel confident and in control.
We’ll help make your
system as efficient as
possible.
If a new product comes on the market which could improve your system we’ll help you understand how you could benefit. Equally, if there’s an area of your business or IT system where you’re vulnerable, we’ll make sure we tell you and help you find the right answer.
We’ll always offer the
best choice.
We’re entirely independent – so we’re under no obligation to sell certain software. We seek products from the entire marketplace, so our recommendations will always be the ones we believe are right for you.
We make IT
work for your
business
Our support packages.
Whether your business has an IT department or not,
we can help to keep your system running to perfection.
With our support packages, you can choose the level
that’s right for you – and also add whatever specific extra
services you need.
Support for small businesses
When you’re running a business, managing an IT system can be a distraction, and a drain on your time.
It doesn’t need to be. With one of our support services, you can leave it all to us. You run your business; we’ll run the IT.
We’ll provide full management, including:
• remote monitoring of your system to spot problems quickly • routine software updates
• answering staff queries and resolving problems
• any or all of the managed services you require (see the green section) Take a look at our Level 4 – Virtual IT Manager service.
Support for IT departments
We can work with your in-house IT team to offer guidance and support. Or we can go a step further and work as one of your team, providing another pair of hands when you need it to actively solve problems when they occur.
Our experts are just a phone call or e-mail away – so you can have peace of mind, knowing extra help is there when you need it.
Take a look at our Level 2 – Network Support; or Level 3 – Network Support PLUS.
Would I
recommend
BCNS? No
question! I
have on many occasions,
which in today’s modern,
unforgiving business
society is rather rare.”
Michael Barber-Starkey - Managing Director, Euroheat Distributors (HBS) Ltd
Level 1 – Emergency Repair.
Level 2 – Network Support.
If something goes wrong and you don’t have a support contract, we’ll provide ‘breakdown cover’. We’ll fix the problem and get your system working again as quickly as possible.
Who’s it for? Any organisation! What’s included?
• Access to our helpdesk, by phone or e-mail until the problem is resolved. • An engineer on site if required.
How is it charged? Our standard hourly rate applies. We’ll give you our best
estimate first.
We’ll help your in-house IT staff to keep your system running smoothly.
Who’s it for? Organisations with an in-house IT manager or dedicated IT
administrator.
What’s included?
• Unlimited access to our helpdesk, by phone or e-mail.
• Ongoing server monitoring, to spot problems swiftly – up to three servers. • An engineer at your premises for up to 2 days per month.
How is it charged? By monthly direct debit or annual invoice (minimum
We make
IT work for
education
We can help to keep your school or college IT system
running smoothly – whether you have 5 users or 5,000.
Support for colleges and universities
Many of our team have spent years working in further and higher education institutes – so we know how to keep things centralised and standardised, yet still give staff and students the specific services they need.
Because of our depth of experience, colleges and universities throughout the UK trust us as their IT partner – even those with an IT department.
If you’re looking for some extra IT help, our Level 2 – Network Support, or Level 3 – Network Support PLUS could be right for you.
Support for primary and secondary schools
Often it falls to the headteacher, secretary or ICT co-ordinator to keep the school IT system running. That can be a distraction from their main job - and it can often take longer and be less effective than getting expert help.
We provide a complete outsourced IT service for schools. We can:
• spot problems, using our remote monitoring technology – and solve them quickly • make sure your data is secure
• protect your system from viruses and attacks
• be available on the phone, via e-mail or on site whenever you need us Take a look at our Level 4 – Virtual IT Manager service.
They’re reliable,
up to date
with current
solutions, easy
to speak to and quick to
respond, no matter how
technical the question.”
Veronica Doherty - Network Manager, Lostock College
Level 3 – Network Support PLUS
Level 4 – Virtual IT Manager
We’ll be an extra pair of hands for your IT team – not just providing advice, but actively resolving problems on your behalf.
Who’s it for? Organisations which may have dedicated IT staff; or which
have a nominated IT administrator (whose main role is not IT).
What’s included?
• Unlimited access to our helpdesk, by phone or e-mail.
• Ongoing server monitoring, to spot problems swiftly – up to five servers. • An engineer at your premises for up to 3 days per month.
• Back-up and disaster recovery (see page 14 for details).
How is it charged? By monthly direct debit or annual invoice (minimum
12-month term).
We’ll manage your entire system for you – from monitoring your system for problems, to helping the system’s users.
Who’s it for? Organisations without dedicated IT staff, for which managing IT
is a distraction from running the business.
What’s included?
• Unlimited access to our helpdesk, by phone or e-mail.
• Complete ongoing system monitoring to spot problems and resolve them quickly.
• Support for the system’s users, to resolve operational problems and queries. • An engineer at your premises when required.
How is it charged? By monthly direct debit or annual invoice (minimum
E-mail filtering
Our e-mail filtering spots rogue
e-mails easily, protecting your
system and increasing productivity.
What is it?
An e-mail filter is a programme that scans all your incoming e-mail, and intercepts ones which might contain viruses, malware and phishing attacks (rogue software which will corrupt your device or try to steal data).
Why do I need it?
Filtering e-mails means less spam reaches your system’s users (your staff or students), so they can spend their time on the ones that matter. Also, there’s less chance that the user could install a virus or succumb to a phishing attack – so your whole system will be much more secure.
How does it work?
The filter spots unexpected patterns in e-mail code. If it recognises a spam e-mail, it prevents it being delivered. The more e-mails pass through the filter, the more it learns which ones to allow and which to stop. You can also tell the filter to allow mail from certain sources (white-listing), and block others (black-listing).
Will I miss any important e-mails?
Occasionally that may happen, especially while the filter is ‘learning’ your preferences. But you’ll get a report three times a day to tell you what has been incepted – and you can log in at any time and search through the e-mails caught in the filter. Then you can simply tell the filter to white-list that sender in future.
Which filtering system do you use?
Our system contains not just one filter, but a series of three - making it among the most reliable. It’s ‘cloud-based’, which means it’s managed over the internet, rather than on your own in-house server (although we can do that if you prefer). The filter is hosted on multiple servers in secure EU datacentres, so it’s extremely powerful and less prone to failure. Because these servers handle millions of e-mails every day, they spot the latest spam attacks quickly.How does BCNS manage it?
Because the e-mail filter is forever watching and learning, it doesn’t need regular updates like some other services. We manage the process by checking the system is running as expected and rectifying any errors. We can also receive and monitor your daily reports for you if you wish.Our e-mail filter also offers
an emergency e-mail
feature. If your e-mail
system fails, simply log-on
via a secure web page and
you can carry on working.
Business as usual!
Around
90%
of all
e-mails
are junk – and that
means your staff
have to waste time
ploughing through
their inboxes and
deleting them.
Worse, many contain
harmful viruses. With
our managed e-mail
filtering you can solve
both problems easily.”
Michael Mena - Sales Director, BCNS
E-mail archiving
It’s a legal requirement to keep good
records – and that now includes
e-mails. Archiving is the easy way to
give you the digital storage space
you need.
Why do I need it?
• For legal compliance. A whole host of laws, including the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act, require organisations to keep certain records for a period of time. E-mail communications now form an important part of those records - but they can be easily lost or deleted. In the worst-case scenario you may have to rely on e-mail evidence in court – so it’s vitally important to protect yourself by ensuring you keep an e-mail archive.
• For your own records. With so much information stored on e-mails, lost, damaged or deleted e-mails can have a serious impact on your customer service and audit trails. Archiving can ensure that doesn’t happen.
How does it work?
All your e-mails, both sent and received, will automatically be copied to a secure cloud-based server and held there for up to 10 years. You can apply different archiving time periods to different users or departments – for example, one year for some, ten years for others. At the end of that period the data will be deleted. For larger businesses we can also provide secure on-site archiving using your own servers.
Which archiving system do
you use?
We use the same system as our e-mail filter – so by simply adding the archive function you can have an integrated e-mail filter and archiving system in one.
E-mail archiving is also an
important part of disaster recovery.
Should the worst happen, you
can easily log-on and keep your
business going, with all your e-mail
records intact.
Understanding IT
Cloud computing. ‘The cloud’ is a term used to describe a bank of powerful servers which can be accessed via the internet. These servers can provide storage or run software and applications. There are lots of advantages of using the cloud - there’s greater processing power and storage than you could ever have on your own server, so it works out cheaper for you; and if one server in the cloud fails then others simply take over, so there’s no disruption to your service. All you need is a live internet connection.
E-mail encryption &
secure file transfer
Make sure your data crosses
securely to its destination.
Why do I need it?
If you’re responsible for personal data, health records or accounts information then you have a legal obligation to keep them secure and confidential. Your customer data is also a valuable asset, which you wouldn’t want to divulge. If you send data by e-mail, encrypting your messages adds extra security for peace of mind.
How does it work?
When a user wants to send an e-mail they simply click a button to prepare the e-mail within the encryption system – or your system can be set to do it automatically. They can type the message and add attachments as they usually would, and give the message a password. When they send the e-mail, the messages and files are encrypted and sent to a secure server. The recipient receives a message to say there’s an e-mail waiting for them – they follow the link provided, enter the password, and can then open the e-mail.
Can an e-mail ever get lost or go to the wrong
person?
The system records a complete audit trail, so you can check who opened the e-mail and when. Using a password means that only the intended recipient can open the e-mail - you agree the password in advance. So even if the link is sent to the wrong person, without the password they won’t be able to open the message.
Which system do you use?
A system called Cryptshare. You can find out more at www.cryptshare.com
What about data burned to a disk
or USB device?
This system only covers e-mailing – but take a look at page 14 to find out about other ways of protecting data
with encryption.
With our encryption
software not only are you
securing your content, but
you can send up to 2GB
worth of files with each
message!
Understanding IT
Encryption is when your e-mails and data files are scrambled, so they can’t be read by other computer systems. Encryption uses a highly-complex code that’s almost impossible to crack, so files and e-mail messages can be sent with maximum security.
E-mail is
easier to
intercept
than you
might think. And of
course anyone can
accidently send an
e-mail to the wrong
person! If sensitive
data goes astray it
can be a disaster, as
well as breaching the
Data Protection Act.
Encryption increases
your security and
gives you peace of
mind - and you can
send larger file sizes
too!”
Rodney Freeland - Managing Director, BCNS
Anti-virus
Defend your system from
malicious attacks – and keep your
users safe online.
Why do I need it?
Viruses once had the aim of destroying computer systems. Now they’re much more sinister – the objectives are often fraud or identity theft. A virus or malware can embed itself into the machine and the user can be quite unaware that their security has been compromised. Anti-virus protects your system, and your users’ online security.
What’s the difference between e-mail filtering
and anti-virus?
E-mail filtering (see page 6) does include an anti-virus check - but only for your e-mail traffic. Viruses and malware also lurk on the web, trying to trick the user into running rogue applications – so it’s important to protect your whole system with anti-virus, as well as your e-mail.
How does it work?
The anti-virus software examines any files which try to interact with your system – it’s been programmed to spot the patterns in infected and malicious files. It also checks what an application is trying to do and will stop any suspicious applications from running.
Aren’t there new viruses coming
out all the time?
Yes – which is why it’s vital to keep your anti-virus software up to date. As part of our managed service we can receive an alert if your system doesn’t have the latest updates, and make sure they are installed for you.
Which software do you use?
We offer two options - both offer extremely high success rates and, unlike some, won’t slow your system down. Our own software is cloud-based (see definitions, page 7), so it’s fast and efficient, and we can easily run updates remotely for you. We also supply Kaspersky, which is highly versatile and works well across a range of systems, even some less common ones.If your anti-virus software isn’t up
to date, you’ll be open to attacks.
With our managed service you’ll
never need to worry – your
system will always be protected.
Understanding IT
• Viruses are pieces
of software which invade your machine and run programmes to corrupt your system.
• Malware is similar –
it’s literally “malicious software” which spies on the user to try and steal personal information.
• Phishing attacks are
e-mails which try and deceive the user into divulging personal information – such as bank details, passwords or a pin number.
Back-up
Don’t rely on luck or old tapes…
keep your vital data safe with our
efficient online managed back-up.
Why do I need it?
If your system suffered a data loss it could set you back weeks or months, disrupt customer service, create an operational nightmare, and compromise your record keeping. It’s easy to see why around 70% of businesses never recover from a major data loss.
How does it work?
You can choose which data you want to back up and how frequently – some hourly, some weekly, for example. This would normally be stored on a server at your premises – but the system can work in other ways too. At set times the back-up happens automatically – there’s no need for you to do anything.
Where does my backed-up data get stored?
Both of the systems we supply are cloud-based, which means your data is copied via the internet to a bank of powerful secure servers, stored in EU datacentres. By using multiple servers there is much less chance of the back-up failing or becoming lost or corrupted.Which systems do you supply?
One is our own – and it works seamlessly with our e-mail filtering, archiving and anti-virus to make one efficient, combined system. The other is Gigasoft, which has some helpful features and can be a competitive solution for certain clients. We can usually install the back-up system remotely, so there’s minimal disruption.What if something goes wrong with
the online back-up?
We monitor the back-up reports as part of our service – so if your back-up fails for any reason we can resolve it quickly. With the Gigasoft system the data is first backed up to a local server before being copied to the cloud – so even if your internet connection fails you will still have a local back-up.
With our cloud-based
systems you can manage
your back-up online, and
restore your data from
anywhere. It’s ideal for
IT managers working
remotely or across
multiple sites.
We’ve
heard
the story
too
many times - just
when an organisation
needs their
backed-up data, it turns out
someone forgot to
put the tape in, or it’s
become corrupted.
Managed online
back-up means you
never need to worry
about losing vital
data.”
Alan Tucker -
Broadband and voice
communications
Keep the communication flowing
with our fast, efficient broadband
and voice services.
Why should I get my broadband from BCNS?
If you’re taking any of our managed services then it makes sense for us to look after your broadband too. We’ll know if there’s ever a problem with your broadband because we’ll see the failure reports from your online managed services. As a single point of contact for your whole system, we can solve problems quickly for you rather than waiting while you have to involve a third party.What broadband options do I have?
We work with Entanet, one of the best business broadband providers. Options include:• standard broadband;
• bonded broadband. This also gives you a priority response service from BT in case of any problems with the line;
• fibre broadband, which offers faster speeds (with up to 80Mb per second download speed);
• leased line and Ethernet services – your own dedicated internet connection, with speeds up to 10Gb per second (compared to 8Mb for standard broadband).
What VoIP choices can you offer?
• Hosted PBX. This works a bit like aswitchboard (a main line with multiple extensions) – but the lines are internet lines rather than standard phone lines, and the ‘switchboard’ lives on a server in the cloud.
• SIP Trunking. This needs an in-house system, but it’s useful if you want remote workers to be able to use your VoIP system for making calls.
How easy is it to set up?
For broadband, you’ll receive a new router and you simply plug it in (or we can do it for you). VoIP needs to be configured on site, to ensure all the telephones work. We can do that for you, and give some guidance at the same time in how to use the system.
Making the right choice involves
weighing up the benefits, the
costs, and your future plans. We
can help you choose a broadband
and VoIP system that will grow
with your business.
Understanding IT
• VoIP stands for
Voice Over Internet Protocol - a phone system that runs over the internet. Calls are integrated with your broadband service and are therefore much cheaper.
• Bonded broadband
is where two or more broadband lines are ‘stitched’ together to make one fast, powerful line. This could help if you need more bandwidth than standard broadband provides, or you’re located in a poor service area. • Fibre broadband
is where the copper cable which links your system to the internet is replaced with fibre. The result is a faster, more reliable service.
Infrastructure
Starting from scratch, growing your system, or replacing the whole
thing… we can provide the right hardware.
Every IT system needs hardware – servers to run centralised applications; data storage devices; switches and routers to transfer data; and of course cabling.
Whether we’re supplying a single server or an entire system, our approach is the same: we always start with you and your needs. That’s why we don’t supply a standard hardware package – instead, we create
precisely the system you need. That’s not only the best way, it’s also the most cost-effective.
The right infrastructure means fewer maintenance issues and less downtime. It also means your system
can grow with your business, so you’re less likely to have to replace everything in future.
If you’re upgrading your hardware we can help migrate your system, so the change is as seamless as
possible. We can also take away your old hardware for recycling.
Need more efficient data
storage? There are three
ways we can help.
Our storage solutions are among the most cost-effective on the market, and come with excellent support from the manufacturers.
• A storage area network (SAN) co-ordinates data stored on both online and local devices, so it can be accessed efficiently by your servers. Because it incorporates online storage, it’s also a useful part of a virtualisation and back-up system.
• Network attached storage (NAS) is an extra storage unit linked to your system alone.
• An auto-feeding tape drive is a cost-effective way to archive data you may not need to access very often.
Storage
Virtualisation
Imagine condensing ten servers
into just one… that’s virtualisation.
Save hardware costs, space,
power, and server maintenance
fees.
Your servers are probably only running at a fraction of their capacity. If you have several servers running different systems, a large part of your investment is going to waste. You may also be paying for multiple server maintenance contracts. You’re probably even paying more than you need for cooling the air in the server room!
Virtualisation software creates a series of ‘virtual’ computers inside one server. These virtual machines
operate completely independently of each other - they can even be running different operating systems. Each is completely ring-fenced - so even if one crashes, the others carry on working as normal.
A virtualisation system can also help in back-up and disaster recovery. By replicating your virtualised
server (either to another local server or to the cloud), you can carry on working seamlessly if any part of your server crashes, minimising wasteful downtime.
Virtualisation can work for Windows-based desktop computers too, which means it’s a great solution for
hot-desking and remote working.
We can plan and set up the entire system for you - and help you migrate your existing systems onto your new virtualised server.
Don’t just cross your fingers it will never happen. We can help you
prepare for the worst.
Of course, like you we hope it never happens! But if your IT system suffers a serious failure, or your business premises are destroyed, you can have peace of mind knowing your system is backed-up and ready to carry on. We know business continuity is more than just an IT issue. That’s why we work with you to think about what could go wrong, and make sure the right contingencies are in place, so your operations and customer service can continue with minimal disruption.
We’ll also help you test your continuity plan, with a scheduled data recovery to make sure your system can be restored seamlessly.
“Confidential data disks found on park bench.” Don’t let it happen to you.
Most breaches of data security are due to human error or deliberate theft. With our encryption system you can protect yourself against both.
If your organisation handles personal data, it’s your responsibility to keep it safe under the terms of the
Data Protection Act. Health records and personal information must be kept confidential. Details of credit card transactions must also be held securely for compliance with PCI (payment card industry) standards.
If you’ve already looked at e-mail encryption (see page 8), then you should consider disk encryption too.
This works in a similar way, but it encrypts files when they are copied to a disk or USB device. The files can only be read by the system which encrypted the data.
You can choose to encrypt only certain files, or everything. The encryption software keeps a record of who
copied which files and when, so you have a complete audit trail. You can even stop some files being copied at all, and can receive reports detailing any changes to the data.
The encryption system we provide is an in-house solution, so we would configure it at your premises, rather
than managing it remotely. We’d also talk through your options to make sure the encryption system will work exactly as you need.
Inspect and protect your IT system with our firewall.
A firewall is a protective boundary for your system.
• It keeps forbidden programmes out – so it blocks anything, or anyone, trying to access your system without
permission - hacker attacks, for example.
• It keeps your users in – so it stops them running certain programmes or accessing blocked websites, to
improve security and keep them productive.
The firewall we provide also keeps a log of instances and activity – so it will tell you if your system has been under attack, or which websites users have been visiting.
We can also provide a range of secure remote access devices so you can safely allow remote workers to gain access through your firewall.
Disk encryption
Let’s talk
about IT.
Our partnerships
If you’re ready to find out more about how we can make
IT happen for you, then let’s talk.
• Give us a call, and we’ll arrange to come and see you. We can find out more about your system, talk about what you want to achieve and how we can help.
• We’ll give you a full written quotation, usually within a couple of days. You can rest assured we always include everything. There are never any “hidden extras”. • We’ll designate one of our engineers as your main contact, who will work with you to
deliver the support you need.
Most of all, we’ll take the time to get to know your business personally - so you can think of us as part of your team.
Call us today on
01752 547150, or visit
www.bcns.co.uk to find out more.
We’re the trusted partner of some of the leading names in the IT industry. Many require us to hold certain qualifications and certificates to ensure we deliver only the best service to clients.
We also have reseller agreements with many of the most reputable IT suppliers.
BCNS
go out of
their way
to deliver
above and
beyond their contract”
David Finch, Director of ILT - Central Sussex College
Unit 11 Kingswood Court, Long Meadow, South Brent TQ10 9YS
T: 01752 547150 E: [email protected]
