DPS HOSTED SOLUTIONS
DPS SOFTWARE
288 SOUTHBURY ROAD
ENFIELD
MIDDLESEX
EN1 1TR
DATE: OCTOBER 2009
INDEX
DPS HOSTED SOLUTIONS 1
INTRODUCTION 3
DPS HOSTING OVERVIEW 4
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CHOOSE DPS TO HOST MY IT? 5
HOW SAFE IS MY CONFEDENTIAL DATA? 5
SECURE SERVER CENTRE 6
ANTI SPAM SOFTWARE 7
ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE 8
SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT 9
BACKUP & LEVEL 1 DISASTER RECOVERY 10
BACKUP & LEVEL 2 DISASTER RECOVERY 10
HOME & REMOTE WORKING 10
REMOTE OFFICES 11
365/24/7 ACCESS TO SYSTEMS AND DATA 11
REDUCED OFFICE OVERHEADS 11
INTRODUCTION
The DPS hosting solution provides firms with a cost effective and scalable network hardware and IT management strategy.
The concept of managed data and system hosting means that a business chooses to delegate or outsource the management and running of IT systems (servers, email, application software and backup) and computer related management to a ‘host’ provider, such as DPS Software.
There is a large amount of responsibility involved in running servers. Software has to be kept up‐to‐date and hardware has to be regularly checked for performance and maintained. More importantly, data has to be backed up regularly and tapes need to be stored off site, preferably, to enable system recovery and business continuity in the event of a fire or other disaster.
These duties have to be taken seriously and would often have to be carried out by a qualified technician or a trained IT professional within a practice. These tasks can alternatively be undertaken in their entirety by a host provider.
This document details the precise services that ‘hosting’ provides to a law firm.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I CHOOSE TO HOST IT?
All information (data) and programs (Windows Server, Exchange, DPS Case Management, Cashier Accounts etc) is relocated and installed onto powerful servers that are located in a secure data centre at DPS Software’s London HQ. The DPS data centre is supervised and supported by engineers, who are experienced in using the latest technologies.
As part of the relocation process, engineers configure all office work stations and terminals to enable secure connection to the DPS data centre. All existing software and systems continue to be used from the office (or any other location) as normal.
HOW SAFE IS MY DATA IF STORED AT YOUR OFFICES?
Data Security
Any firm’s database is the property of that firm and contains confidential information on the firm’s clients. Hosting this information away from the firm’s premises can lead to concerns over security. For this reason, DPS enter into a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as part of the hosting contract with a firm to offer the protection required for that firm’s data. Ownership of the information remains with the firm regardless of where the data is hosted. As part of the hosting service, backups are taken of the firm’s information and stored at the host’s premises. The tapes and their contents remain the property of the firm and will be forwarded as and when requested. In addition to the NDA, the DPS service agreement covers all eventualities including disasters and business conditions. Whether data is hosted or not, a software vendor will require access to this information at some point. Vendors will often take copies of the information for investigation or other purposes. DPS enter into the NDA and service agreement whether a firm is to hosted or not, as it is highly advisable when any company has any access to sensitive information.
SECURE SERVER CENTRE
The DPS data centre where servers are hosted is equipped with:‐
a) Clean power circuits, providing completely separate connections to the mains power supply. Power surges anywhere in the building or the local area, cannot affect the power supply to the data centre.
b) Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), are used to support the servers in the event of a power failure to the data centre/building. These UPS devices automatically provide power to the hardware in the event of a power cut, protecting the data while engineers switch power supply. Engineers are always present on site and ready for to address any such power disruptions in minutes. More importantly, disruptions are invisible to hosted users. c) A secure, temperature controlled/monitored air conditioned environment, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, for optimised server performance. d) Scalability for growth. Additional disk space or server capacity can be simply applied as a business grows. e) The data centre is double secured with a separate alarm system, in addition to the main building alarm system.
To provide a similar level of data security, a business would need to invest heavily in a similar environment which is prohibitively expensive for all but the largest firms. The power consumption and maintenance on the air conditioning alone can be considerable!
Looking after business critical systems and hardware, while taking care of the associated telecommunications, are fundamental requirements for maintaining business continuity and business competitiveness.
DPS offer consultancy and project management services according to the evolution of a business. Whether more staff join a business, the business merges with other firms or opens new offices, the core business goals can remain the priority, while the IT infrastructure is ready and able to cope with new demands.
ANTI‐SPAM SOFTWARE
Anti‐spam software is an essential requirement for all businesses using and relying on email.
SPAM is unsolicited email. Hundreds of SPAM emails are received by businesses everyday. These emails clog the network servers and slow systems down. In some cases, SPAM can stop legitimate messages trying to be delivered, a process that could ultimately cost money. Anti‐spam software allows these unwanted messages to be blocked enabling business owners to concentrate on running the firm.
When systems are hosted with DPS, email is also hosted as part of the service. In doing so, anti‐spamming software can be applied to all incoming email, filtering out the unwanted messages.
We use the industry leading spam firewall systems as an integrated hardware and software solution for complete protection of your email server. These systems provide a powerful solution for eliminating spam and viruses from reaching an organisation by providing the following protection: • Anti‐spam • Anti‐virus • Anti‐spoofing • Anti‐phishing • Anti‐spyware (Attachments) • Denial of Service Anti‐spam software is similar to anti‐virus software in that it has to be updated frequently to keep it effective. How does this work? The DPS spam filter looks at incoming emails and checks the originating email address against an up‐to‐date database of known spammers.
The spamming database is updated every hour with the latest spam and virus definitions, keeping maintenance of the unit at a minimum. Updates are provided around the clock by monitoring the Internet for trends in spam and virus threats.
Our engineers check that updates are successful completed twice a day to ensure that protection is provided at all times.
ANTI‐VIRUS SOFTWARE
When systems are hosted, DPS provide an Anti‐Virus service to all data, incoming and outgoing emails, and any software that is applied or added to the servers. New virus threats are continually released and some are malicious while others are simply annoying. To be effective, anti‐virus system have to be continually updated to combat new threats.
We use the Anti‐Virus Corporate versions to protect our hosted systems. Key features include:
• 24/7, worldwide virus outbreak monitoring by McAfee's Antivirus Emergency
Response Team (AVERTTM), who continually monitor worldwide virus activities and provide immediate anti‐virus protection and removal solutions to our systems.
• Always‐on protection from viruses, spyware, spam, and "phishing" threats that may
enter the network via e‐mail, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing.
• Auto‐updates run silently in the background, ensuring hosted clients are always
protected from evolving and emerging security threats. Systems are monitored every hour, on the hour. Our engineers manually check all updates are successful twice a day, to ensure that protection is provided at all times.
Notes:
Phishing is the act of sending an e‐mail to a user, falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.
SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT
In the day‐to‐day running of a law practice, a combination of applications ranging from DPS solutions (DPS, Cashier and TeamTalk) to Microsoft solutions (Windows Server, Office and Email) are used in conjunction. These applications require management and support. Updates need to be applied and any issues with these software packages have to be addressed by qualified support staff. Since the hosted solution relocates these applications to the DPS data centre, we manage, maintain and update your systems automatically, to allow you to concentrate on your core business. Our trained and certified system engineers apply all software updates and service packs as and when they become available, advising the hosted firm when the update is to be performed and completed.
Site visits are not required to perform updates and where possible, the updates are completed out of hours to ensure minimal disruption to your office environment and daily business routines.
BACKUP & LEVEL 1 DISASTER RECOVERY
Effective backups are critical for any business. Hosting systems with DPS means that data is backed up to high speed/density tape at agreed intervals of time (minimum once per day). The tape backups are then duplicated, with one copy held in an 8 hour approved fire safe at DPS, and the other stored off site.DPS then follow approved National Computing Centre (NCC) guidelines for data backup integrity checking. This includes:‐ a) Spot check restores on each backup device b) Daily tapes are stored for 2 weeks c) Monthly tapes are stored for 1 month d) All stored tapes are checked for integrity at least twice per storage period
All the above checks are manually completed by qualified engineers and an integrity
log is maintained for the backup tapes.
BACKUP & LEVEL 2 DISASTER RECOVERY
This works in the same way as the level 1 service, however all systems are duplicated at another database centre. In the event of a disaster striking at our primary data centre, hosted clients are automatically switched to the alternative data centre.
All level 1 procedures are also run.
HOME & REMOTE WORKING
Home users can be securely connected via a standard web browser. In today’s business environment, business expansion tends to be a very costly process. Offering home working can be a good way to retain staff while providing flexible working practices and reduced travelling, thereby increasing productivity.
Windows Mobile & Blackberry: The Hosting Solution also provides an ideal opportunity to roll out mobile access to email and critical information.
REMOTE OFFICES
In a similar way to the demand for home working, there can be a need to open another office in a different geographic location. The costs involved in setting up a network and systems for the remote office can be costly and time consuming. DPS can connect new offices quickly and with minimal costs and downtime as part of the hosted service.
365‐ 24/7 ACCESS TO SYSTEMS AND DATA
The DPS hosted solution offers 24/7 access to data and systems. This means that if any authorised employees needs access to office systems outside normal working hours, they can do so either from home or a connected device.
REDUCED OFFICE OVERHEADS
The host servers and hardware are primarily housed at DPS’ data centre in London. The costs involved in purchasing, maintaining and upgrading server hardware, dependant network software and user applications (DPS, MS Office, Adobe etc) are removed to the host. This dramatically reduces in‐house year‐on‐year spending and Cost of Ownership associated with IT infrastructure and management.
FAST ENGINEER RESPONSE
Over 20 DPS Software employees are trained in running, maintaining and fixing complex IT systems. This means that in the event of a problem with a server, a qualified engineer or technical support member can start working on the server and network within minutes.
Since we have access to a large pool of services and no ‘travel time’ is required, DPS engineers can begin to fix systems faster than if the server was located at a clients’ office.
COST OF OWNERSHIP
The total Cost of Ownership is the combined hard and soft costs of owning networked information assets. 'Hard' costs include items such as the purchase price of the asset, implementation fees, upgrades, maintenance contracts, support contracts, and disposal costs.
These costs are considered 'hard costs' because they are tangible and easily accounted for.
budgets. DPS Hosting aims to reduce the direct and indirect costs of IT management and implements best practices to contain them.1 To calculate the true cost of hosting the firm will need to take into consideration: 1. Existing hardware and network support fees. 2. The cost of new PC and server hardware, and network operating systems. 3. The cost of basic in‐house IT support (even if this is the time of one staff member to support). 4. The cost for key staff to travel time to and from the office.
