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Compaq Computer Corp. on Monday will put its stamp of approval on the management service provider business model when it launches its new Remote Monitoring and Performance Reporting service.
Compaq Global Services is extending its Business Critical Services portfolio of remedial and consulting services to include monitoring of client servers, networks and applications over Internet connections. The service will also provide a secure portal that clients and Compaq consultants can access to view real-time performance trend reports.
CGS is working with pure-play MSP InteQ Corp., of Bedford, Mass., to deliver the remote monitoring service in an OEM-type arrangement. Compaqs decision to work with InteQ could spark interest from other computer services companies in looking at such arrangements, signaling the potential for staying power among MSPs still in business as the shakeout continues, believes Eric Goodness, senior analyst at Gartner/Dataquest in Lowell, Mass.
“This will ensure the long-term viability of the MSP pure play. It does it by providing them with the revenue flow for long-term viability, gives them a partner that provides credibility in the market and proves you can do high-level partnering with OEMs to effect these solutions,” he said.
CGS is integrating InteQs remote monitoring and reporting services into its existing services delivery infrastructure. CGS will market the services primarily to Compaq customers in North America. The services will support heterogeneous computer operations, but only if some Compaq hardware is present, according to Jerry Coffey, director of Business Critical Services in Stow, Mass.
“We think many enterprise-class customers will feel good about entrusting these services to a Compaq. It will make the story that much stronger,” Coffey said.
CGS will offer three service options for the Remote Monitoring and Performance Reporting services. A basic service will include monitoring of servers and networks. The basic service will monitor availability of devices and enable the dispatch of actionable events to Compaq, which will respond to the events. It includes a Web portal for both customers and Compaq support personnel that provides customer contact information, equipment covered and the basic status of whats being monitored. Through the portal, customers can adjust basic performance thresholds, change contact information and make other changes.
It is priced starting at $88 a month per network device monitored and $94 a month per server monitored. Servers include Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Linux.
The enhanced service builds on the basic service by adding database monitoring for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Informix and Sybase; applications monitoring for SAP R3, Oracle applications, Microsofts Exchange Server and Commerce Server; and Web server monitoring for Apache, Sun Microsystemsn Inc.s iPlanet and others.
“We can potentially detect problems about to happen at the application and database layer and flag those for the customer. The metrics you monitor can be changed on the fly, and you can take corrective actions,” said Coffey of the enhanced service, whose price ranges from $550 to $800 per server per month.
A third infrastructure analysis service provides customizable reporting of historical events, problem analysis and capacity planning data. “It lets IT professionals on-site or our consultants look over a certain period of time to see trends and use the reporting to adjust the IT strategy going forward,” said Coffey. Reports are automatically generated, but clients can query specific areas or objects for which they want to see performance information. That service is priced between $100 to $200 per month per object.