Consultancy

I like to think one of the most valuable resources I provide my customers is a very broad knowledge of almost all areas of the computing industry. Everything from the needs of the average home user through to the complexities of TCP/IP networking, the print industry, and especially the web. I have the ability to consolidate my knowledge from many areas of expertise, and then come up with solutions that can be explained and justified quickly and clearly.

• Custom database solutions: using Filemaker to create simple, powerful databases to help you manange your data more efficiently. Advice and design assistance in improving existing databases
• Consultancy on web design projects: Many of my customers are print designers and fall into the traps of assuming that what works on a printed page will work on the web. It doesn’t. I assist in testing usability, finding hosting, configuring the hosting space, providing documentation, researching required functions in the site, Flash Actionscript programming, PHP and MYSQL programming, maximising search engine visibility and much much more. Sweet Apple is your own web design department for hire.
• Equipment: choosing the correct hardware and software to buy, providing a quote if I can be competitive, and suggesting elsewhere on those occasions I cannot.
• Internet services: arranging interent access, managing their email acounts, web hosting, selecting firewalls, VPN devices, routers, and really making the internet work for their business.
• Security: Design and implementation of firewalls, internal and external network secrurity, anti-virus & backup strategies.
• Data recovery: when you haven’t followed the backup strategy! And I don’t mean a quick run of Unerase. I have done block by block recovery of failed drives when things are really bad
• Small network/ server installations: whether it’s physical cabling, Appleshare IP, OS X Server, Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, Linux with Netatalk, using Broadband / ADSL / SDSL / ISDN.
• Remote Access: via the internet or dial-ups for your staff. Creating secure connections to your network via VPN.
• Integration: of Macs into your PC network and vice versa, via Microsoft Outlook / Exchange server, Lotus Notes, VirtualPC, Dave, SMB client on OS X, Appleshare IP, NT Server or PCMacLan, Netatalk, etc.

As you can see, that is a comprehensive list of services. But that’s only part of it. I see my job as finding answers to your questions quickly and efficiently.