Data Management Services keeps technology manageable

Today’s offices are dependent on their technology. Employees facing deadlines don’t have time to deal with malfunctioning computers or networks.

If a breakdown does occur, stress levels skyrocket and the result is unnecessary downtime.

Since 1986, the mission of Data Management Services (DMS) has been to keep technology from grinding business to a halt.

To accomplish that mission, DMS has a new tool in their arsenal. Instead of waiting for a system to fail, DMS is taking a proactive approach with Managed Services. The program monitors desktop computers, file servers, firewalls and more so preventative action can be taken on problems that may arise.

“Managed Services is a new program getting away from a break/fix model to more of a prevention model. We monitor equipment and take care of a problem before a system breaks down,” said DMS Vice President Sammy Hebert.

The idea is that DMS can work around the customer. The only thing a business executive will notice is that his system keeps working. Behind the scenes, DMS will do downloads, updates, patches – whatever is called for.

“From a hardware standpoint, it allows you to monitor file servers where you have multiple hard drives, for example. If one drive starts giving errors that are otherwise not noticed, we can spot it before it fails,” DMS owner Marc Boudreaux said.

Boudreaux explained the bulk of his customers don’t have in-house technicians but rather one person who is somewhat familiar with the system and acts as a liaison with DMS.

For those companies that do have technicians, the Managed Services program is designed to support what that person does.

“Techs welcome us with open arms because they’re operating on a tight budget and if they’re overloaded with work they can’t hire anybody else. So they come to firms like us to provide that extra help they might need now and then,” Boudreaux said.

The Managed Services program not only alerts DMS if a failure is imminent, but also warns of outside threats to a system.

“This software will alert us to failed password attempts. If there is a network security threat, our program will alert us,” Diana Talbot with sales and marketing said.

Business technology continues to evolve and Boudreaux is making sure Data Management Services does as well.

“We basically started as a software programming firm and grew into this hodge-podge of things we do now. We’re all over the place,” Boudreaux said.

“A common call to us would be, ‘I read something about the i-Phones being in sync with a computer. Can ya’ll do that?’ We say ‘Yeah’ and we’re off in another direction,” Hebert said.

One thing Boudreaux tries to get across to his customers is if multiple tech companies are working on their systems, there are multiple ideas and fixes being put into place.

“No two people look and think alike. It’s not like it’s wrong, but somebody has to come behind someone else and figure it out. It takes a lot of time. The customer gets caught in the middle,” Boudreaux explained.

“You want a business behind your business supporting you. You don’t want a one-man shop. You want some depth,” Hebert said.

The members of the DMS staff have their own specialties. Whether it be programming, networking or website, each employee is cross-trained to take up the slack if one department is overwhelmed.

“It’s really good because we have all these technicians who have their specialty but then they’re trained to support one another. It’s not just one person here that makes a business run. It’s the experience and knowledge of everybody here,” Talbot said.

Boudreaux explained that helps DMS meet response time frame requirements.

“If our main guy is somewhere else, we always have someone cross-trained who can pick up that slack,” he said.

“Our customers respect Mr. Marc and the staff here. They want to know they have that one guy, that one office that knows how their systems run, how it’s working, they can trust us to come and take care of everything for them,” Talbot said.

Marc Boudreaux’s Data Management Services has been supporting business technology for 24 years. A new product, Managed Services, offers 24/7 monitoring to prevent downtime. JENNIE CHILDS