Assessment Document

1. VisibilIT, VitalIT, ManageabilIT Assessment™ (VVMA)
Optimization
The Statistics Are Alarming
Not A “Cookie-Cutter” IT Assessment
The VisibilIT VitalIT ManageabilIT Assessment™ (VVMA) is a comprehensive process used to The unfortunate side effect of businesses
gather a precise, unbiased and expansive understanding of an organization’s IT infrastructure, becoming increasingly reliant on technology
assets, performance and costs. The highly analytical information and insight resulting from a is they are simultaneously becoming more
vulnerable to security breaches and data loss,
VVMA distinguishes it from other “network analyses” or “IT assessments,” which often overlook and are also more likely to incur exorbitant
critical deficiencies, don’t take business objectives into account or fail to address specific expenses associated with disaster recovery
customer concerns. efforts.
Statistics show the impact of IT-related risks
Latent Vulnerabilities and Threats Can Have Disastrous Results impacting SMB in profound ways:
Security breaches, data loss and disasters are unfortunate realities that most businesses will
• 48% of SMBs have experienced data
experience at some point in time, yet a vast majority of business owners possess a false sense of loss as a result of improper data
protection from such threats. Even in light of recent and constant high profile security breaches, backup and/or disaster recovery
scandals, disasters and data loss in billion dollar corporations, many small and medium sized plans2.
businesses (SMBs) still rely precariously on 3-year old firewalls and out-of-the-box “fail-proof”
• Almost a quarter of SMBs are likely
backup systems, which are alarmingly insufficient for protecting their most valuable business to declare a disaster in any given
assets. five-year period3.
According to a recent study by Ponemon Research Institute, 90% of all organizations surveyed • The average total cost of damages
and recovery for an SMB that incurs a
have had a security breach in the last 12 months1. More than half of the CEOs of those companies disaster is $1.4 million3.
breached felt their IT infrastructure was “moderately to well protected” from invasion prior to the
security incident, but couldn’t elaborate as to what kind of protections they had in place or how • Every hour of downtime costs an SMB
they knew they were sufficient. an average of $145,0003.
• 90% of SMBs have experienced a
When it comes to data security, backup and recovery, it’s not uncommon for business owners security breach within the last year1.
and CEOs to be under-informed of just how vulnerable their business really is to the myriad of
potential causes of data loss, including security breaches, viruses/malware, hardware failures, • 59% of SMBs have suffered two or
more security incidences in that same
current/former employee tampering and other “disasters” that run rampant today. time period1.
• How can a business owner or executive be • 41% of SMBs reported the security
sure their network is secure, their backup breach they experienced resulted in
$500,000+ in combined expenses1.
systems are functioning properly and their
most sensitive, critical data is safe?
A VVMA provides a clear picture of the
• How do they know if their IT infrastructure is vulnerabilities within an IT infrastructure so
optimally aligned with their specific and an optimized solution and maintenance plan
ever-changing business needs? can be developed, and hundreds of
thousands of dollars in potential recovery
• How can a non-technical business executive and downtime costs can be averted.
be really sure that “everything is under
control” related to IT systems, security,
operations and costs?
Without knowing the risks and vulnerabilities lurking within a company’s IT infrastructure, it’s
nearly impossible to know for sure how secure or stable it really is, let alone develop an
appropriate remediation and ongoing management strategy. The VVMA reveals any deficiencies
and risk factors so they can be objectively addressed, investigated and resolved before they T G
become dangerous liabilities with detrimental and often business-threatening consequences.
1
“Perceptions About Network Security,” Ponemon Institute Research, June 2011; http://www.juniper.net/us/en/local/pdf/additional-resources/ponemon-perceptions-network-security.pdf
2
“New Research from Carbonite Shows Almost Half of Nation’s Small Businesses Have Lost Data,” Carbonite, April 2011; http://www.carbonite.com/en/about/press/press-releases/New-
Research-from-Carbonite-Shows-Almost-Half-of-Nation-s-Small-Businesses-Have-Lost-Data.aspx
3
“Wake Up Call – You Aren’t Ready for Disaster,” Forrester Research Inc., February 9, 2011; on “Global Disaster Recovery Preparedness Online Survey,” Disaster Recovery Journal, November 2010.

2. The VVMA is a Powerful Risk Prevention & Business Propulsion Tool
The VVMA provides a comprehensive analysis of the current health of every aspect of a company’s IT infrastructure, including all
assets, risk factors and potential vulnerabilities so that minor issues can be addressed before they become serious problems. Since
the IT function’s effectiveness is tied to the objectives of the business, the VVMA has three core components:
1. The Business Assessment examines the customer’s day-to-day business operations and objectives in order to closely align
the IT function and infrastructure to the organization’s specific business needs. This ensures all recommendations are optimal to
business function, as opposed to solely technology-centric.
2. The Physical Assessment reveals details of the hardware environment and configuration, including the amount of IT and
imaging hardware, with information on age, manufacturer, performance and output volumes. It also graphically represents the
physical configuration of the network and servers to offer a better understanding of the unique complexities of each
customer’s IT configuration.
3. The Technical Assessment thoroughly evaluates nine critical components of the IT infrastructure and rates the current
health of each. Specific findings are rated on a gradual scale indicating how much attention should be paid to each component,
urgency level, as well as recommendations for improvement in areas where risk factors and vulnerabilities are identified.
OVERVIEW OF SYSTEM HEALTH
The Primary Critical Areas of Analysis include:
KEY: = LOOKS GOOD = NEEDS ATTENTION = HIGHLY VULNERABLE
1. Currency Level – Age of all hardware, operating systems, databases, and
firewalls, as well as the warranty and service provider information for all SPECIFIC AREAS OF INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS STATUS
software and equipment. CURRENCY LEVEL • Hardware Inventory & Age
• Warranties & Service providers
• Operating Systems, Database, Firewalls,
Line of Business Applications
2. Security – Type of firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-malware and IT SECURITY • Firewall & Secure Connection
• Document Handling
• Anti-virus, Anti-spam, Anti-malware
• Password Protection
intrusion detection applications in use, as well as document handling, • Remote Desktop (Terminal Servers) • Mail Security
terminal servers, password protections and email security settings. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS • Backup Process & Tools • Disaster Recovery Plan & Site
• Workstation Data Backup
& RECOVERY
3. Disaster Preparedness – Frequency and method of data backup on
workstations, laptops and servers, as well as documented disaster RESOURCE AVAILABILITY • Disk Space Utilization
• Event Logs & Server Load
• Server Uptime
• Backup Success Rate
• Uninterrupted Power Supply
preparedness and data recovery plans.
NEWORK STABILITY & • Network Configuration • Network Growth Potential
4. Network Stability and Reliability – Type of network configuration and RELIABILITY
• Warranty Management
• Remote access to Network
• Routine Maintenance
• Threats to System Stability and Reliability
growth potential, as well as warranty management, routine maintenance, The VVMA provides a high• level summary of each Bandwidth & Connectivity health as well
area’s overall
INTERNET Internet Service Provider • Speed,
and remote access to network. as extremely detailed findings, Usageand Storage and strategic recommendations.
analysis
• Email Hosting
• Internet Policy
• Wireless Connection
5. Internet – Internet Service Provider, speed, bandwidth and connectivity, as well as email hosting and storage, wireless
CONFIGURATION • Network Configuration
• Ease of System Use
• Data Center/ Server Room setup
• Labels and Identification
SIMPLICITY & USABILITY
connections and internet usage policies.
• Helpdesk Resource • Notification and Resolution of Tickets
6. Configuration Simplicity and Usability – Data center(s) utilization, server room setup, equipment labeling and ease of
COMPLIANCE &
DOCUMENTATION
• License Compliance
• Documentation
• Data Security / Auditing / Retention
• Current Issues and Concerns
system use, as well as help desk resources, network configuration and notification/resolution of tickets.
7. Compliance and Documentation – License compliance, auditing, retention, and BUDGET & PLANNING
IT • Current IT Budget • Plans for future IT Expansions
policy documentation. • Budget Review Frequency
8. Ongoing Maintenance – Current maintenance schedule, service providers, and uptime policies.
9. IT Budget and Planning – IT spending and costs review, strategy and expansion planning. ©Agiliant, Inc. - Confidential and Proprietary
Page | 5
The VVMA is the key to unlocking a complete understanding of an organization’s IT infrastructure so any necessary adjustments
can be identified and made to optimize the function’s performance, costs and continuity while optimally aligning with the specific
needs and direction of the business.
About The Swenson Group
The Swenson Group is a certified member of the Agiliant Affiliate Network™ (AAN). The AAN is a highly integrated coalition of
leading managed services providers with standardized and synchronized operations to deliver highly scalable, efficient and
comprehensive solutions for the information technology (IT) management needs of business. The cumulative knowledge base of
the AAN is centrally managed, yet locally operationalized within each AAN member to deliver highly coordinated economies, best
practices and uniform pricing and service levels to organizations nationwide. The AAN is the exclusive source for MITOS™ (Managed
Information Technology & Output Services), the new standard for optimized IT management services.
Visit www.TheSwensonGroup.com for more information.
207 Boeing Ct. Livermore, CA 94551
T G Phone: 925-960-8910
Email: mitos@theswensongroup.com
www.TheSwensonGroup.com
©Agiliant 2011. All rights reserved. The Swenson Group and The Swenson Groups’ logo are trademarks of The Swenson Group. Agiliant Affiliate Network, the Agiliant Affiliate Network logo and MITOS are trademarks of
Agiliant, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.