What We Do

We do everything you need to keep publishing on time and on budget. Including:

• Migration evaluation, planning, integration & support
• Troubleshooting, maintenance, support, & repair of hardware, OS, & applications
• Hardware upgrade consultation, planning, installation, & configuration
• Software upgrade evaluation, installation, & configuration
• Network and server consulting, design, cabling & implementation
• Font analysis, repair, & organization
• Wide-area and internet connection & configuration
• OS & application user training
• Publication workflow development, implementation, & documentation
• Technology project planning & coordination
• Personnel evaluation, consultation, & training
• Specification, bid requests, & hardware procurement
• Vendor coordination
• Sales of new & used equipment

We've advised on workflow and personnel issues, built page templates and graphic libraries, designed production flows, done modest redesigns, managed comprehensive system upgrades and implemented new technologies, calibrated page to press, and trained in all aspects of electronic production. It's all very hands-on and practical, aimed at efficient operation and a consistent final product, with an emphasis on simply getting the job done.

When necessary, we can set ads, edit and proofread, write, lay out pages, scan and prep photos, and get pages to film. Those tasks aren't our job, but when it comes to the crunch, it's this core set of skills that shapes the way we put your Mac network together.

We've migrated many publications to OSX from OS9, from every previous generation of Mac hardware and software to every current verson. Every situation poses its own issues and requires flexibility in approach, and our wide base of experience gives us a platform to work from in adapting to the needs of your transition. It's not just about muddling through; it's about retaining your current network data and page design, fonts, user data, email archives and configurations, even browser bookmarks. It's about making a potentially disruptive migration as smooth as possible for the users.

We don't claim we can resolve every issue, or that we wave a wand and bring massive projects together overnight. In very large installations, our best trick is to help you plan and coordinate, then prototype solutions and assist your staff in putting them into place. But if you're a small-to-medium-sized Mac-based publication, you'll find it hard to beat our comprehensive set of Mac services.

How It Works

A La Carte - Were happy to work for businesses or home users on an as-needed basis, as our schedule permits. Rates are as follows:

• Onsite labor: 95.00/hour, 1-hour minimum
• Shop time and phone support: 95.00/hour, 1/4-hour minimum
• Travel: 45.00/hour from technician's home

Support Agreement -- Much of our work is done under prepaid annual Support Agreements. Clients pay a reduced rate upfront for labor time and get priority service with a 4-hour response time. We are available to them as necessary for everything Mac and network related, literally 24/7 year-round.

Uptime is everything, and emergency services are a crucial part of the pace of mind we bring our clients. But regular visits for preventive maintenance are the heart of the Support Agreement. Proactive diagnostics, tweaks, tuneups, upgrades, and attention to user honey-do lists keep your systems (and your people) fast and happy. Scheduled visits head off disasters and familiarize us with your installations, so we can provide streamlined, custom support. It's like having a Mac guru on staff.

A la carte or by agreement: either way, we're hands-on, and we come to you.

Why It Matters

• Operating systems, networks, and internet access are too complex to be managed by production staff doing double duty.
• Most organizations have neither the budget nor the workstation count to justify full-time Mac system administrators; extensive OSX upgrades are too time-consuming even for a dedicated administrator.
• Systems work most reliably and efficiently when they are tended to, tuned up, and updated on a regular basis.
• Users and their managers need a consistent and reliable source of professional Macintosh systems and software consulting, integration, and support.
• With the introduction of new hardware, and (sometimes forced) migration to new versions of all publishing, a transition can be the monster that ate your productivity. We can tame the process.