Do you ever have those days where you wish you could clone yourself? Sometimes it’s not what you’re able to do, but what you can afford to do with the time you have in a day. You could drive all the way to your data center to perform simple tasks, but when there are other, more valuable things demanding your time, you’re likely throwing money down the drain. That’s the idea behind data center Remote Hands support.
What are remote hands services?
If you’re an IT manager looking to move infrastructure off-premises, or you have already made the move, and you want to have your IT staff focus on tasks outside of the day-to-day, you could benefit greatly from data center support services, like Remote Hands.
While it is defined differently based on the facility, the idea behind Remote Hands is that you have data center staff at the ready to help assist you with everyday tasks, reducing your time needed to do these things, as well as cutting down on unnecessary travel to the data center.
In general, Remote Hands services reference simple tasks such as power cycling a server, putting a DVD into a server, plugging in a crash cart to do a reading, and so on. Facilities may differentiate these from Smart Hands services, which can reference more advanced services, including adding disks or ram, rebuilding a server, or performing other engineering services.
What can you expect at a remote hands data center?
Each Remote Hands service is going to look different based on the expertise of the staff and their particular list of offerings, but in general, services include these six elements.
A personal touch
While “Remote Hands” may sound like robotic hands, it’s anything but. With this service, you have access to onsite staff who can lend their personal experience to your equipment and your specific needs. Many data centers that offer Remote Hands services have a list of tasks available that they can perform for you based on your requirements.
Offloading routine, day-to-day tasks
While many data centers have staff on hand in case of an emergency, Remote Hands go one step further in assisting with the less urgent, oftentimes more mundane parts of data center management. A Remote Hands technician may be able to perform inventory on your equipment, conduct power and status checks, secure cable connections, monitor environmental conditions, and more.
Managing work from afar
With Remote Hands services, you may have an agreement set up with your data center facility to perform certain routine tasks. Many times, you can also have access to an online portal that can be used for easy colocation management.
An online portal can help you monitor your equipment’s activity, control and create access levels for onsite staff, place requests for Remote Hands and Smart Hands services, and monitor basic account settings and billing.
Consistent availability
What would it cost you, and what kind of strain would it put on your team, if you required round-the-clock availability? While we can’t predict when emergencies occur, bearing the brunt of costly downtime isn’t a great alternative. Enter 24/7 Remote Hands services. With your data housed offsite, you can count on an available, rapid response team to handle the unexpected, even in the middle of the night.
A wide suite of services
Your business is not one-size-fits-all. Your data center services shouldn’t be any different. With a colocation facility offering Remote Hands services, you may be able to get any of the following:
- Power circuit readings
- Power cycling
- Switching and button commands
- Swapping out failed equipment, such as power supply units
- Racking, stacking, and cabling assistance
- Technical troubleshooting on equipment
- Securing cable connections
- Data collection for customer documentation
…and much more. Before you work with a Remote Hands data center, ask to see their list of services and a breakdown of anything that may be included or extra with any plans they may offer.
More free time to accomplish valuable tasks
The overarching benefit of Remote Hands services is the same, no matter what you need. Working with a colocation data center environment that offers onsite customer service means that your team will be freed up to do more valuable work and continue to grow your business. The more time you save from having to worry about daily tasks, the more you can think about the bigger picture items, such as strategic project management. That kind of value will accumulate over time.
Want to learn more about working with a remote hands data center?
TierPoint offers a variety of services to help you improve your experience with our colocation facilities. We can monitor, manage, and report on power, system status, entire environments, cabling, connectivity, and equipment. Our team is always on-site and able to lend a hand when needed. Plus, if you already use TierPoint’s data center services, you get partial recording as an additional service offered.
Download the Remote Hands Fact Sheet here and learn more about colocation services and data centers in our Strategic Guide.
