MSP Service Guide
The purpose of this service guide is to outline the details of the managed services offering provided by Headway Strategy. This service guide includes descriptions of each service, technical details related to each offering, service level agreements, and various other items. Please refer to the table of contents for specific items included.
Managed Services Definition
Managed Services is a service in which an external technology organized provides contracted technology services to a client organization. These services are generally specialized or standardized services that can be performed in a more cost-effective and productive manner by outsourcing the service.
Managed Services Total Care
Headway Strategy offers a comprehensive approach to technology support, providing a single service that provides both endpoint management and security as well as end-user support services. Below, we outline all of the included items in our offering.
Updated 01/08/2024
Endpoint Management, Monitoring, and Security
The “Endpoint Management, Monitoring, and Security” includes everything needed to ensure that end-user devices such as desktops and laptops are running smoothly and efficiently, enabling workers focus on their role, rather than the functionality of their computers.
Asset Management
The asset management function provides a complete inventory or all devices including desktops, laptops, servers, virtual computers/servers, network devices, and storage arrays. This provides critical information such as make, model, serial number, utilization, software inventory, asset tagging, access to warranty information, assigned location, and assigned user.
Software Deployment
Package and deploy both off-the-shelf software packages such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and others as well as custom-designed software to any managed device over-the-air.
Patch Management
Operating system patches as well as software patches (that are available to be updated) are applied on a scheduled basis to all desktops, laptops, and servers. Prior to being applied, patches are tested and validated to ensure that they do not cause unintended issues to base configured operating systems. Once verified, they are applied according to agreed-upon schedules on a client-by-client basis.
Endpoint Management, Monitoring, and Security
Headway Strategy deploys a centralized tool to provide critical security and management functionality including anti-malware protections, risk analytics, web protection and content filtering, firewall settings, email security, endpoint detection and response, anti-ransomware technologies, and advanced threat security. Additionally, items are scanned upon each access to ensure the highest levels of security.
Network and Internet Monitoring
Our services monitor critical network uptime as well as internet connectivity for both primary and backup connections. Network devices such as switches, routers, wireless access points, and internet connectivity are monitored at no charge. Headway Strategy provides a device at no-charge to monitor these items.
Proactive Maintenance
Our support team, along with the support of various tools, performs proactive maintenance on the computers that we support. This proactive maintenance enables desktops, laptops, and servers to run at their peak performance at all times. Below are the actions that Headway Strategy takes on our supported devices.
Desktops and Laptops
Group Policy Updates
DNS Cache Clear
System File Checker
Disk Cleanup
Servers
Disk Defragmentation (for rotational drives)
Group Policy Updates
DNS Cache Clear
Disk Cleanup
Clear Temp Files
Backup and Clear Event Logs
Reporting
Ongoing reporting is available both to our teams internally as well as to our clients on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual breakdown of information including PC compliance, device performance, security information, disk space and memory usage, application inventory and licensing counts, and more.
Basic Quarterly Reviews
For the “Managed Services Core” plan, our partners and managed services manager will review various information related to your account and environment including current computers in service, compliance to policies and security, licensing compliance and/or gaps, needed and/or recommended upgrades or replacements, patch compliance, maintenance activities performed, and any security incidents.
Optional: Hybrid On-Site Cloud Data Backup
Headway Strategy can provide an on-site appliance that aids in the backup of data from various sources including desktops, laptops, servers, and other network storage appliances. This appliance allows backups to be stored locally for expedited recovery as well as take advantage of cloud storage to accommodate multiple backup locations. This service is an add-on at an additional cost separate from the “Managed Services Core” plan.
Note: The “Managed Services Core” plan can be applied to desktops and laptops running Window, Mac, or Linux and to Servers running Windows Server and Linux.
Service Desk
The “Service Desk” includes help desk services as well as a comprehensive knowledge base of information to assist the user in self-support. The “Managed Services Support” plan includes the services outlined below.
Support Desk w/ 4-Hour First Response Guarantee
Call-In Support
This allows the user to call our support desk to receive support for various items including their company desktop or laptop, mobile device, or tablet as well as company-related applications that are in use.
Email Support
Email support enables users to simply send an email to our support desk at support@headway-strategy.com (or branded custom support address) to open a low-priority support request* linked to the user’s account.
Web Request Support
Users can open a detailed support request on our support site and specify additional request details such as issue impact and priority.
Remote Access Support
Our remote access support enables our support team to assist users on their desktops and laptops whether in the office or being used remotely across the globe.
Detailed Support Reporting
Ongoing reporting is available both to our teams internally as well as to our clients on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual breakdown of information including ticket counts, quantity of devices supported, named users included in support, as well as ticket statistics for response rates and closure rates.
Basic Quarterly Reviews
Our basic quarterly reviews for “Managed Services Support” include reviews of ticket counts, common issues, response times and adherence to agreements, device compliance, device security, ranking of issues by type, and more. These reviews are performed jointly by our partners and managed services manager to keep clients informed on an ongoing basis.
Agreements and Contracts
Our managed services are contracted on an annual basis at a specific cost per license. Clients are invoiced on the first day of each calendar month. The invoice amount is calculated using the then-current count of named users that are receiving support and the then-current count of devices under management.
Hours and Availability
Managed Services Support is open for support from 8:00am until 5:00pm Monday through Friday, excluding observed national holidays.
Standard Settings and Services
The following section outlines some of the standard settings, processes, and policies that are in place.
End-User Device Health Standards
All end-user computers (Windows-based PC and MacOS) are under constant monitoring to ensure that they meet a pre-defined health “standard”. This standard ensures that they are able to be adequately protected as well as able to provide a secure computing environment for your users. The “standards” that all devices must be are:
Minimum of 8GB of RAM
Minimum of 115GB storage
Minimum of a 2GHz processor
Windows 10 or greater
An installed and current Antivirus application
Patching Process and Schedules
When patching Windows-based operating systems as well as third-party software, we follow the following standards:
Workstations - Windows Updates - Auto-Applied - Twice Monthly
Windows end-user devices such as laptops and desktops are patched twice monthly on the second and third Wednesday of each month at 12:00pm and configured to last 1 hour.
Workstations - Third-Party Updates - Auto-Applied - Once Monthly
Windows end-user devices such as laptops and desktops receive third-party updates once monthly on the third Wednesday of each month at 12:00pm and configured to last 1 hour.
Monitors
The following items are monitored be default for the specified platforms.
| Area | Monitor | Laptop/Desktop | Server | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antivirus | AV Out of Date | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Antivirus | AV Disabled | Yes | Yes | Every 4 Hours |
| Antivirus | AV Software Missing | Yes | Yes | Every 4 Hours |
| Drive Health | Disk Cleanup Required | Yes | Yes | Every 12 Hours |
| Drive Health | Drive Errors or RAID Failures | Yes | Yes | Every 5 Minutes |
| Drive Health | Fragmentation <30% | Yes | Yes | Monthly |
| Drive Health | Free Space Remaining <15% | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Drive Health | Free Space Remaining <5GB and 10% | Yes | Yes | Every 6 Hours |
| Drive Health | SMART Failures | Yes | Yes | Every 12 Hours |
| Hardware | Chassis | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Hardware | Hardware Changed Detected | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Page File | Page File Growth and Usage | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Processes | Bad Processes Detected | No | Yes | Every 1 Hour |
| Services | "Automatic" Services Stopped | No | Yes | Every 1 Hour |
| Software | Application Crashes | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Software | Blacklisted Installation | Yes | Yes | Every 6 Hours |
| Software | Expired Product Keys | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Software | Newly Installed Software | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Software | License Overallocation | Yes | Yes | Every 12 Hours |
| Software | Unclassified Applications | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Software | Software Uninstalled | Yes | Yes | Daily |
| Uptime | No Reboot In Last 30 Days | No | Yes | Daily |
| Uptime | No Reboot In Last 14 Days | Yes | No | Daily |