Remote Hands Service With Colocation

By Saleh Tousi

Remote hands is a service that allows you to do simple tasks with your server without actually having to drive down to the location. What this means is that you can call your colocation provider on the phone and ask them to work on your machine for you. Tell them what you want done and a designated technician will physically go to your server and perform the task that you need completing.

Examples of remote hands tasks include: pressing a button, flipping a switch, hooking up a monitor and reporting what's on the screen, typing in commands that you supply, power cycling equipment, swapping tapes, securing cable connections, selecting items with a mouse, mounting equipment and escorting people to shared rack space. These tasks are generally things that anyone can perform and do not require special training.

Remote hands services generally do not include configuring your equipment or doing anything that requires specialized knowledge or training.

When using a remote hands service, it's important to remember that sometimes equipment fails or doesn't work properly. Remote hands acts only as your eyes, ears and fingers for your service, but the service generally doesn't guarantee the results. You're still responsible for the actions that are taken by the remote hands technician.

Some colocation providers offer remote hands free of charge as part of their service. In this case your provider may put additional restrictions on what they will and will not perform. Some providers will give you a time limit of about 15 minutes per task or up to a designated amount of time per month.

Other colocation providers will charge you an hourly fee. If you give notice of 24 to 48 hours the fee will be less than if you need emergency remote hands assistance. In the case of paid service, the provider will usually perform more tasks than those providers who do not charge for the service.

All-in-all, remote hands is an excellent service. It's a convenient way to get simple tasks done without having to take the time to drive all the way down to your colocation provider- all you have to do is pick up the phone and tell the technician what needs to be done.

For more information on colocation services, visit Vancouver Colocation, one of the leading colocation providers for small to medium sized businesses in Western Canada.