PURLs: Second Stage Media 828-275-5874

Support - 1) An often overlooked pre-requisite to consistent success. 2) A topic avoided by those who can't. 3) The means by which critical functions continue operating. 4) The lynch-pin in maintaning your investment.

Second Stage Media, Digital Production Services

XYZ Reseller - vs - Second Stage Support
	XYZ Reseller	SSM Experts
Priority response & resolution	(total guesswork)
Must contact a vendor for help		n/a
Technical familiarity with your job	n/a
Production Documentation	??
In-house hosting servers	n/a
In-house network technicians	n/a
In-house production experts	n/a
Service level guarentees (*hosted items)	n/a
Access to authoring materials	??
Upgrades, alterations, maintenance	??

Support

Life happens. Choosing competent production vendor includes competent support. Consider the sustainability of your initial investment:
- You have presented or re-invented your business for the online world:
	- your public image now rests upon the reliability of your digital services.
	- if services 'go down' you shouldn't hear 'I'll try to track down the guy who built that'.
	- the online world does not tollerate extended downtime; be prepared
- Whatever future issue might malign your services, it should be fixed asap.
	- your business could be loosing money by the miniute, depending on industry.
	- your business is loosing credibility by the click, no matter who you are.
	- bringing in third-party vendors or experts takes time, even with great documentation
	- historical knowledge is required to troubleshoot or resolve current issues
- You want to update or alter your custom made digital gidget:
	- surely the authoring files were stored & backed up by 'someone, somewhere'?
	- did the original author use industry practices vs. 'I finally got it to work'.
	- will another agency accept the liability of supporting / altering third party work?
	- can your needs can be met without undo complication or delay?

Asheville, NC 28806

828-275-5874