Verizon down to basics on server management

Verizon Business has added a new option for customers who want to outsource server management without giving up total control. The service, Remote Internet Protocol (IP) Application Management Service Basic, enables Verizon to manage the physical operation of servers located at any customer site, while allowing customers to continue to control applications.

“We have previously had services to manage servers, when they were located at our data center,” explained Rick Dyer, director of IT Solutions product management for Verizon. “This gives our customers another option. We will manage an OS and maintain patch levels, asset management, repair management, and change management on server, where ever that is located.”

By outsourcing the physical and routine maintenance tasks to Verizon Business, enterprise customers can allow their IT staff to focus on applications “that truly differentiate their business while allowing us to handle the basic blocking and tackling of server maintenance,” he added.

Jobs such as patch management, which involves tracking software patches that area vendor- and server-specific, can be time-consuming, Dyer said. Verizon Business also will work with server vendors to handle problem management and change management through to resolution, he added.

The company provides its customers with full visibility of what’s happening through a Total View Portal that shows how servers are performing on a real-time and an historical basis and allows them to track performance of hardware and software as well.

“This enables them to better predict when new resources are required, based on performance metrics,” Dyer said.

Target customers for the service include those who want to test the feasibility of outsourcing while not surrendering control, he added. Verizon will provide this option for servers housed within its data centers, at customer sites or at third party partner locations.

The service is immediately available in the U.S., for $935 as a base price before any volume discounts are determined.