Historical
Connect Computer Solutions was founded in 1982 to address the needs of the small business market who were not being served by VAR's in particular without any emphasis on simply 'shifting boxes'

Changing Times
The PC market has moved massively towards the chain stores and direct reCCSs over the past 15 years. Small companies thinking they can now do it cheaper by buying in this fashion started cutting out the traditional VARs and started trying to put it all together themselves, hiring consultants 'just when they needed them'.

The Result

• NO capability of constructing a permanently working or reliable and fault tolerant network
• NO more than the most basic network functions
• NO security or tamper protection
• NO system integrity
• NO design or research into their needs or availability of specialised products before purchase done
• NO knowledge base based on VAR experience
• NO understanding of integration and its pitfalls
• NO product compatibility or matching selection causing further chaos
• NO IT infrastructure to support their efforts
• NO whipping boy every time something fails
• NO experience other than high levels of system failure and Stress
• NO understanding of the value of a true Support Partner.

All Change Please
Paul realised that the value add market was being eroded - things needed to change.

By chance, a client one day came into one of Paul's stores to get his PC fixed. An immediate relationship was formed. The Client then asked Paul to estimate for a business network and liaise with him and a veterinary software vendor he was looking at because he was more comfortable with buying the hardware locally.  The Client was a Vet. He had two practices and wanted them linked. The hardware went in and so did the software. The hardware survived and after ugly and protracted negotiations the software did not.

It became apparent to Paul that this was a market he liked. A good referral to another  Vet and another network was placed and so on it went. These two practices could not be more diverse, conventional small animal and homeopathic mixed & equine. Their philosophies could not be more different but the binding factor Paul liked was their ethical approach to doing business - professionalism.

It was at that point that Paul could see this was the direction Connect should head in. The Vets sense of ethics was high and so was the ease of their business dealings. They got on with being vets and we got on supporting them. As Connect grew in that direction, it quickly became apparent that it would not scale to fully meet the new opportunities unless the Clients could be serviced more quickly than without actually being there which inevitably slowed everything down.

What the New Solution had to Provide
Connect had always been comfortable with Windows NT based systems and decided to continue along that route as the new breeds of Veterinary Software that were appearing were windows based and were moving away from the old and inflexible DOS and UNIX offerings. A new and tamper free system was needed offering Vets the tools they needed day to day to function that possessed the following qualities -

• Reliability
• Security
• Low Maintenance
• Quality Hardware
• Remotely Managed
• Remotely Updated
• Few needs for Site Visits
• Quick Response & Fix
• One telephone source for all queries
• Easy Additions
• Range of additional 'snap-in' options

Paul and company started developing a Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server Solution incorporating full remote access. This removed the geographical limitations of installing reliable networks using high quality Hewlett Packard hardware, cementing that together with extended Onsite support options and Remote Management.

Friendly Faces
Our Customer Services Manager is our friendly face. She handles the calls and breathes sanity into tense situations. She can make the most exasperating situation seem comical. The core hardware team was formed.

It's the Hardware .. No, It's the Software!
Heard that before - we have, every time we sign up a new Client. That's not the sort of thing we like any more than you. Both our team and your selected software vendor work together so whoever answers your query will give you the answer - and that's that.

So Why Connect Computers
Technology is an increasingly important tool in most businesses today. For smaller businesses that do not have their own Information Technology department actually planning and controlling your systems can be both daunting, time consuming and often impossible. Our function at Connect is to remove these problems and act as your partner in this area so you can concentrate your time and effort on your core business.

Keeping Pace with Technology
Keeping in touch with the technology available today is a never ending task and to test and integrate this technology in an efficient and cost effective way requires skills not normally available in most small businesses. There are many hardware companies available who will supply and fit hardware to various specifications and standards; other companies will supply software specific to your needs

Our Aim

• To source, test, build and deliver a completely integrated turnkey hardware and software solution for your business. We build each network individually in our workshop and it is set up to your personal requirements, then thoroughly tested before delivery. This minimises the disruption to your business during installation.
• To support you in the use of your system and with any problems you may have.
• To work with you to ensure you get the maximum benefit possible from your system now and improvements to it in the future.
• To supply a Quality product at a Competitive Price taking into account Total Cost of Ownership over the life of the product.