Windows Patching Q & A
Q: On my invoice I now see Managed Server Patching. What is that?
Alliance Business Technologies manages the installation of Microsoft updates on your servers and workstations. Microsoft updates are important patches to your operating systems. They ensure stability and safety and keep your IT secure. Systems that are not updated are vulnerable to attacks and become a big risk to your company.
Q: Why am I being billed for patching?
A: Patching previously was not covered in your agreement. We would alert you if your servers were out of date and install patches upon your request. We then would invoice you separately for this work. This caused unexpected cost and increased risk for you. We have now covered patching in your agreement. You are billed for $45 per server per month. If your server systems were patched frequently in the past, this should not be an increase. We are simply spreading it per month.
Q: What about workstations? I thought you were patching them too?
A: Previously Windows Updates on workstations were managed by the operating system. This means updates were installed without our involvement. We now also manage the installation of patches on your workstations, as long as we have a maintenance agent installed on them. We will charge you a fee of $4 per month for the maintenance agent.
Q: Why are you not yet charging me for the workstations?
A: Technically we are not charging for workstation patching. We will need to charge you for the installation of our management agent. The patching service itself is free of charge. However, we have received some feedback from a small number of clients about the stability of the notifications the agent sends out for workstation patching. In a few situations this has caused a workstation to restart in the morning without notifying the user. While we work this out we will not charge you for the workstation agent. Server patching is working flawlessly and as expected.
Q: What if we have problems after patching?
A: Unfortunately, Alliance Business Technologies does not have control over the patches Microsoft develops, your internal applications and their dependence on the updates or your hardware. Should a Windows Update cause an issue on your workstation or server we will do everything possible to fix the issue, but if your managed service agreement doesn’t cover support, we may need to invoice you for this. Please speak to us if you would like to include support in your agreement and enjoy the benefits of all-inclusive management and support.
Q: The numbers seem incorrect. What do I do?
A: The quantity of workstations and servers comes directly out of our management system. If you believe they are incorrect, please let us know immediately. If the number is too high it is possible that you have devices you were not aware of. We can tell you what they are, and you can check. If the quantity is too low there may be machines without a management agent on them. That is risky because those devices are not patched and may not have adequate protection.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Email: Support@abtechnologies.com.au
Phone: 1300 705 062
