General

Colowatch Debuts Multi-Network Monitoring Service

Need a way to get on top of your network troubleshooting? Managed Service Provider Colowatch accelerates problem detection and reduces downtime while simultaneously monitoring up to 15 access points.

by ISP-Planet Staff [July 17, 2001]

Houston-based Managed Service Provider (MSP), Colowatch introduced its multi-network monitoring service this week. Colowatch provides remote services enabling companies to constantly monitor, maintain and report on their network status efficiently.

In the Internet business, a Web site's downtime equals lost profits. Colowatch keeps high-traffic sites up and running at peak efficiency. The technology stays up all night baby-sitting networks through its proprietary Proactive Management Service (PAMS) platform, which simultaneously monitors networks from multiple Internet access points, providing online entities with faster, more accurate detection, of network problems.

From its around-the-clock Network Operating Center, Colowatch monitors site availability from fifteen of the largest access points on the Internet, including MCI, Sprint, and AOL, among others.

Network interrupted
According to industry analysts, IT engineers spend 80 percent of their daily work routine handling network interruptions. Jerry Lin Colowatch chief executive officer and co-founder, said its programming allows companies to focus on more strategic management of their IT assets.

"By leaving network fire-fighting to Colowatch, companies are freed up from constant interruptions experienced by IT departments every night and day," Lin said. "As network technologies become increasingly complex, Companies can't be expected to manage their regular work projects and keep up 24x7x365 routine network maintenance."

Colowatch also provides real-time documentation, saving engineers hours of manual labor. The PAMS architecture consists of two products - ColoScan and ColoProtect. ColoScan software is placed at multiple Internet access points to enable simultaneous monitoring of any network from each site. ColoProtect is a pre-configured network appliance that secures firewall tunneling with 128bit encryption (3DES/MD5), and does not leave holes in firewalls. The ColoProtect unit resides at each customer location behind the firewall and reduces the risk of unauthorized network entry.

Services and rates
Colowatch managed services include constant monitoring, performance tuning, repairing, tracing, trouble-shooting, and documenting of global networks, at three different levels. The Colo Platinum program is designed for large enterprise networks and offers unlimited services for a flat monthly fee, ranging from $500 to $1000.

Its ColoCare Gold program is for mid-size networks, which includes full system monitoring services and 40 hours of repair time for a flat monthly fee of $500 to $800. The ColoAlert program is designed for small and home office networks. It includes basic ASP services for under $250 a month, sometimes its even free.

Partnering with Colowatch could give your ISP just the competitive edge it needs to lure SMB and e-commerce sites to your ISPs web host offering. Core services include constant real-time monitoring, performance tuning, repairing, tracing, trouble-shooting, and documenting of global networks.

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