The Objective
ETS focuses on implementing the solution in a way that is practical for the business rather than adding complexity simply because it is technically possible. The finished result should solve the agreed problem, operate reliably, and remain understandable and supportable after the project is complete.
The specific work depends on the problem being solved. The work may involve infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, managed IT, technology projects, or automation.
What matters during implementation
- Clear scope
- Reliable implementation
- Security built into the solution
- Documentation as the environment changes
- Testing and validation
- A manageable result
Implementation
Once the scope is established, ETS performs the agreed technical work. Depending on the engagement, this may include:
- Infrastructure deployment
- Server or virtualization work
- Storage and backup implementation
- Network deployment or changes
- Firewall and security improvements
- System upgrades
- Migrations
- Troubleshooting and remediation
- Automation
- Application or service integration
- Documentation
- Configuration and optimization
Project Pricing
Standard ETS project work is billed at $125 per hour.
Minimum project engagement: $500
The project minimum reflects the time required to prepare, coordinate, perform, test, and document technical work even when the implementation itself appears relatively small. Larger projects may be estimated or proposed based on the scope established during planning.
When a project changes materially after work begins, ETS will identify the impact before substantially expanding the original scope.
Scheduled after-hours Work
Some technology changes are better performed outside normal business hours to reduce disruption. When a customer specifically requires project work to be scheduled after hours, that work is billed at:
$187.50 per hour
This rate applies to planned work intentionally scheduled outside normal working periods. It is separate from emergency response.
Emergency Work
Urgent work requiring immediate or emergency response is billed at:
$250 per hour
Emergency pricing is intended for situations where work must take priority over normally scheduled activity because of a significant outage, operational disruption, security issue, or other time-sensitive problem. A request occurring outside normal hours is not automatically considered an emergency.
Whenever practical, planned work should be scheduled in advance rather than handled at emergency rates.
Hardware & Equipment
When implementation requires new equipment, hardware is purchased separately from ETS labor. ETS can assist with selecting, sourcing, configuring, and deploying equipment required for the project.
Typical equipment procurement margins are based on the cost and size of the purchase:
| Equipment purchase range | Typical procurement margin |
|---|---|
| Up to $500 | approximately 25% |
| $501–$2,000 | approximately 20% |
| $2,001–$5,000 | approximately 15% |
| Larger equipment purchases | approximately 10–15% |
These ranges are planning guidelines rather than a requirement that every piece of equipment receive an identical markup.
The actual cost will depend on the equipment, sourcing requirements, availability, warranty considerations, and the amount of work involved in procurement.
Procurement & Deployment
Equipment procurement may also include a separate procurement or deployment charge when ETS is performing work beyond simply purchasing the item.
This may include:
- Product research and selection
- Ordering and vendor coordination
- Receiving and verification
- Firmware or software preparation
- Configuration
- Installation
- Testing
- Documentation
- Deployment coordination
A typical procurement or deployment charge may begin around $75–$150, depending on the work involved.
Larger or more complicated deployments are scoped according to the project.
Customer-funded Equipment
For larger hardware orders, ETS may require:
- Customer prepayment
- A project deposit
- Direct customer purchase
- Another agreed funding arrangement before equipment is ordered
This keeps project costs clear and prevents hardware purchases from consuming resources intended for business operations and technical delivery.
Software & third-party Licensing
Software licenses, subscriptions, cloud services, security products, backup services, and other customer-specific third-party costs are generally billed separately from ETS project labor. When ETS procures or administers these products, any associated purchasing, configuration, or administration costs will be identified separately where applicable.
The goal is to keep the cost of the ETS service distinct from the cost of the products or services required to operate the customer’s environment.
Testing & Validation
Implementation is not complete simply because equipment has been installed or a configuration has been changed. Where appropriate, ETS verifies that the completed work performs as expected before the project is considered finished.
That may include:
- Connectivity testing
- Service validation
- Backup or recovery checks
- Security verification
- Application testing
- Performance checks
- User or workflow validation
- Review of monitoring and alerts
- Confirmation that documentation reflects the completed environment
The level of validation depends on the type and scope of the project.
Documentation
Meaningful changes made during implementation should be reflected in the environment’s documentation.
This may include:
- Network changes
- Device information
- System configurations
- Service dependencies
- Administrative procedures
- Recovery information
- Important operational notes
Documentation is intended to make the finished environment easier to support, troubleshoot, and modify later.
