The Internet has undoubtedly made us more self-dependent. From ordering food to making appointments with doctors, you can do it all on the web. Now, think about the sites you frequent and use to buy the products and services. Every time you log in and take action, it generates a data point on that site. The site owners find terabytes of data at the end of each week to process, collate, and organize into information.
Now, imagine yourself as the website owner. If you own a land-based store that wants to shift online, you may not have to imagine that. If you were alone with the ocean of data, what would you do? How can you ever leave office or even take a bite of that slice of pizza before it gets cold? That is why you need a DBA expert to help you out.
What can your DBA do?
From helping you maintain your website, to keeping your security database up to date, your database administration that helps you out with a milieu of services. You can pick your database administrator depending on the CMS your website uses. Although a company may claim to be an expert at managing all CMS platforms currently in use for building websites, your remote DBA might not be as familiar with the algorithms and codes of a particular CMS platform. It is always better to talk in advance about your CMS preferences, cloud storage choices and database requirements.
System problems are more common than you think. Therefore, having a remote DBA team on hand ensures that you can solve problems in real-time to keep you from losing clients. Instant solution to problems is something every IT company and customer service-oriented company craves but rarely gets. Since your remote DBA is always in touch with your database needs and website updates, no better person can solve your database or website issues.
What about your operating costs?
Hiring a remote DBA team is indeed an added expense. However, an on-site DBA team costs much more than a remote DBA team. A remote team of database management experts will undoubtedly cut down on the operating cost of your business. On top of that, you will enjoy expert advice from a team of experienced database administrators in place of just one senior DBA. Senior DBAs are costly and it almost impossible to find one out of a job. They are always in transit and always busy. Therefore, the best idea is to hire a team of remote DBA consultants who can be at your beck and call 24*7, 365 days.
Why pick an external team for data management?
Choosing database experts to take care of your business allows you to do what you do best – business! While they can micromanage your consumer data and device encryptions to keep them safe from hackers and malware, you can think of better packaging ideas or campaign ideas to keep your customers on their toes.
What is the process of picking the correct DBA service for you?
Five easy steps will help you find the right DBA service for your company. Follow them carefully –
The Pre-pitch process
You need to find a list of prospective DBA service companies that will help you with the data management process. You need to understand your DBA-related expectations and goals as well. A good DBA agency will help you plan these sets of data-oriented goals.
Verify the company’s work experience
Ask for testimonials. Check out registered DBA businesses on business directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages. You can check their social networking accounts on Facebook and LinkedIn as well. The responses and messages from their users will give you a clear idea about the quality of their services. The best option is to hire a local business, but if you find a highly recommended agency only miles away from your local office, you should certainly consider that.
Check for packages within your budget
Not all DBA firms are equal. Some promise a lot and deliver less. Now, it is up to you to narrow the list down to a few prospective clients (DBA companies), who fit the bill. You should not compromise on quality or the services because you have to work on a tight budget. Rather, find a package that will cover most of your needs within your stipulated budget and will take the extra step of giving you software security for a couple of extra bucks.
Verify their services
Some companies promise big and deliver small. That should not be the case for your DBACompany. Honest companies like RemoteDBA.com have their services, and the respective prices charted on the website. You need to be confident about these DBA services you are shortlisting. As we have mentioned before, you can check Yelp or social networking sites, but often checking their own sites for pricing tables and testimonials help more.
These four steps will leave you with about 6-10 companies at most. Now it is time for the bidding to begin.
Ask for a pitch
Discuss your project needs with your target DBA agency. Ask them for an all-inclusive pitch directly. It is usually on a per-project basis, and the cost varies according to some parameters that your DBA expert will explain to you. You will be very tempted to hire the agency that quotes the least amount. However, the right choice is the one, which has done the maximum research about your project.
Always make sure you are comfortable with the database admins you will be working with. Ask who will be taking your calls during a data crises situation, will there be an escalation procedure that involves outsourcing calls. Pick an agency that meets all your requirements and helps you stick to your budget. Never pay your DBA more than you can afford.
Author bio:
Sujain Thomas is a data analyst. He has worked freelance for several leading corporations in the US and abroad. Right now, he is working with RemoteDBA.com to develop better cloud protection for e-commerce-generated data.