What type of servers do you work on?

We can technically work on any server, but any consultant that claims to be a jack of all trades probably isn’t an expert in any specific area. That’s why we focus our efforts on Linux servers, specifically those that run cPanel. This doesn’t mean, however, that we will only work on cPanel servers. As long as you run Linux, there’s no harm in contacting us to see whether our services can benefit you. We have plenty of customers that use other control panels and environments.  For reference, a partial list of platforms and software we support can be found on this page.

How should I contact you?

The best way to contact us is to open a ticket in your client area.  Opening a ticket with a high priority will send an alert to the technician on call to let them know there is an emergency.  The technicians on call are also available via phone/text at 1 (757) 525-9245, and via Chat using the link on our main website.  We are available via phone and email to answer sales questions and respond to emergencies – otherwise we will usually request that any other inquiries be submitted as a ticket.  If you’d like to schedule a call with a technician to discuss an upcoming project or task, please open a ticket with our sales team and we will be happy to schedule a phone call.

Will i be under any sort of contract?

Generally, you are not. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your monthly service at any time. The only time you would be under contract is if you were to hire us for a special project where having a contract would be deemed appropriate by both parties.

Can you make my server secure?

We do offer a server hardening package that can help establish a baseline for your security requirements and close the most common security holes that hackers use to access your system. However, we can’t express how important it is to know that security is a process, not a one-time thing you pay for and forget about. New security vulnerabilities are released all the time, and the security of your system is impacted by a variety of factors including the software/services you run, your staff’s actions, and your own server management policies. Our security packages will help ensure ongoing security protection against common exploits and loopholes. Keep in mind though that no company can guarantee the security of your server 100%, due to the aforementioned factors. The only way to do this is to turn your server off.

How quickly can you help me?

Our average ticket response time is 20 minutes for inquiries, and 3-5 minutes for monitoring alerts. If you have an urgent issue (such as an outage), opening a ticket with a high priority will alert our on-call technicians for a quicker response. Most clients have their issue resolved within a matter of hours. Requests that involve custom programming and/or development typically up to one week, depending on the task.  When you contact us for custom work, we will try to give you an accurate timeline on when the work will be completed.

If i give you access to my server, what are you going to do?

We do what is necessary to complete the task. We aren’t going to make changes to your server without your permission, and we’re not going to snoop around and look at your customers’ data. All of our technicians sign a non-disclosure agreement with TCA to further protect both our company and our clients.  We also make every reasonable effort to make sure you understand the scope of what we’ll be doing.

Can I watch you work via screen share?

We typically do not work with our clients looking over our shoulders, for lack of better phrasing. There are several valid reasons for this.  For one, when a client is actively watching there is a perceived sense of urgency that may not otherwise exist, that may prevent the technician from being able to multitask or respond to other emergencies at the same time.  Additionally, interaction with the client while working on their server can often be distracting and affect quality and resolution time.  If you want to know what we are doing, we are willing to work within an RDP or shared screen, but kindly request that you do not distract the technician from doing their work unless they are working within a scheduled maintenance window where some interaction is expected.  We also typically leave all logs and command history intact so you can review them later.

How do you store my server credentials?

If you are perpetual client, your credentials will be encrypted and stored in a separate database that is only accessible by our technicians. Otherwise, we recommend that when your issue is resolved, you update any credentials that have been provided to us. This is a general security recommendation. Additionally, please do not send server login details via email – use your client interface over HTTPS to post them directly to the ticket instead.  For managed clients, we also usually store an SSH key on the server to allow us to more quickly respond to incidents.

Do you offer outsourced support?

At this time, our focus is providing top-quality server administration services.  We do not offer outsourced technical support, nor do we deal with your clients on your behalf.  You will need to contact us if one of your customers has a problem that you need us to address.  Your colleagues, developers, and other administrators are welcome to contact us, and can be set up as additional contacts through your client account.

Do you outsource to other companies?

All of our technicians are employed by TCA. We do not hire or outsource to other companies.  However, if your request is deemed outside of our scope, we may refer you to a third party for assistance, or work with a third party on your behalf.

Where are you located?

Our company is based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia with an office in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.  All of our technicians live in the United States, and we don’t outsource to other companies.

<Insert name here> charges only <insert cost here> per month.  Why not go with them?

Let’s be candid about this, shall we?  We’re not the cheapest out there, but we’re one of the best, and our rates are very competitive.  There are plenty of companies that are offering similar services to ours for a fraction of the price, but you have to consider who you want to trust the management of your servers with.  Most of these cheap server management companies have poor reputations and are not qualified to handle many of the problems they are faced with, nor can they handle complex issues or work outside the confines a GUI.   Most will compensate for their low monthly rates by up-charging for various services that you’d expect to be included, and outsourcing to other companies. TCA’s reputation in the cPanel community is impeccable and we are recognized to be among the most qualified in terms of cPanel server management and administration.  You get what you pay for.

Can you help me set up WHMCS/HostBill/<insert app here>?

How you handle the billing, provisioning, and other automation aspects of your servers is a major part of your business.  As system administrators, we can assist with setting up your servers and making sure your automation software is able to interact with the cPanel/WHM API.  However, certain operations of your business that occur outside of your server may also be outside the scope of our services.  We do not typically get involved with nor develop on third-party billing applications, but we do provide assistance with installing them, connecting them to your servers, and writing standalone custom scripts and code that interact with cPanel’s APIs.  Support issues and requests for custom applications, including plugins for pre-built commercial software, should be directed to the application’s developers or a third-party that provides these types of services.