Since 1989, we've helped dozens of Silicon Valley startups establish and
enhance their IT infrastructure. We've worked with some of our clients
as they've grown from 40 people to 4000. We understand the special
challenges that startups face. We understand where you're starting
from, we understand where you're going (our extensive large enterprise
experience is invaluable for this), and we understand how to help you get
from here to there.
We aren't a reseller or agent for any vendor, so we are free to give
you our independent opinions of their products and services.
We don't believe in "one size fits all" or "one tool for all problems".
We believe in understanding your unique circumstances, and working with
you within that framework to find the solution that's best for your particular
situation.
Our goal is to help you understand and solve your own problems, and
to do this so well that we essentially work ourselves out of a job.
That way, you aren't dependent on us on an ongoing basis, and we can move
on to other interesting projects.
Priorities
In working with startups, our priorities include
Cost effectiveness -- Wise use of capital is a critical success factor for
startups.
Scalability -- Almost by definition, startups expect to grow. We look
beyond today's problems to put in place solutions that will easily scale
as the company grows.
Reliability -- Wise use of time is also a critical success factor for startups.
Unreliable systems waste valuable time that can never be reclaimed.
Ease of operation and maintenance -- IT staffs at startups are usually overworked
and underequipped, so systems that are easy to operate and maintain are
essential.
As described on our
main consulting page,
we're especially involved in the emerging field of network automation,
which is focused on improving network reliability, maintainability, and
cost effectiveness by automating the configuration and management of complex
networks. By developing and applying automation
principles and tools similar to those that have been developed in the
system administration field, savvy startups can make their
networks more efficient, easier to scale, more reliable, and easier
to maintain. Great Circle can help you identify, design, develop, and
deploy such network automation systems.
Our Services
We can help you do thing like:
Design, deploy, upgrade, and scale your IT infrastructure
Networking
Local Area Networks, including wireless
Wide Area Networks
Internet connectivity
Firewalls, including Network Address Translation (NAT)
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Network automation
Physical infrastructure
Space, including rack planning
Network wiring and cable management
Power, including UPS and generator systems
Air conditioning
Physical security
Infrastructure services
Domain name service
DHCP
Routing
Authentication, authorization, and auditing
Logging and monitoring
Internal services
Email
Internal web
Printing
File Sharing
Calendaring
External services
External web
Outsourced hosting
Partner/customer extranets
Phone and video-conferencing systems
Establish your IT department
Act as interim department manager or director
Plan department organization
Create or revise job descriptions
Help recruiters find qualified candidates
Interview and evaluate candidates
Make hiring recommendations
Establish company-wide IT policies, standards, and procedures
Establish asset and license management programs
Plan and oversee build-outs and moves for offices, data centers, and collocation
spaces
Determine requirements and needs
Evaluate candidate spaces for suitability
Plan build-outs and moves for minimal impact
Coordinate planning among all the parties involved, including
Employees and internal groups
Executive management
Landlord
Facilities personnel
Construction contractors
Electrical and data wiring contractors
Furniture and cubicle contractors
Service providers, including power, phones, and networking
Supervise the build/move
Plan, oversee, and execute infrastructure upgrades
