As data center environments evolve, we are seeing increasing adoptions in distributed and infrastructures, as well as colocation data center adoption. In turn, enterprise IT support are also adapting. On-demand services such as IT remote hands are broadening their horizons and offering businesses cost-effective, flexible alternatives to sending internal teams to far-away data centers.
But what are remote hands services, how do they differ from Smart Hands and IMACD, and when are they the right choice for businesses? Let’s find out.
What are remote hands services?
IT or data center remote hands is an outsourced support and maintenance service often supplied by colocation data center providers, in addition to physical facilities such as space, cooling, and power.
Rather than businesses having to use their own internal teams’ time and resources, colocation providers hire external technicians to address simple data center needs on demand.
IT remote hands at a glance
- Remote hands is an on-demand data center support service that provides assistance with basic or procedural tasks.
- Vendors may combine advanced smart hands support with simple remote hands services under one umbrella, providing comprehensive, on-demand coverage.
- Remote hands is a more cost-effective and agile solution than sending internal teams to distributed or difficult-to-reach data center sites.
What tasks are typically included in remote hands?
Remote hands can refer to two related but slightly different service types, depending on the provider. For some vendors, it covers tasks handled entirely remotely, that is to say without requiring a physical presence onsite.
However, today it also commonly refers to an on-site technician performing basic, procedural tasks directed remotely by the client.
As a result, remote hands now often overlaps with, or is deliberately bundled with, Smart Hands. We’ll dive into the differences and similarities between the two services later in the article, or you can explore our Smart Hands guide for a more in-depth explanation of that service model.
Standard data center remote hands tasks tend to include:
- Hardware and system monitoring
- Basic configurations
- System rebooting
- Reporting
- Power cycling
- Plugging and unplugging hardware
- Visual verifications of hardware statuses
- Moving or discarding boxes after packing or unpacking equipment
Remote hands are also useful for virtualized IT environments, in which engineers can reboot failed containers or VMs.
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Why do businesses use remote hands?
Remote hands services, when used as part of a comprehensive IT support strategy, can offer several considerable business benefits, both in private and colo data center environments. These include:
- High agility, no commitment: Businesses can quickly address simple data center requirements without sending internal teams onsite or hiring dedicated staff.
- Cost-efficiency: The on-demand model of remote hands services means businesses only pay for the services or hours they need.
- Extensive physical reach: Data centers are often based in remote locations, especially as edge computing gains traction. Leveraging global networks of locally-based engineers means that remote hands vendors can efficiently support distributed or hard-to-reach infrastructures.
In colocation data centers, remote hands services allow businesses to outsource their basic support needs to the colo provider, streamlining their IT management. The provider offers access to technical support when and where it is needed, without maintaining a permanent onsite presence.
How are remote hands services typically billed?
Remote hands is an on-demand service provided by external experts. This saves businesses the long-term costs of a salaried IT team. However, how the service is billed will depend largely on the provider’s cost model and the client’s own needs.
Popular billing models include:
- Per incident or time block: Charging per 15, 30 or 60-minute blocks (depending on the vendor) each time the service is used.
- Monthly hours allowance: A fixed number of hours per month is included in the agreement. Additional hours are often billed separately.
- Subscription: A fixed fee is agreed per month for unlimited remote hands support.
Normally, the billing model will be agreed upon and confirmed in the service-level agreement (SLA). This means it is highly important to read the contract carefully and ensure your company fully understands its implications, including how extra or unused hours are handled, before signing.
Knowing how your remote hands service is billed is key to avoid overpaying and to getting the most out of your SLA.
Remote Hands vs Smart Hands: a quick breakdown
While remote and smart hands are similar, and often confused, they are not the same.
Smart hands
Like remote hands, smart hands is an outsourced IT service model. Unlike traditional remote hands, smart hands provides skilled professionals for advanced, onsite data center support and maintenance tasks.
Remote hands
Remote hands, on the other hand, is a bit more variable. On the one hand, it can mean tasks managed without an onsite presence. However, it can also refer to simple tasks carried out by an onsite technician, acting as the eyes and hands of a client who directs the technician remotely.
Traditionally, the level of task complexity and the skills required by the engineer mark the greatest difference between the two services.
Now, the two are beginning to overlap, as providers are increasingly including basic onsite services into their remote hands model. Some are even bundling smart hands and remote hands into one comprehensive service under the latter’s name.
However, smart hands continues to be more specialized and technically advanced, covering tasks such as installations, deployments, cabling and more complex troubleshooting.
Remote hands vs Smart hands: cheat sheet
Here is a quick comparison table to help clarify the differences and similarities between smart hands and remote hands, and where each can fit into a business’s data center strategy:
| Factor | Smart Hands | Remote Hands |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | High, specialist skills required. | Low, covers basic support and maintenance tasks. |
| Presence | Onsite | Variable. Offsite or onsite, depending on the vendor. |
| Costs | Dependent on vendor | Dependent on vendor |
| Business model | On-demand | On-demand |
| Example services |
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Is remote hands or smart hands better for my enterprise IT environment?
The choice between remote hands and smart hands depends heavily on your business’s technical needs and what is included under a provider’s service umbrella.
Since “remote hands” itself can mean different things depending on the vendor, and especially as some vendors now bundle the two models into one package, it’s particularly important to clarify exactly what tasks is covered and to compare different offers. This will help ensure the service provider is able to meet your business’s specific needs.
You can also consider the following questions:
- Does my colocation environment (if relevant) have needs beyond what the colo provider offers?
- How complex is my system? Does it include multiple brands, hybrid set-ups or legacy hardware?
- How quickly do I need issues resolved if something goes wrong?
- If I choose remote hands, do I have the internal expertise to handle issues beyond basic, procedural tasks?
What about IMACD?
IMACD stands for Install, Move, Add, Change and Dispose. While remote hands support can be quite basic, depending on the provider, IMACD offers full coverage supplied by qualified, expert technicians.
This service essentially provides comprehensive management and support for enterprise IT assets throughout their lifecycle, whether businesses are scaling up their infrastructure, relocating their environment or looking to responsibly decommission their old hardware.
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When to use remote hands vs internal onsite support vs smart hands
For businesses choosing their onsite support strategy, the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all. In fact, many businesses choose to combine remote hands and internal onsite technical assistance in a hybrid approach adapted to their specific circumstances.
| Strategy | Good for | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Remote hands | Cost effective and on-demand option for routine tasks or after-hours incidents, particularly in remote or distributed environments. | May not offer more technically advanced services, depending on the vendor. |
| Smart hands | On-demand service suited to complex or specialized tasks requiring a higher level of technical expertise than standard remote hands can provide. | May cost more than standard remote hands. |
| Internal onsite support | Retains specific institutional knowledge or familiarity with internal systems and processes. | Sending internal teams to remote or distributed environments adds time and travel costs, as well as possible security or logistical risks in volatile regions. |
It is worth noting that while sending internal teams for onsite data center services can lead to extended downtime, increased logistical costs and risk, both smart and remote hands may be limited by the provider’s service scope or response-time SLA for urgent issues. It is therefore important to choose a vendor wisely.
A hybrid solution combining internal teams and remote or smart hands allows businesses to benefit from cost-effective, flexible coverage while retaining institutional knowledge.
The best fit for your IT environment depends on the task, urgency, location, and level of technical expertise required. For expert guidance, get in touch with Evernex now.
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FAQ
What is the difference between remote hands and smart hands?
Often, remote hands focuses on simple data center support and maintenance tasks executed by onsite technicians and directed remotely by the client. Sometimes, vendors promote remote hands as support services executed from an offsite location, without the need for onsite presence. In contrast, smart hands data center services are more advanced, dealing with complex requirements such as cabling and troubleshooting.
What tasks can remote hands perform in a data center?
In a data center, remote hands performs basic and procedural tasks such as unboxing, visual hardware verifications, plugging and unplugging assets, and power cycling.
Is remote hands available 24/7?
The availability of remote hands support will depend on a client’s SLA terms with the vendor or colocation provider. However, many remote hands support providers do often offer 24×7 coverage as an option.