What Does Technology & Support Cover?
Technology and support services look after software once it is live. Alive Inc. groups them into five services, each with its own page:
- Website security and maintenance
- Website and app maintenance
- Software support and maintenance
- Cloud and DevOps services
- API development and integration
What Needs Attention After Launch?
Digital products change even when nobody edits them. Browsers, operating systems, plugins, libraries, hosting and third-party services all move on. Regular attention is needed for:
- Security patches and vulnerable components
- Software, plugin and framework updates
- Backups and the ability to recover
- Hosting capacity, speed and availability
- Broken forms, links, payments or logins
- Changes to third-party APIs your product depends on
- New features and small improvements requested by users
Which Support Service Do You Need?
Match the situation you are in to the service that addresses it.
Website Security & Maintenance
Protection, monitoring, backups, updates and clean-up for business websites, WordPress and e-commerce.
Typical work includes:
- Security updates and hardening
- Malware investigation and clean-up
- SSL and HTTPS management
- Backup and recovery setup
- Performance tuning
Website & App Maintenance
Ongoing updates, fixes and improvements for websites and mobile apps after launch.
Typical work includes:
- Content and technical changes
- Bug fixes and compatibility updates
- Operating system and store requirement updates for apps
- Minor feature additions
Software Support & Maintenance
Support for business applications, internal systems and legacy software, including code we did not write.
Typical work includes:
- Bug fixing and issue investigation
- Performance and reliability improvements
- Adding features to older systems
- Documentation and knowledge recovery
Cloud & DevOps Services
Hosting, deployment pipelines, monitoring and infrastructure for applications that need to be dependable and scalable.
Typical work includes:
- Cloud hosting setup and migration
- Automated builds and deployments
- Monitoring and alerting
- Backup and disaster-recovery planning
API Development & Integration
Reliable APIs and connections that let your systems exchange data securely.
Typical work includes:
- Building APIs for your own applications
- Connecting CRM, ERP, payment and accounting tools
- Updating integrations when providers change
- Securing and documenting endpoints
Proactive Support or Fix-It-When-It-Breaks?
Both are valid. The difference is cost and risk.
Monitoring, Backups and Recovery
You cannot fix what you cannot see, and you cannot recover what was never saved.
A sensible baseline includes:
- Availability and error monitoring
- Scheduled backups stored separately from the server
- Tested restore procedures
- Alerts that reach a named person
Security as an Ongoing Practice
Security is not a one-time setup. New vulnerabilities are found in software constantly, so protection depends on keeping components current and access controlled.
Ongoing practice includes:
- Timely patching of frameworks, plugins and libraries
- Reviewing user access and credentials
- Monitoring for suspicious activity
- Reviewing configuration after significant changes
Taking Over Software Built by Others
You do not need to have built the system with us to get support. We can assess an existing website, app or application, document how it works, and agree what maintenance it needs.
A typical takeover starts with:
- Access to code, hosting and credentials
- A review of the technology and known issues
- Documentation of how it is deployed
- A prioritized list of fixes and risks
What a Support Engagement Includes
Scope is agreed in writing so both sides know what is covered.
Support agreements commonly define:
- Which systems and environments are covered
- Routine maintenance activities
- How issues are reported and prioritized
- Reporting on work done
- How new feature requests are handled