Remote Computer Support for

Fast and Affordable Online Help for Columbus Information Networks
For companies located in Columbus or anywhere in the state of Ohio, Progent provides remote help for networks based on any combination of Microsoft, Cisco, macOS and OS , or Linux/UNIX technology. Progent's Microsoft certified consulting experts have provided remote troubleshooting to companies in every state in the United States. (Refer to testimonials from Progent's clients.) Progent also offers the consultation services of Cisco CCIE engineers to help with complex infrastructure problems, as well as the assistance of CISA and CISSP-certified security experts to handle advanced security architecture and diagnostic issues.

Progent's online support experts provide exceptional leverage due to the fact that they have the real-world background and have access to the advanced tools required to resolve the majority of network issues quickly. Efficient support lowers direct expenses since solutions accumulate fewer chargeable consulting minutes. Online support also eliminates the expense of dispatching a consultant to your site. Your company saves even more in indirect expenses by reducing or eliminating network outages and related losses due to business discontinuity, disgruntled customers and vendors, unproductive workers, and de-focused management. Progent's advanced remote consulting know-how is especially important for businesses that are dependent on public clouds for critical network infrastructure or software such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Service, or Exchange Online, where on-premises tech support may not be an option.

Progent's pricing model for remote help is structured to leverage your IT service investment. Progent charges per minute for telephone-based assistance, so you pay exclusively for the services that you receive. Unlike many remote service companies, Progent requires no initialization charge or minimum payments. Progent's per-minute billing unit and clean policy for pricing prevent situations where fast fixes somehow end up as large tabs. Progent's penchant for handling problems quickly means your business saves money.

Progent's Online Consulting and Technical Support Services
Through years of experience, Progent has refined an array of customized tools and proven processes which ensure the maximum degree of efficiency for remote consulting and repair for computer systems of any size. Progent offers secure VPN support for gateways from a variety of popular companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, SonicWall and Checkpoint. Protected VPN access permits the consultants of Progent's online support team to link to your company's network remotely without compromising network security.

Progent's powerful technical support database application keeps extensive records of the support that Progent's clients have been provided. Progent's team service personnel have access to the records of all help rendered to each customer by every Progent consultant. This history of issues and repairs is organized as a conveniently searchable internal knowledge base that allows Progent's online technical engineers to share their experiences company-wide to make sure that the value of Progent's technical support improves daily. Progent's extensive list of certifications and working associations with important technology companies including Cisco and Microsoft make available other vast technical support knowledge bases and allow priority response from manufacturers' internal product engineers so Progent's online consulting experts can find the best resolutions promptly.

Online support services available from Progent to businesses in Columbus and throughout the state of Ohio include:

• Certified Microsoft Windows Experts
  Progent's Microsoft-certified remote service professionals offer network problem solving and IT support for the complete line of Microsoft server products. Progent is a Microsoft Certified Partner and can offer your business the expertise of support professionals who can help your company with a broad range of technology support including Windows Server 2016 integration for hybrid environments, Windows Server 2012 R2 planning and deployment, Windows Server 2008 maintenance, Microsoft Exchange 2016 Server planning and deployment, Microsoft Exchange 2013 configuration, Exchange Server 2010 maintenance, SharePoint Server application development, Microsoft Skype for Business Server planning and deployment support, Lync Server management, and Microsoft Communications Server 2007 troubleshooting, Forefront TMG management and ISA Server migration, Microsoft SQL Server 2016 integration and programming and SQL Server 2014 consulting, Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM) resource monitoring and reporting, Project Server and Project Server Online training, Microsoft Access Application Development, Small Business Server 2011 consulting, and Windows Essentials cloud integration.

  Progent in addition can deliver a broad range of cost-effective PC desktop services to help your company to install, configure, repair, and administer desktop PCs and laptops powered by Windows. Progent's desktop consulting services cover areas such as providing Microsoft Windows 10 upgrade support services as well as System Center 2012 Configuration Manager design and installation, System Center 2016 Configuration Manager (SCCM 2016) hybrid cloud integration, and Intune consulting to centralize the administration of your PCs and cloud-connected tablets and smartphones.

• Talk to a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert for Complex Network Troubleshooting
  The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification is the highest accreditation for networking consultants, and certifies a consultant's technical skills at the master level. CCIEs know how to handle the most complex challenges surrounding network design, installation, administration, compliance, and problem solving. Cisco qualified CCIEs can cooperate closely with Cisco's in-house support staff in analyzing anomalies with IOS Software network management utilities and developing alternate approaches or locating program patches. Cisco qualified CCIEs provide exceptional value since their broad expertise enables them to fix problems rapidly. In many instances, less qualified consultants can wrestle for many hours or even days with identical tasks that a Cisco CCIE can dispose of in a few minutes. Progent's Cisco-qualified CCIE support experts can connect to your environment via advanced remote troubleshooting technology to perform fast, secure, and affordable analysis and repair.

  Progent's CCIEs offer consulting for all of Cisco's top-selling family of infrastructure devices. Cisco networking expertise available from Progent includes ASA 5500-X Next Generation firewalls with Firepower Services integration and debugging, Cisco routers installation and upgrades, Cisco Catalyst switch consulting services, Cisco Nexus switch consulting services, Meraki switches integration, Cisco Unified Communications Manager/CallManager configuration and technical support, Cisco Voice over IP phones and IP video desktop phones support and wireless IP phones integration, Cisco Meraki Wi-Fi AP layout and configuration, Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points deployment services, Cisco wireless controllers consulting, Cisco VPN and Security engineering support, and SIP and CUBE integration solutions for SIP trunking and Cisco CUBE integration consulting. Progent can also provide online and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to fully integrate your Wi-Fi infrastructure.

• CISSP and ISSAP Certified Network Security Consultants
  Progent's accredited CISM, CISSP, and CISSP-ISSAP cybersecurity experts offer a variety of security solutions that can bolster the immunity of your Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS and OS X, Linux, or UNIX environment against internal or external threats or help your business to recuperate quickly after a damaging breach. Security solutions offered by Progent cover thorough network security and compliance audits utilizing utilities such as GFI LANguard, AMAP Application Scanner, and software from Solar Winds tools and Hydra; fast recovery from malicious attacks; setting up firewalls; establishing safe techniques for remote and mobile communication; defending your email system from spam and DHA attacks; and setting up 24x7 network monitoring.

• Hybrid Cloud Integration
  Progent can provide advanced remote consulting services to help organizations of any size connect their IT infrastructure with leading public cloud platforms including Azure and Amazon Web Services. Progent can assist you to plan and administer hybrid environments that support Windows and Linux systems and apps in both cloud-only solutions or in hybrid architectures that combine local IT assets as well as public clouds. To help you to incorporate public clouds with networks, Progent offers a variety of cloud migration services that include Office 365 integration with on-premises Exchange deployments, Microsoft Azure hybrid cloud design and integration services, Amazon Web Services hybrid cloud migration, and Amazon Web Marketing Service (WMS) programming and troubleshooting. Progent has over 15 years of experience delivering high-level consulting support online, and Progent can help you complete your cloud migration projects quickly and within your budget.

• VMware Site Recovery Manager Planning and Deployment
  VMware's Site Recovery Manager is an extension to VMware vCenter that lets you define, automate and verify a consistent runbook for recovering applications and services quickly after an outage. SRM supports centrally controlled and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, and transparent site migration, failback and re-protect. SRM also enables transparent testing for site recovery, upgrades and fixes and can produce audit reports to confirm full service restoration, validate SLAs and prove compliance. Progent offers the support of a VCDX certified VMware SRM consultant to assist your organization to plan, configure, test and maintain a DR solution based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.

  Progent's VMware vSphere and vCloud experts have extensive understanding of VMware vCloud Director, vRealize Automation (vRA), vRealize Orchestrator (vRO) and vCloud Suite tools for managing private and public cloud and hybrid cloud solutions that provide high availability, security, and application mobility. Progent can also provide advanced VMware NSX consulting from a VCDX-NV certified network architect to help you to build a completely virtualized Software Defined Data Center that can be set up or migrated instantly and administered with a high level of automation regardless of the hardware making up the underlying network infrastructure.

• UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Apple macOS and OS X Support Services
  Progent's UNIX/Linux experts and Apple macOS and OS X technology specialists offer remote support services to cover a wide range of computer technologies including network architecture, email systems, system and process security, plus UNIX and Windows integration. For server economization and simplified management in networks that include Linux-based systems with Windows, Progent offers VMware vSphere integration and Citrix XenServer support. Progent can also assist with migration from older systems to Microsoft Windows or Linux environments. Progent's group-oriented approach to resolving technical problems enables fast escalation, if necessary, to consultants with appropriate experience to tackle challenging situations. This expedites solutions of critical problems, reduces network downtime, and cuts service expense.

  Major Linux versions for which Progent offers expert support include:
  — RedHat Linux
  — SUSE
  — Debian GNU/Linux
  — Slackware
  

ProSight Flat-rate Managed Services for Small and Mid-size Organizations
Progent offers a selection of budget-friendly, fixed-price managed services intended to enable small and medium-size organizations to utilize the same advanced technology used by some of the world's top corporations. The ProSight suite of network monitoring and management services addresses all critical aspects of information technology such as email protection, threat defense based on machine leaning, automated backup and disaster recovery, network infrastructure management, VM hosting, and network asset documentation management. ProSight managed services offered by Progent include:

• ProSight Active Security Monitoring: Endpoint Protection and Ransomware Defense
  Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring is an endpoint protection service that incorporates cutting edge behavior analysis technology to defend endpoint devices as well as servers and VMs against new malware assaults such as ransomware and email phishing, which easily escape legacy signature-based anti-virus tools. ProSight Active Security Monitoring protects on-premises and cloud resources and offers a unified platform to manage the complete threat lifecycle including filtering, infiltration detection, containment, remediation, and post-attack forensics. Key features include one-click rollback using Windows VSS and automatic network-wide immunization against new threats. Learn more about Progent's ProSight Active Security Monitoring next-generation endpoint protection and ransomware defense.

• ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP): Endpoint Protection and Exchange Email Filtering
  Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) services deliver affordable multi-layer protection for physical servers and VMs, desktops, smartphones, and Microsoft Exchange. ProSight ESP utilizes contextual security and modern behavior analysis for round-the-clock monitoring and reacting to cyber assaults from all attack vectors. ProSight ESP offers two-way firewall protection, penetration alarms, device management, and web filtering through leading-edge technologies incorporated within one agent accessible from a unified control. Progent's data protection and virtualization experts can assist you to design and configure a ProSight ESP deployment that addresses your organization's unique requirements and that allows you demonstrate compliance with legal and industry information security standards. Progent will help you specify and configure policies that ProSight ESP will enforce, and Progent will monitor your IT environment and react to alarms that call for urgent action. Progent's consultants can also help your company to set up and verify a backup and disaster recovery solution like ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) so you can get back in business rapidly from a destructive security attack like ransomware. Read more about Progent's ProSight Enhanced Security Protection (ESP) unified physical and virtual endpoint security and Microsoft Exchange email filtering.

• ProSight Data Protection Services: Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery
  ProSight Data Protection Services offer small and mid-sized businesses a low cost and fully managed solution for reliable backup/disaster recovery. For a low monthly rate, ProSight Data Protection Services automates and monitors your backup activities and enables fast recovery of vital data, apps and VMs that have become unavailable or damaged due to component breakdowns, software glitches, natural disasters, human mistakes, or malicious attacks such as ransomware. ProSight DPS can help you back up, recover and restore files, folders, apps, system images/, plus Hyper-V and VMware images/. Critical data can be backed up on the cloud, to a local storage device, or to both. Progent's cloud backup specialists can provide world-class support to set up ProSight DPS to be compliant with government and industry regulatory standards like HIPPA, FIRPA, and PCI and, whenever needed, can help you to recover your business-critical information. Find out more about ProSight DPS Managed Backup.

• ProSight Email Guard: Inbound and Outbound Spam Filtering and Data Leakage Protection
  ProSight Email Guard is Progent's spam filtering service that incorporates the technology of top information security companies to deliver web-based management and comprehensive protection for all your inbound and outbound email. The hybrid architecture of Email Guard managed service combines a Cloud Protection Layer with an on-premises security gateway device to provide advanced protection against spam, viruses, Dos Attacks, Directory Harvest Attacks, and other email-borne malware. Email Guard's Cloud Protection Layer acts as a first line of defense and keeps most unwanted email from making it to your network firewall. This reduces your exposure to external threats and saves network bandwidth and storage space. Email Guard's onsite security gateway appliance adds a further layer of inspection for incoming email. For outbound email, the onsite security gateway offers AV and anti-spam filtering, DLP, and email encryption. The onsite gateway can also assist Microsoft Exchange Server to track and protect internal email traffic that stays inside your corporate firewall. For more information, see ProSight Email Guard spam and content filtering.

• ProSight WAN Watch: Infrastructure Management
  ProSight WAN Watch is a network infrastructure management service that makes it simple and inexpensive for smaller organizations to map, monitor, optimize and debug their connectivity hardware such as switches, firewalls, and load balancers plus servers, client computers and other networked devices. Incorporating cutting-edge Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) technology, ProSight WAN Watch ensures that infrastructure topology maps are kept updated, copies and manages the configuration information of virtually all devices connected to your network, tracks performance, and sends alerts when potential issues are discovered. By automating time-consuming management and troubleshooting activities, WAN Watch can cut hours off common tasks such as network mapping, expanding your network, locating devices that need important software patches, or identifying the cause of performance bottlenecks. Learn more about ProSight WAN Watch network infrastructure management consulting.

• ProSight LAN Watch: Server and Desktop Remote Monitoring
  ProSight LAN Watch is Progent’s server and desktop monitoring managed service that uses advanced remote monitoring and management techniques to help keep your network running at peak levels by checking the health of vital computers that drive your business network. When ProSight LAN Watch detects a problem, an alert is sent automatically to your designated IT staff and your Progent consultant so all looming issues can be addressed before they have a chance to impact your network Find out more about ProSight LAN Watch server and desktop remote monitoring consulting.

• ProSight Virtual Hosting: Hosted Virtual Machines at Progent's World-class Data Center
  With ProSight Virtual Hosting service, a small or mid-size organization can have its critical servers and apps hosted in a protected Tier III data center on a high-performance virtual host configured and maintained by Progent's network support professionals. Under the ProSight Virtual Hosting service model, the client retains ownership of the data, the operating system software, and the apps. Because the environment is virtualized, it can be ported easily to an alternate hardware environment without requiring a lengthy and difficult reinstallation procedure. With ProSight Virtual Hosting, you are not tied a single hosting provider. Learn more details about ProSight Virtual Hosting services.

• ProSight IT Asset Management: Network Documentation and Password Management
  Progent's ProSight IT Asset Management service is a cloud-based IT documentation management service that allows you to create, update, retrieve and safeguard data about your IT infrastructure, processes, applications, and services. You can instantly locate passwords or serial numbers and be warned about impending expirations of SSLs or warranties. By cleaning up and organizing your network documentation, you can save up to half of time spent looking for vital information about your IT network. ProSight IT Asset Management features a common repository for holding and sharing all documents required for managing your business network like standard operating procedures and How-To's. ProSight IT Asset Management also offers advanced automation for collecting and associating IT data. Whether you’re making improvements, doing regular maintenance, or reacting to a crisis, ProSight IT Asset Management gets you the information you require as soon as you need it. Find out more details about ProSight IT Asset Management service.

The ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Report
The ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Report service is a low-cost service built around a brief discussion with a Progent information assurance expert. The fact-finding interview is designed to help evaluate your organization's ability either to stop or recover rapidly after an attack by a ransomware strain like Ryuk, WannaCry, MongoLock, or Locky. Progent will consult with you directly to gather information about your current AV defense and backup system, and Progent will then deliver a written Basic Security and Best Practices Report document describing how you can apply industry best practices to deploy an efficient security and backup system that meets your business needs. For more information, visit The ProSight Ransomware Preparedness Report Service.

Special Consulting Services Offered by Progent
Progent offers the skills of seasoned online consulting experts for special information technology programs. Billing charges for longer-term consulting tasks are set according to the level of expertise of the consultants assigned. Progent's experience with these important areas of information technology allows clients to complete major projects economically and on schedule. Progent's special remote consulting solutions include:

• Call Center Expertise
  Progent's Help Desk programs for organizations with environments that incorporate Microsoft Windows, Cisco, macOS and OS X, or UNIX/Linux products include full-service Help Desk Call Center outsourcing, virtual Helpdesk support services, and Help Desk operations consulting. Progent's Help Desk Call Center outsourcing support services are ideal for companies who don't have the resources to build and maintain an in-house Help Desk but who require fast communication with an efficient Call Center with professional phone support as well as the technical depth to escalate complex trouble tickets to advanced consultants.

  Progent’s Virtual Help Desk is designed for larger businesses and serves as a seamless reinforcement of your existing Call Center organization. Progent's Virtual Help Desk Call Center can operate as a an escalation resource to handle the toughest computer system problems, or be ready in overflow situations when your regular support engineers are too busy.

  Progent's Help Desk Call Center team of veteran information technology consultants gives your clients in Columbus or anywhere in the state of Ohio fast assistance from an effective technical support resource with substantial experience providing phone consulting and online troubleshooting for IT systems based on Microsoft Windows, Cisco, Apple macOS and OS X, or UNIX/Linux products. Progent's charter is to give the Help Desk perception as a crucial driver of company efficiency, and Progent's aim is to resolve rather than just report IT issues.

• Applications Support: Training, Customization, and Troubleshooting
  Progent's Applications Experts Group provides phone-based professional consulting support and education in special application areas such as Enterprise Requirements Planning, MRP, accounting system customization, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Progent also offers consulting expertise, customization, and training for familiar Microsoft applications such as Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office 365 Word, and Office 365 Excel. To learn additional information concerning Progent's consulting, programming, and education services, visit Progent's Applications Experts Group.

• Unified and Automated Administration of Hybrid Cloud Networks
  Microsoft System Center 2016 centralizes and automates the management of hybrid cloud networks through advanced support for Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 clients; seamless management of mixed-OS environments that incorporate Linux, Hyper-V and VMware; and better public and private cloud support including tighter integration with Microsoft Intune for iPhone and Android smartphone management plus built-in integration with Operations Management Suite for cloud-based analytics. Progent's System Center 2016 consulting experts offer world-class online and onsite expertise for all components of System Center 2016 including Operations Manager (SCOM), Configuration Manager, Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Data Protection Manager, Orchestrator, and Service Manager (SCSM). Progent can help your business to plan and configure a new deployment of System Center 2016, extend or tune your current one, upgrade efficiently from a previous release of System Center, or troubleshoot your System Center solution.

• Online Hybrid Network Monitoring and Reporting Services
  Progent can deliver organizations in Columbus, or anywhere in the state of Ohio, online IT infrastructure monitoring by providing System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) expertise and Microsoft System Center 2012 Operations Manager (SCOM 2012) troubleshooting and support. Progent can adapt Operations Manager to suit your business so that your computer support is proactive rather than reactive. By anticipating looming trouble spots before they expand into network outages, automated monitoring can head off disruptive and expensive service breakdowns. Progent can also deploy system monitoring tools like Nagios and MRTG to troubleshoot UNIX/Linux, Sun Solaris, or Apple macOS and OS X environments, Windows networks, or systems that incorporate multiple platforms.

Even if your Columbus office relies on a local freelance support technician or employs a full time IT staff that can handle the majority of computer problems, Progent’s Microsoft certified engineers are available to offer a convenient and seamless remote extension of your on-site resources in cases when your regular IT support personnel either lack the time or the knowledge to solve unexpected system crises or particularly complicated integration problems.

Advantages of Progent's IT Support for Businesses in Columbus
Progent's remote IT consulting services allow your Columbus business to have the advantages of timely, enterprise-level network support without the expense of maintaining a full-time IT staff. Your network will acquire greater strategic value by being increasingly reliable, efficient, and protected. Benefits to your business include:

• Convenient virtual expansion of your on-site support resources
  For most offices in Columbus or anywhere in Ohio, nearby computer service resources, whether consisting of freelance consultants or a full-time maintenance staff, can take care of the majority of technical problems. However, major troubles sometimes spring up when local support personnel are overstretched or absent, and some problems may be associated with technology that is beyond the scope of your usual support people. In these instances, Progent's online service specialists offer a convenient, quick, and affordable way to supplement your regular resources and to pass on useful information to improve your capability to handle downstream problems locally.

• Reduced Reliance on Individual Consultants
  For network maintenance, smaller companies often rely on individual freelance consultants. While independent consultants have smaller internal costs than big service organizations and can afford to charge marginally less, they are occasionally overbooked, making it difficult to respond quickly to crisis situations. If an independent consultant is occupied with another customer, ill, on vacation, or in training, the absence of fallback personnel may require your company to wait for assistance during an IT crisis. As your business expands, system unavailability and trouble with critical software become more costly. The budget you thought you were conserving on an independent can be eaten up quickly by reduced productivity. Progent offers a reliable source of reserve service expertise to insure your network is always up and running.

• Create a Scalable Basis for Smooth Growth
  Companies typically begin with an information system created on a shoestring budget. Without a robust infrastructure, slap-dash repairs often get piled on top of a weak foundation. As a company grows, stability and expandability issues can hinder the success of the business. These poorly designed environments require careful analysis, smart strategic planning, and broad-based IT expertise to upgrade to a network infrastructure able to offer the stable foundation to meet vital business demands and simplify downstream expansion.

• Interact with Problem Solvers Instead of Technology Resellers
  Smaller companies need advice and technical education to negotiate an increasingly complicated array of product alternatives capable of accelerating business success and improving efficiency. These companies hardly need a computer consultant who is attempting to sell a specific vendor's products. Network consulting and product selling can lead to a scenario where the recommended solution is built around a profitable product rather than the true needs of a client. Progent eliminates these conflicts by selling just services rather than products. This allows Progent to align IT consulting with the real interests of customers.

How Is Progent Unique from Other Service Organizations?
Progent is a Microsoft Certified Partner consulting firm and Progent's staff size, range of technical experience, fine tuned remote support tools, and familiarity with corporate IT allow companies to escape the limitations associated with excessive reliance on smaller service firms, individual freelance consultants, or over-stretched in-house IT help.

Progent adds value by providing:

• In-depth Expertise in Microsoft's Full Line of Servers
  Progent offers world-class support for Microsoft’s powerful server platforms with services that include Windows Server 2016 hybrid cloud integration, Windows 2012 R2 Server planning and integration support, Windows Server 2008 support, Windows 2003 Server upgrades, Microsoft Exchange 2016 planning and deployment, Microsoft Exchange 2013 configuration, Exchange 2010 Server maintenance, Exchange 2007 Server and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 migration, plus Microsoft SQL Server 2016 migration, Microsoft SQL Server 2014 support, and SQL 2012 management and troubleshooting.

• Value Pricing
  Progent's pricing policy is to bill for online service and on-premises visits by the minute. Consequently, you are billed just for received services. Progent does not impose a higher rate for after-hours or emergency service, and within California or in areas where Progent offers in-person support, Progent does not bill for travel except for urgent support where on-site work is less than 4 hours. Also, Progent applies no service activation fee and requires no monthly commitment for services provided during regular business hours. Many service organizations impose substantial minimum fees or charge for each fifteen minutes or longer. Progent's one-minute granularity does away with large invoices for fast solutions so you won't be tempted to allow minor problems to stay unaddressed.

• Knowledge Transfer
  Progent practices knowledge transfer from Progent's consultants to customers. By teaching customers to deal with problems that are within their scope, Progent is able to concentrate on providing high-value services where Progent has little competition. Companies who utilize familiar freelance service providers or who employ internal IT personnel benefit when Progent passes on knowledge about critical technology and proven processes to make their IT environments more robust, secure, and productive.

• 24x7 Network Monitoring with Microsoft Operations Manager
  Progent is one of the only consulting companies to provide 24x7 remote tracking services powered by Microsoft Operations Manager. Microsoft System Center Operations Manager allows your computer maintenance to be proactive rather than reactive. By revealing possible problems before they cause downtime, system monitoring can save your information network from painful and costly availability disruptions.