Alchester - Why us?
Independent computer/network consulting, pre-sales advice & support.
Engineering Business Solutions

• direct help, quick and personal  – when you need it - no fuss!

• independent technical support since 1987, and staff even longer

• saving you time and money by arranging all I.T purchases for you

• ensuring right technologies chosen and installed with important project management

• cost-plus basis access to leading distributors and manufacturers

• taking care of entire job - installation, tailoring, updating, procurement, delivery

• working with you, not just for you, and letting you get involved if you want to be

• testimonials of professional support - getting the job done when it's really needed

• competitively priced for the time on your job - not for overheads and call centres

• major corporate projects providing logistics/support to associate Digitech Corporation

• a fair approach to service arrangements - we respect your customer position

• putting your needs first - that's why you call us instead of some sales company!

Alchester – we just get involved and sort systems out, whenever customers ask.
Take a detailed look, if you prefer (click on any item above)  .......

Alchester - quick, personal, direct help - when you need it.

Your call might catch us whilst supporting or in a meeting with another client – but as usual, Alchester always promises customers to take calls immediately, to be always aware of any serious/urgent computer issue.  If people call the hot line/direct mobile, that suggests something is critical – something that can’t wait for an email or a normal office call – that’s why Alchester provides that level of personal service and always aims at letting customers reach support directly.  The benefit to you, is that you get your message across straight away when YOU want to, without dialing 1800/13/1300/1900/message/music/moron-on-hold type arrangements that takes ages just to get some help.  Alchester is not like that.  We help – and we help NOW.               
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Alchester - independent technical support since 1987

At Alchester,  we offer independent consulting that provides solutions to people’s IT / computer  problems.  We are NOT a sales shop although we do procure a lot of equipment and software as part of projects we manage, if contracted to do so.   Quite the contrary,  we do not prejudice any product, supplier or customer based on their selection of hardware, software or support services.   Instead, we support your specific product/service needs. This is why we’ve been successfully in business (as Alchester) since 1987 – many years now – and why our key staff have been providing independent consulting to the industry since 1975.  Alchester’s history stems from earlier managing Australia’s first software company’s bureau: Computer Power, and later, one of the leading third party independent engineering and computer support companies: Computer Plus (now trading as Tech-Precision).   Alchester sold off its business interests in those areas many years ago for the specific purpose of providing a more personal, effective but INDEPENDENT technical support service to users of business/IT/office/production equipment – integrating the lot.   The emphasis shifted back to providing project management, even if it is just for the review and selection of appropriate technologies to assist business customers - through to facilities management where Alchester provides onsite or remote day-to-day support of a customer's complete network - irrespective of its origin.
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Alchester saves you time arranging buying your computer IT needs

Asking Alchester to arrange the purchase of your computer equipment for you, makes good sense.  The reasons are obvious.  Sales companies simply are NOT interested,  nor setup for ongoing support – particularly in a situation where there are numerous and different hardware, software, as well as non-computer items in the mix (i.e.: production equipment, telephones, communications, special factory equipment, office equipment, cabling, networking, remote/mobile/portable/personal products, security.....)  Take a look at our follow up list to give you an idea of just a few of the more relevant technologies/services we deal with.  Hence the term ‘THIRD PARTY’ – somebody prepared to take on the challenge, risk and responsibility of bringing otherwise competitive or unrelated products into one cohesive, and usable system that Alchester’s customers rely upon for their own business day-to-day.  Sure Alchester can procure any item of hardware, software or service on your behalf - we help you buy it, we don't sell it to you        
                          
Print our follow up list for a meeting with us                 
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Alchester provides important project management to ensure the right technologies are chosen and installed

Alchester will support you regardless of whether you buy your own hardware or software – or whether you ask us to get involved in technically researching what an appropriate set of products might be to do the job.   We do this on a cost-plus basis, but the benefit to you as a customer is huge, because Alchester has many, long standing industry contacts that permit us to gain direct access to some of the best distributors both here and overseas, from whom we can buy at wholesale prices and just pass on a standard markup which covers our research time and costs.
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Alchester gives you access to leading distributors and manufacturers on a cost-plus basis for buying IT

Naturally,  Alchester would prefer to be involved in the initial planning/selection phases of any new technology, because it has a depth of experience, industry contacts and product knowledge that can invariably save customers a lot of heartache implementing what for them is a new project.    Time and money better spent at  the planning and investigation stage is always a smart investment.             
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Alchester takes care of the entire job - installation, tailoring, updating, procurement and delivery.

With Alchester, you get the benefit of independent research PLUS a completely open and unbiased view of what solutions really exist out there, what is available, what really works, and more importantly, what is supportable and what is real/demonstrable.  You are not left with the worry about some potentially unsubstantiated sales statement or brochure that doesn’t take into account so many variables that will determine if a product or service is right for YOU.   Alchester identifies your own constraints, environment, performance issues, expandability plans and so forth. The final cost, along with installation, testing, training and documentation at the end of the day works out at about the same retail price that you would be paying if you took all the risk of buying the first one that came along yourself.  Add to this, the cost and time of picking it up, installing it, tailoring it to your situation, seeking out any important amendments, patches, upgrades/updates to make the product/service actually work.          
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Alchester works with you, not just for you, and lets you get involved if you want to.

Alchester openly involves customers in the whole exercise and aims at permitting users to be in a position to support themselves if desired – hence the focus on documentation and joint project/facilities management.   Some customers prefer Alchester to ‘just look after it all’…..  and that approach is catered for. We work WITH you!   
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Here's some testimonials........ 
Getting the job done when it's really needed - that's professional support!

We help demystify what is included in some of the products offered in the market place today, by taking the time to research and explain what is in the fine print or comes bundled with new technologies.

"Alchester helped us save over $13,000 by project managing the upgrade of our Head Office servers and network.   They outlined the choices available for the specific applications we needed for running our successfully growing Home Building company.   By gaining a better understanding of the tools and facilities available from adopting certain types of computer server technology, we were able to enjoy access to our favoured software without having to buy some otherwise very expensive access licenses and products.    Alchester looked ahead to future plans we had too, and realised that future branches would also need to access our vital business data.   By giving us the right products ahead of time, we were able to expand our business to new branches and have access to business information.   Alchester looked after the big picture....." 
Peter Di Iorio.    General Manager.   Hometec Industries Pty Ltd

Businesses located in a new industrial estate found themselves without formidable internet services, (no ADSL) and approached Alchester to ascertain just what alternatives were available.  Many residents had already ventured into some alternative services that were failing, intermittent or plainly inadequate, or had jumped into very expensive long term contracts for overkill technology.

John Traynor,   Director.    Logistics Recruitment Industrial

In another example, Alchester was there on the spot with suitable standby equipment to ensure an automated Timber Routing production line kept running  when a controlling workstation died.    Understanding not only the technology, but also the ramifications of failure on a business, is what gives Alchester the edge in helping clients in times of need.   Sometimes special, rare equipment is not locally supported, and Alchester provides that important intermediary role of support.

"Alchester recognised we needed to quickly work out why our fully automated kitchen production line equipment had stopped. They recognised that production and deadlines were the real problem - not just some broken machine.  They were able to pin-point the problem, obtained some standby equipment, transferred the necessary systems and data, and had us back on the air after only hours and we met our production schedules on time......"
Joseph Di Iorio.   General Manager   Sunset Kitchens

That’s what Alchester does – gets involved and sorts systems out, when customers ask.
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Alchester is very competitive. 

IT support rates in the industry today, for senior technicians on proprietary products are typically between $160 and as much as $230 p/hr or more.  Our fees are far less.  In addition, there are call-out charges, travel charges and minimum site duration requirements/fees. And why are these fees so high?    A lot of the fee is to cover levels of administration and call centre costs, that frankly only slow down or fail to provide clients with quick meaningful service in many cases, when all you want is a quick and effective solution from someone who cares.    Because of our small overheads, and our interest in serving small to medium businesses, we have been able to keep our fees at much keener rates,   less than our competitors who only cover a fraction of the types of technologies/services we do.    What’s more, our support fees provide for a 4hr session or emergency call out (1/2hr) without any travel or surcharges for placing calls in the metropolitan area.    You pay for the time we spend on the job.

We prefer not to ask for order numbers on a call-by-call basis – that would slow both organisations down, and lead to greater costs.  Instead we provide our services and support on the above basis from the outset with our clients.  We respond in line with the support fees outlined, and whenever any call is running up a time frame over ½- 1 day – a review is undertaken with the customer to ensure that progress is acceptable – and of course that the costs for the time will be covered.  That way, both parties successfully achieve a successful and rewarding result.

Print details of Alchester's support and consulting fees.              
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For major corporate projects,
Alchester is the provider of logistics support to associate: Digitech Corporation

And what about our corporate customers?   Alchester has a subsidiary: Digitech Corporation that adopts the same personalised service philosophy but targets the needs of larger organisations.  Digitech is quite familiar with the higher costs of dealing with multiple levels of management,  meetings and project committee liaisons that often delay or extend the decision making process in major projects. Such activity adds additional overheads to running an organisation that deals with larger corporate customers – even before work can commence.   Digitech's support fees are typically higher to cover such costs – but again, still very competitive for the industry – particularly given the business environment concerned.   Alchester provides all logistics and procurement requirements in support of Digitech's projects.   So for corporate clients, you'll still have that personalised support operating in the background. 

See Digitech Corporation's website for details               
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Alchester has a fair approach to its service arrangements - it respects your customer position

Alchester deals directly with people like yourself – decision makers, business people and the whole intention is to get on with the job whenever asked – and hence we do – and hence we charge for all such consulting services.  But sometimes there are concessions too.  When a regular customer (with say multiple sites/branches) calls upon us a lot, then because of the amount of business we do with them as a group of customers, you’ll notice we often waive such minimums - in fact many jobs we don’t charge for when we can co-ordinate and overlap them during a co-ordinated single visit.   That’s just being fair.  We provide business to business solutions/support on a basis that you would expect.    
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Alchester puts you, the customer, first - that's why you call us instead of some sales company!

Alchester is in business, like yourself, and we can’t be taking calls and putting in effort and resources to solve customer problems without charging for our professional consulting time.  After all, that’s what we’re here for.  The expectation is that if a customer asks us to solve a problem – then we do it on a commercial basis, and we do it NOW – because that is what you want.  It would be different if we were a shop front selling brand-X products only – but that will never be the business platform from which Alchester operates.  Doing so would obligate us to sell brand-X rather than provide independent support and pre-sales consulting advice for the RIGHT product that every customer needs on that day, for that purpose. Invariably, it may NOT be brand-X.  So you see, Alchester is always looking after the customer first.    

Thankyou for allowing us to acquaint you with why we are in business, and how we help you, our customers.  We believe our personal, yet business approach and our consulting and support fee setup is one of the most favourable around. We hope we have demonstrated how we are continuing to look after YOUR business particularly in the area of I.T.  

We’re ready to take your calls!     

Emergency right now?:            Phone DIRECT:  0408 994799 ANYTIME!
Simple job that can wait?        see email, postal addresses  and office numbers.

Gary  Pope
   B.Bus (ACC)
Technical Director

Alchester Business Systems

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