Being open means: We’re here.
Once the system has been commissioned, stepping stone’s real work begins. And it never stops.
A project is complete. The systems are up and running. So what now?
Now begins what most IT service providers prefer not to emphasise: day-to-day operations. Security updates that need to be installed. Systems that need to be monitored. Problems that can’t wait until Monday. Storage space that’s quietly filling up.
This is where the bulk of our work lies. And it’s the reason why customers stay with stepping stone.
What operation means at Stepping Stone
To ensure your developers can focus fully on their work, we take care of the operation of your systems in our Swiss data centres. Whether fully or partially — we define the exact scope of responsibility on a case-by-case basis according to your needs.
Regular maintenance. All systems are updated once a month. Integration and test systems are always patched one week before production. This gives you plenty of time to identify errors at an early stage, before they reach production.
Security updates. We monitor security-related updates for all software components in use. If a critical update is released, we test and install it promptly, even outside the regular maintenance cycle.
24/7 monitoring. Our monitoring system identifies typical causes of problems before they lead to outages. If storage space is running low or a system requires more computing capacity, we will proactively contact you.
Backups and snapshots. Regular data backups and VM snapshots are standard practice. So too are regular restore tests. After all, a backup that doesn’t work when it’s needed isn’t a backup.
Support. If you spot an error yourself, have any questions or need adjustments: our team in Bern is here to help. Thanks to the high level of automation, we can roll out changes quickly, transparently and, if necessary, across a large number of systems simultaneously.
Performance and optimisation. Operation isn’t just about ensuring everything is running; it’s about ensuring everything is running smoothly. We carry out performance analyses, adjust resources and optimise our systems on an ongoing basis.
Further development. Requirements change. New services are introduced, and existing ones are adapted. stepping stone supports these changes with the same care and attention as the initial set-up — so that your infrastructure grows alongside your business.
No vendor lock-in
Your data, your configurations, your code — everything is based on open source and open standards. If, at any point, you wish to go down a different path, we won’t stand in your way. stepping stone earns your trust anew every month, not through dependency.
The journey doesn’t end with the last stepping stone
Infrastructure is a living thing. Workloads shift, threats evolve. Operations mean having someone there who sees this, understands it and takes action. Not on an on-call basis, but as part of your team.
We’re not spectacular. We’re just there.