Who We Are
Shafer Consulting is a Pittsburgh, PA based IT Consultancy focused on assisting small businesses and similar sized organizations with their computer and other information technology needs.
What We Do
We strive to take IT consulting beyond the traditional frame work of just providing hardware and software support and work with our clients to help them get the most from their computer systems investment.
To create a structured model to achieve this we utilize the tools of Business Process Management where your computer systems become the means to achieve your business goals.
We Work Anywhere in the US
We work with clients throughout the US by utilizing the power of remote desktop services such Citrix GoToMeeting, email, FAX, Skype and traditional phone systems. As specialists in IT security we frequently work with client’s existing IT support staff.
We are a proactive consultancy! Given that down time is increasingly costly to most organizations Shafer Consulting works with the client to assess potential points of failure and to implement reasonable, cost effective solutions. To this end, if the client wishes, we use inexpensive managed services systems to provide the 24/7 monitoring to help detect computer and security issues early on. The benefit of this is that the earlier a problem or security breach is detected the more easily it can be resolved.
In the area of hardware and and operating systems we have expertise in desktop systems, Local (LAN) and Wide (WAN) Area Networks using Microsoft, Cisco and Linux based solutions.
What Others Have Said
– Steve Morus wrote:
“Mike has served as a contractor for the Borough of Forest Hills for several years. Mike has filled a vital position for the borough in that we are too small to have our own IT employee. He fills that bill well. He quickly answers our calls for help, exhibits excellent knowledge of networks, software and computing in general and works well with our staff. Mike is reliable and knowledgeable and I heartily provide a positive recommendation based on those factors and overall skills.”
Steve Morus – Borough Manager, Borough of Forest Hills PA
– Merideth Tennant wrote:
“Mike is fantastic! Rarely do you find someone dedicated not only to solving problems but to relentlessly preventing them. Mike is an amazing and knowledgeable resource who’s personable and communicative on top of it. He’s a rare breed among tech guys in that I wish I had someone like him in every vendor office with which I work.”
Merideth Tennant – Owner/Graphic Designer at Tennant Design
– Tom Varjan wrote:
“What I like about Mike Shafer’s articles is that they provide valuable information for executives and managers both in the server room and the boardroom. In my consulting career in working with IT companies since 1997, I’ve met lots of people in this world who understand either server room English or boardroom English, but there is a desperate shortage of professionals who understand and speak both.
I regard Mike as one of the handful of professionals who writes about technology as a business solution, not technology for the sake of chasing the next big technical advancement. His goal is improving the numbers in the boardroom not merely beautifying the server room with prettier and faster technology.”
Tom “Bald Dog” Varjan – IT business development strategist
– Kathy Feinstein wrote:
“Thanks for making IT an understandable language. I appreciate your patience with us non-tech people who have to handle IT.”
Kathy Feinstein – Office Manager, Pennsylvania Macaroni Co.
– Dorota Twardowska wrote:
“Mike is pure professionalism spiced with an excellent sense of humor; can you imagine a better person to work with? We were cooperating for a few months in the team creating the CISCO magazine, a special edition of Hakin9. I highly appreciated Mike’s input into creating CISCO and also as a proof reader and professional consultant, however as an author of two of the articles he was irreplaceable. I am looking forward to the next opportunity to work together.”
Dorota Twardowska – Editor-in-Chief of CISCO Hakin9 magazine; owner Studio ARS NOVUM – Marketing and PR Consultants