For those familiar with TechMikeNY.com, you probably know about our Configure-to-Order (CTO) page, which allows you to choose a Server model and chassis and build out a configuration to your exact specifications. 

What you may not know is that we recently invested significant resources in improving our CTO page.  Some of the changes are front and center, and other changes are subtle but still significant to the configuration experience.

Sometimes it's nice just to show off, so allow us to share with you, our valued customer, some of the improvements we've made to our CTO page.  We know you'll love them!

We Can Rebuild It.  We Have the Technology.  We Can Make It Faster, Stronger, Better

Queue the theme to the Six Million Dollar Man. 

Our development team went under-the-hood and rewrote the code on the page to make the CTO configurator 56% lighter than the previous one.   That means in terms of speed and load times: for a build of 17 components, the preceding configurator page would take 12 seconds to add to the cart. The new page adds the same build in under 0.6 seconds. That's a 95% improvement in speed.

In addition to the above efficiency, we've minimized the number of clicks and scrolling involved in adding components to your server build.  Plus, errors in builds are more clearly noted, and we've eliminated some of the pitfalls that customers used to face.  For example:

• RAM modules available are now clearly associated with the number of processors installed in the build.
• More information is provided in terms of compatibility. For example, certain integrated/embedded RAID cards (S110, S140, S130) only support a certain amount of SATA drives.  

• You'll be notified if we have a limited amount of stock as you are building. Previously, a customer would finish building and then realize that we didn't have the stock. 

Also, the page is aesthetically more pleasing with an improved use of space and has better cross-platform functionality between different web browsers. 

Wait! There's More!

We've also added some nifty resources to help you make the most informed decision possible. 

• A link to the Specifications Sheet for the server model you are configuring. Yeah, you could probably Google it yourself, but we'd rather save you the time.
• A Share my Configuration option that now has a shorter URL. You can build the server and click "Share Configuration." A link will be generated with the server's specs, which you can share with anyone (we've found this feature especially useful for IT admins sharing builds with purchasing departments or consultants sharing with their clients).
• A RAID calculator. From the drop-downs, you can select the RAID Level, Disk Size, and Quantity of Disks.  The calculator will give you the baseline details. 

Lastly, we've provided Extended Warranty options that were not previously available and the ability to add a Custom or Remote Access IP to be set up on your new server.   

Final Thoughts

The beauty of the Configure-to-Order Generator is the ability for our customers to build a server to their exact specifications.  We've taken the potential errors out of the equation with these improvements, so now you have confidence that what you are selecting from the parts drop-down is compatible with the model and chassis selected.  Combine that with our added features, and we believe our Configure-to-Order Server Builder is second to none. 

By the way, should a new or unique issue slip in the configuration, one of our Techs will reach out and work with you so you can rest assured that when you receive your TechMikeNY custom configuration server, you will hit the ground running!

Questions?  Comments?  Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment below.  We love hearing from our readers!