How are you using technology to grow your business?
What if you could reduce your computer hardware and support costs by over 50%, work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, and re-purpose your tech workforce or outside IT consultant away from mundane and reactionary networking repair issues and invest those efforts in forward-thinking strategic advice? That's just what my company, ANALYSYS did for Bob Everett of Bottom Line Consulting, a Maryland-based Quickbooks consultant. We helped Bob take his network into the cloud. Now Bob and his team simply log into their desktop in the cloud via a web-browser, and away they go.
What are your business's key tech tools and why?
Moving your existing network to a cloud-based model is easy to do, and the cost is usually recovered within the first year. Here are some of the things companies like Bob's will want to consider:
Will your entire network and the all software you run work off-site? If you are working with extraordinarily large files (graphic designers or CAD/CAM for example) or operating machinery driven by computers, it's possible that some of the systems you run will need special consideration.
Are there regulatory or security concerns that may impact your ability to move your data off-site? The facilities where your data would be hosted are generally very secure, but your company's information will have moved outside the four walls of your physical office. Look for certifications such as SAS 70 Type II and ask your service provider about the Service Level Agreement (SLA) they offer, which is the guarantee they will provide you that your data is secure and on a system that will be reliable, and up when you need it.
Want a local copy of your data, just in case? Implement appliance-based Continuous Data Protection system. These successors to tape drive backup systems are designed save your data and send a local to a second location... which can be your office! We use SonicWALL's CDP series for this purpose.
When you move your data out, you'll obviously need to put it somewhere. You can purchase space on a service provider's network like ours, or you can purchase your own servers. The former is easy to do, scales up or down easily to meet your present needs, and usually doesn't cost anything up-front. The latter, while often more expensive up-front, may give you greater control. Consider using technologies from Citrix, Vmware, or Microsoft. These companies offer software that allow you to virtualize your network, decreasing the space you need to rent and increasing your reliability.
Finally, once your data is in the cloud, consider obtaining tools that monitor your systems and tell you if there's a problem. Small businesses can consider GFI Network Server Monitor or Ipswitch's What's Up Gold. Larger companies can consider Solarwinds or Symantec's CommandCentral.
Tips and Tricks
- There's a great sustainability story here for most companies that make the switch. Start tracking the hardware you eliminate early so you can keep track of how much power you're saving and what technology won't need to be repurchased.
- Check your Microsoft licensing carefully. Windows Server 2008, for example, comes with one free virtual server instance, a detail that could save you upwards of $1,000.
- If you decide to set up your own hardware, as opposed to purchasing server space on a service provider's network, choose a data center that's local, less than a 30 minute drive away.
