Watchguard Man

Blogging for fun!!!! Usually anything tech related.

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Considering a move to the cloud.

Cloud computing is a booming industry. This year thousands more business across the country will be moving to the cloud because of the money they can save and the improvements that can be made to an existing IT infrastructure. With internet speeds increasing year on year, and with a certain ISP about to introduce 100 Meg Broadband to the general public, there has never been a better opportunity to think about moving to the cloud and ditching the good old in-house server.

Hosted solutions. For and against.

Internet connectivity is now far more reliable than it used to be, and many large organisations that are completely reliant on the internet are now setting up a failover line with an additional ISP (i.e. one cable line and one ADSL line with one taking over if the other fails). Because connections are more reliable and failover functionality is available, the risk of working from the cloud has been minimalized greatly, especially as the service itself uses SSL encryption.

The biggest plus about a hosted solution is the money you can save WITHOUT having to sacrifice any functionality. Usually saving money comes at a price and sacrifices have to be made, but not with a hosted solution, certainly not any I have used anyway!!!

Whether it be hosted exchange, SharePoint or virtual desktop solutions you are using, all of them will be using the latest Microsoft software applications and operating systems with all the functionality you are used to. Hosted Desktop is a great application especially for businesses that have home users or sales staff on the go that need access to everything on the network because they can access their physical desktop from any location where internet is available. Hosted exchange is great because it provides everything that an in-house server does, but at less than half the cost.

Downsides? Everything comes with a risk, and although you can ensure that your internet connection remains consistent by implementing a failover, NO hosted company in the world can guarantee 100% uptime, although it has to be said that in all of the time I have used a hosted solution I have only experienced a minimal amount of downtime. Make sure when using a hosted company that you check the service with a fine tooth comb as many are willing to put their neck on the line and make guarantees about service availability, you have been warned!  

Conclusions.

Cloud computing IS the future. In my opinion it won’t be long before we are all using the cloud and in-house servers are the thing of the past. OR is it a case that cloud computing is a phase that we are all going through? Will we turn full circle and as soon as prices go up, in-house servers will start to be introduced to the network again? Either way the cloud is here to stay.

Resources. IT Support company that provides cloud solutions to clients in the UK. Very informative website that details cloud services in finer detail.

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Can a software development company help improve your business?

Well maybe it can, bespoke software development services are on the increase as many companies are starting to consider how they can improve internal business practices and communication solutions.

Software can play a big part in helping any business and bespoke software is definitely the way to go. If you want to improve internal communication, setup good business practices and increase potential sales then don’t even think about buying something off the shelves as this will not cut it and Investment is a bespoke solution is the only way to go.

So how can software help you? There is one fantastic application doing the rounds at the moment that many businesses are starting to implement and that is Microsoft SharePoint, in particular Hosted SharePoint. SharePoint is a fantastic application that can be used to improve all aspects of your business from your communication with clients to administrating your website.

What is SharePoint?

Hosted SharePoint is a web based application that at first glance looks a bit like a website (depending on your developer, as the template is fully configurable) as it is web-based it is perfect for businesses that have satellite offices or external workers thanks to the ease of access.

SharePoint can be used by just about everyone in a typical business environment, from the sales team to the customer service department. To say this software is configurable is an understatement, apart from the washing up it can be tailored to do just about everything you can think of.

In what areas can it help?

The list is potentially endless; however here are a couple of key areas in which SharePoint can help improve your business:

Collaboration – Employees can share documents, calendars, diaries and contacts from the same centralised administration console. The software is encrypted so security is not an issue as long as your users are sensible with their passwords! Accessibility isn’t a problem as the software can be accessed from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Help increased productivity - With everyone working from the same task sheet, SharePoint can really make a difference when it comes to upping the ante re: productivity. Business critical information can be accessed fast and with everyone sharing the same information, communication is improved and mistakes can be minimised.

Conclusions. SharePoint is a great tool; the cost of implementing the application has decreased thanks to hosted technology and bespoke software development companies are now starting to get the most from the system. I would suggest giving the service a trial and see what you think.

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Hosted SharePoint solutions. The future of online collaboration.

Hosted SharePoint is starting to gain popularity. The need for improved organisational skills within organisations is starting to become of paramount importance for companies that are striving to improve their internal communications, create more sales opportunities and improve customer relations with their existing client base. SharePoint as the answer to all of the above and then some, it is a centralised one stop solution to all of your business needs. I have seen first-hand just what a difference SharePoint can make to a business, and trust me when I say that it is worth the investment.

So what is al of the fuss about? Well here are just a few of the many things that you can do with SharePoint:

  A flexible solution.  You can share documents, calendars and diaries between employees and selected clients. The user friendly interface makes viewing and sharing documents a breeze.    

  The advantages of accessibility. If you are using Hosted SharePoint then you can access and share your company data from any location in the world securely. Most if not all hosted clients use (or certainly should use) 256 bit SSL secure connections.

  Increase productivity companywide. With SharePoint, all employees can work together from a single workspace. If they are using Hosted SharePoint then external users such as home users can use the same workspace via the web.   Gain fast access to business critical information.  If you are using a standalone product, SharePoint will integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft products, including Microsoft Outlook.

Other advantages of using Hosted SharePoint. Hosted SharePoint suppliers will include online backup of all your data, safeguarding your future and ensuring business continuity. Also, Hosted SharePoint is a lot cheaper than maintaining your own internal SharePoint solution. The ‘per user’ price is significantly cheaper than purchasing the software and maintaining the hardware.

Did you know?

You can use SharePoint for creating a professional looking website. Some of the sites we have seen look stunning.

  Other notes.

It is impossible for me to document all of the potential functionality SharePoint has. I would advise taking a look at the latest Microsoft documentation on their website to find out more.