WEBMASTERS

All you need to know abou the most recent technologies

[webspinmaster-blog]

Data specialists earn a lot of money

Big data analysts became one of the most desirable employees in the labor market. By 2020 there can be up to 26 billion connected devices creating data.

[thecomputinq-blog]

NetApp FAS6200

FAS 6240/6280 Generation of high-performance storage arrays to build storage systems enterprise.

The unified architecture arrays FAS6240 / 6280 eliminates the need to install multiple systems meet the requirements of block and file-based storage. The cost of hard disk drives can be lower by half by using SATA drives instead of Fibre Channel. Storage management is greatly simplified by the Data ONTAP operating system, which reduces the cost of storage administration.

FlexShare - a standard feature of Data ONTAP, which makes critical operations are handled as a priority and obtain a solid performance when the storage controller is operating at maximum load. If you change the priority of operation settings FlexShare can instantly update and activate. Disk Arrays FAS6240 / 6280 can be extended up to 1440 disk drives, thereby obtaining 2,880 terabytes of capacity for one system. The matrix model is equipped with a comprehensive Fibre Channel (FC) and Gigabit Ethernet, which can be expanded using the built-in expansion slots PCI Express (PCIe) and PCI-X slots, and integrated remote management LAN. FAS6240 storage system offers up to 6 TB and the FAS6280 to 8 TB Flash Cache Cache. FAS 6210

Disk array of high-end enterprise-class capacity of up to 2400 TB.

The unified architecture FAS6210 arrays eliminates the need to install multiple systems meet the requirements of block and file-based storage. The cost of hard disk drives can be lower by half by using SATA drives instead of Fibre Channel. Storage management is greatly simplified by the Data ONTAP operating system, which reduces the cost of storage administration.

FlexShare - a new feature of Data ONTAP, which makes critical operations are handled as a priority and obtain a solid performance when the storage controller is operating at maximum load. If you change the priority of operation settings FlexShare can instantly update and activate. FAS6210 arrays can be expanded up to 1,200 disk drives, thereby obtaining 2,400 terabytes of capacity for one system. The matrix model is equipped with a comprehensive Fibre Channel (FC) and Gigabit Ethernet, which can be expanded using the built-in expansion slots PCI Express (PCIe) and PCI-X slots, and integrated remote management LAN.

[webspinmaster-blog]

THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGIES AND BACKUP SOLUTIONS

Corporate IT environment is changing rapidly, responding to new business needs. The integration of mobile devices, clouds and the quickly increasing amount of data is changing the way the management and use of IT resources. These trends also affect the backup.

Number of backup platforms that must be protected is growing. Whence also the media that you can use to store backups. This causes an increase in costs, which manufacturers of backup systems have to react by introducing new solutions.

Backup as a service

In Poland, the backup service in the cloud can no longer be an attractive alternative to traditional backup. This confirms the growing interest in this type of services from business customers. Native speakers, including business, have relatively low awareness of how unwise it is to store data only in the source location. Standard backup is systematically and insecure, unstable media. Therefore, the automatic backup to the cloud can be an interesting solution – obligations related to the safekeeping of the data fall on the operator cloud, with sufficient infrastructure and qualified team.

The greatest potential cloud presents from the point of view of SME sector, for which building their own data center, not to mention backup, is a large, often unprofitable challenge. Cloud gives them the opportunity to get rid of unnecessary infrastructure and outdated methods of preparing the backup.In addition, it increases the level of backup protection by transferring them outside their own headquarters.

For the use of the backup in the cloud speaks increasing use of mobile and remote working.This requires a different approach to data security. Thanks to the cloud customer gets quick access to resources. Becomes independent of the location in which the company operates as a backup through the Internet can be conveniently done also from the area. Even through the radio link 3G. Despite this, many customers are still afraid to use cloud services.

[webspinmaster-blog]

Digiplex and Munters designed the largest data center cooled by indirect evaporative cooling in Europe. - iTechniqs

Digiplex and Munters designed the largest data center cooled by indirect evaporative cooling in Europe. The success of Digiplex (Fetsund, Oslo) when designing a data center of 60 million euros -, energy efficient and reliable, is supported by Munters Oasis ™ IEC indirect evaporative cooling technology. The innovative Oasis ™ IEC 200 Munters is the …

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Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

Business Continuity is a concept that encompasses both to Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) as the Planning Business Restoration. Disaster recovery is the ability to respond to a disruption of services by implementing a plan to restore the critical functions of the organization (ie the operational side of the business). Both differ from the Loss Prevention Planning, which involves the scheduling of activities in support of systems, authentication and authorization (security) review of virus and monitoring the use of systems (mainly for verification of capacity). This time we will talk about the importance of having the ability to restore the technological infrastructure of the organization in case of a severe disruption.

Emergency situations directly or indirectly constantly experience, which are manifested in equivocal responses caused by fear, fear or panic terrifying extremes.

Administrators or managers of computer systems often begin to consider the security of your system after being under attack, resulting in the loss of information, hours of work, including money. Safety at work is one of the most important factors that guarantee productivity growth.

Ensure the physical and logical security is not a task to be carried out once and forever guarantee its efficiency. To maintain security is required periodically perform preventive tasks.

Establishing procedures and security measures are intended to safeguard the administrative unit, the data center physical structure, staffing, operational procedures, information and documentation generated from any natural or human event intentionally or by accident can affect them.

Recovery process

Buy new equipment (hardware) or repair or remove viruses, etc.

Call the software provider and reinstall the software.

Recover storage disks that are off-site.

Reinstall all source data backup.

Re-enter the data of recent weeks.

Strategies have regular database backups.

Monitor the process.

Technology [edit]

Virtual tape library.

Synchronous replication software.

Replica storage technology.

Virtual PBX phone service / hosted.

Backups remote backup.

Continuous data protection.

System management plans (Moebius).

Cloud

Terminology:

Recovery Point Objective (RPO Recovery Point Objective). RPO is a measure that indicates the maximum time that an organization is willing to lose data. It could be simplified as what the organization is willing to lose much data. To reduce RPO is necessary to increase the sync data replication.

Recovery time objective (RTO Recovery Time Objective) is the time before an infrastructure will be available. To reduce the RTO, it is required that the Infrastructure (Technology, Logistics, Physical) are available in the shortest possible time last interrupt event.

When a critical data loss occurs without a recovery plan preventive disaster, the only option is to save the data.

[colossuscloud]

Please Welcome ServerPoint’s New ColossusCloud Website

At ServerPoint.com we have many great web hosting services that our clients love and enjoy but the service that’s the most popular is cloud VPS hosting. In fact, it is so popular that it has grown tremendously and we felt that it needed its own website to better convey the qualities of this service. So, we are very excited to announce the launch of our new ColossusCloud website atcolossuscloud.com! Check out: http://bit.ly/1QNBWNi

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With customers everywhere: the world of mobile CRM

So much for being tied to a desk. Commercial sales department of a company no longer have to waste any more time in front of a computer screen managing its customer base. Mobile technology now allows all necessary information in inches of a Smartphone or even on a smart watch.

 Although it has been slow to adapt to the mobile environment, the truth is that the software for managing customer relationships (CRMs by stands for Customer Relationship Management) has already come strongly to mobile devices such as phones and even smartwatches.

 Just a few weeks ago the Catalan startup ForceManager presented at the Mobile World Congress the first CRM for smart watches. Available for Android Wear, the App allows the sales staff of companies not only have all the information necessary for its relationship with customers in his pocket, but everything is now in his wrist.

 As the company suggests, this new App allows users to report all information relating to their business tasks through a voice system, with automatic synchronization with mobile and desk software, optimize routes and customers thanks to GPS geotag and also directly communicate the results of the meetings from the clock, without removing the phone from his pocket.

 Oscar Macia, ForceManager CEO admits that the development of this app was a side project within the company, but over the weeks is becoming a very useful feature for many commercial. “We wanted to have something ready for MWC,” says Maciá, “and at the end we realized that we have developed an App that facilitates even more the life of the users of our software.”

 The launch of this application to smartwatches confirms what a couple of years ago were only predictions: CRM embark on the mobile revolution and there is no turning back.

The transition from traditional CRM to the small screen

And it is that the forecasts that predicted the decline of this type of software for PC and the rise of the adaptation of these platforms to mobile devices seem to have hit the mark. With a projected growth of 500%, the market for mobile CRM could not be more promising.

 CRM systems were put on the map by SalesForce several years now, through the creation of specific software that allows detailed monitoring of customers of a company. It is, as its name suggests, to manage customer relations companies. However, the rise of smartphones from 2007 led to the adaptation of this desktop software to the world of mobile, through specific apps such as the Spanish ForceManager and many other companies. Today there is already a wide range of apps including a company can choose to manage your CRM from their phones.

 The market continues to be led by SalesForce, the company leader in the market of CRMs that entered more than four billion dollars in 2014, and other multinationals such as SAP, as well as smaller and purely mobile companies like Nutshell CRM or Base.

 All these apps operate in a very similar way, applying a layer of mobility to the traditional functions of a CRM and differentiating in two key respects: third services that integrate each (geolocation, cloud storage, etc.) and geographic area of ​​activity (ForceManager in Spain and Latin America, Base and US SalesForce, etc).

 And it is that as recently claimed from SalesForce, mobile CRM “are more than simply a tool that adds value; they have become a co-worker who helps and facilitates the work of trade ”. A reality and an opportunity that companies around the world are pointing.

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Web Collaboration Software

Collaborative software or groupware refers to a set of computer programs that integrate work on a single project with many concurrent users, which are at various workstations, connected via a network (internet or intranet).

Definition  In its most basic function, both teams established organizations to respond to problems that have occurred and to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Carstensen and Schmidt (1993) presented four general activities undertaken by teams: recommend, make, invent or set in motion.

The term groupware refers to the methods and software tools that facilitate teamwork, increasing efficiency, and contribute to people who are located in different geographical locations can work simultaneously, either directly or anonymously, through networks. Many experts agree that computers are the primary unit of performance in any organization. Today there is a new type of computer “virtual” team of people who communicate electronically.

The collaboration is becoming increasingly important in today’s economy element, sharing information and knowledge are vital components of a real relationship colaboración. Groupware aims to support the work being done by groups and teams, taking into account aspects of cooperation that are necessary to reap maximum benefits. It is a very useful technological tool in our times because we can integrate our theoretical knowledge with tecnología.Cada more groups and organizations have to adapt their processes to the rapid changes brought about by new technologies, new customer demands, or new competitors. Alternatively, many organizations use support systems or groupware communications to support its rapidly changing and not routine processes. But these systems typically require users to perform much work for themselves to keep track of and understand ongoing processes. Some authors define groupware inaccurately, as any application that involve networking and allows individuals to share data may fall into the category of groupware. Other authors such as Robert Johansen defines groupware as “specialized computational tools designed for the use of collaborative working groups.”

History  In its modern form, the concept has been proposed by the Lotus software with the popular Lotus Notes application related to a Lotus Domino (Lotus Domino Server); some historical revisions argue that the concept was anticipated earlier by monolithic systems such as NLS. The computer program that uses Wikipedia is an example of a collaborative software, which is also open source, so it has been designed without the constraints of proprietary software in terms of treatment, without the limitations of social hierarchy.

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Professional hosting

In the professional hosting it is very important to organize the space that will occupy the teams. Regardless of what type of housing is concerned, the servers are systematically located in special rooms called data centers housing.

Data center

A data center is organized into bays, or cabinets that can house items on shelves with a standard space of 19 inches (48.26 cm.). A bucket usually has a space of 40U, 47U or 52U, where U designates the basic unit of height of each element that can be placed on a shelf. 1U corresponds to a height of 1.75 inches (approximately 4.445 cm.).This explains why professional servers are in industrial metal boxes for 19-inch racks.Many network elements (switches, routers, firewalls, etc.) come in 19-inch racks in 1U, 2U or 4U. There are also sliding drawers with a flat screen, keyboard and mouse that can be integrated into a 1U spot.

Choosing a host

While admittedly allocated storage space, bandwidth and power of the server hosting the website are crucial, are not the only factors to consider when choosing a host.In fact, the lack of availability of a web site or data loss can be quite costly for a company. Therefore, most data centers hosts offer guarantees for the security of the server:

Physical access security to the data center thanks to access control (badge, magnetic or possibly biometric card) and surveillance system permanently attached to the security department video. In addition, the compartments are closed with a system of padlocks equipped with intrusion detection mechanisms.

Fire safety through fire detection systems for particle analysis called VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Alarm) Early detection systems or fire with a fire extinguisher system gas. There are two methods of fire extinguishing gas base:

The emission of gas Halon 1301, currently banned in many countries because of its toxicity.

The emission of an inert gas designed to stop combustion in bays by lowering the oxygen level in the air: Gas Inergen (consisting of 52% N2 and 40% Ar 8% CO2) gas or Argonite (composed of 50% N2 and 50% Ar).

Issuing a gas inhibitor designed to prevent combustion: gas FM 200 (CH3HF7) gas or FE13 (CHF3).

The vaporization of water droplets highly pressurized nitrogen below 200 microns in diameter to cool the combustion area.

Security in the physical environment: regulation of humidity (the humidity) and temperature through air conditioning, air extractors usually located on magazines and fans usually installed under the compartments.

Backup power feeds, critical infrastructure (routers, air conditioning, etc.), Internet lines and the existence of converters and even generators.

A guarantee of quality of service (QoS) as well as service restoration in the event of malfunction called TSO (Guaranteed Repair Time) or guaranteed repair time.

In addition, hosts generally offer additional services that become useful and even essential:

Remote reboot thanks to a power distribution unit (PDU), ie a system of electrical switches that can be controlled remotely through the web interface. The switches generally used are APC MasterSwitch (APC is the acronym for American Power Conversion Corporation). This type of switch is often equipped with a surge protector (SurgeArrest).

Service telephone request to restart the server remotely. Usually, the operator requests a passphrase and sometimes personal information to verify the client’s identity.

Filtering service, ie firewall, in the upstream compartment.

Traffic tracking service. Most of the time the system MRTG (Multi-Router Traffic Grapher) or graphics generator for multi router traffic is used. The system generates graphic images of the amount of traffic on the network lines.

Automatic backup mechanisms.

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Six essential steps for managing suppliers

Not long ago, Gartner predicted that in the future would not only IT technology, rather it would focus on managing a wide range of service providers. His prediction seems certain.

Several years later, that is exactly what is happening and change no doubt continue. Increasingly, IT professionals need to be efficient and effective in the management of third-party service providers.

 A successful vendor management model consisting of six steps:

Step 1: Process evaluation

A good relationship with suppliers begins long before signing a contract. The first step is to ensure that the business process you need is outsourcing.

This business process will reveal, in turn, not well measured, mismanaged and disconnected from what you want interdepartmental processes that are fragmented.

To benefit and receive the benefits of outsourcing, a true understanding of their processes, their exits and their costs from end to end is needed.

This will develop metrics meaningful and appropriate performance, a key ingredient that will allow you to establish a shared understanding with your provider about performance expectations and administration.

Step 2: Insource against outsourcing

Once you understand the process, you can objectively evaluate what the appropriate candidates for outsourcing are. Some considerations to take into account when making this decision is to assess whether a process is the core of a competitive strategy.

However, note that this can become very subjective. A stronger approach is to focus on the areas where you developed the most specialized skills and keep them in house, paying particular attention to the industry in which it is operating.

No matter what criteria you use, never take the decision to outsource lightly, because once it does, it can be a very slow and expensive process.

Step 3: Selection of suppliers

The days of the selection of suppliers on price alone are over, there are other considerations that should be incorporated, including the compatibility assessment culture that includes temporal orientation, organizational structure, processes of decision making, rate exchange and age of the workforce.

To analyze this cultural affinity, it is advisable to key questions your potential supplier, such as: Does the provider have experience with the job you want to do ?, Does your staff have worked in a similar environment to yours ?, Is financially stable ?, has standardized processes ?, can you provide economies of scale ?, it Has been sued by former clients?

Step 4: Development of contracts and negotiations

A team mentality must be brought to the stage of development and contract negotiations. In many companies, outsourcing contracts marketing sector, the legal department and senior executives then show it to the managers and staff who will work with the provider left.

The staff responsible for operational processes must be involved early in the negotiation and not after signing the contract. These employees will be a valuable contribution to items such as performance measurement and ensuring that nothing is overlooked from an operational perspective.

Step 5: The management of the employment relationship

The contract was signed and now is the time to build a collaborative partnership with the vendor. To do this, communication with the provider about company goals and strategy process, is key.

Create structures for the provider interact directly with internal customers. Furthermore motivate the supplier by promoting rewards and incentives, and make sure that it is committed to its internal staff.

Work management vendors never ends. It is an ongoing process that includes monitoring and creation of metrics, capturing the results, performance measurement and the measurement of feedback.

Step 6: Evaluation of results

With all the information that you will be able to meet regularly evaluate whether to continue with the outsourcing model. The decision to change providers, or even bring back to an in house model is very expensive and should not take the decision lightly. Continuous assessment of the results will maximize the return on investment of its partnerships with vendors.

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Choosing a help desk software?

Assessing the current situation of support department of the organization

In the process of selecting a help desk software, it is essential to analyze the needs of the organization to identify a solution that meets those needs.

Today every organization has or should have an IT department to support your internal customers. In turn, the IT department should have a tool that allows you to manage applications and user requirements, and to keep track of these requirements. After all, the main objective is that users are satisfied with the service provided by your support team service.

Understanding what the real needs of the organization, the current operation thereof, assess and be clear about what services provided by the IT area, and identify which of these services are critical (ERP, email, Office, etc. are ) it is critical to finding a solution that can meet these needs.

Analysis of the current situation

To understand the current situation regarding support service, you should analyze how they are working today, what are the problems to identify where they are not doing well, where there is a hole or lack of control, analyze what orders were received and how they handled so far, will allow us to align what is being done well, or not, within the area of ​​iT and the organization with what we like to do, correct the errors identified and start went to fix them.

The importance of the service catalog

Companies with 300 employees or more should have their processes clearly identified, organized and differentiated from other orders. For this classification is automatic from the start, it is crucial to have a catalog of services with which the user can correctly classify each order.

The service catalog should be designed with the aim of facilitating user to categorize your order. Speak to the user in their language, starting with that he understands what he is asking, is very important for the user to properly classify your order, which no margin for error which subsequently represent a waste of time having to reclassify each order .

When the service catalog is organized vertically, by type of service, with a natural language, the user feel close, the support agent will receive orders correctly classified. Have access to information on which to perform analysis, implement changes, correct behavior, make improvements to the user’s perception regarding the service received, improve more and more.

Categorizing orders: Incidents, Problems and Service Orders

It is very common that organizations have not properly classified and differentiated service at your table which is an incident and what a service request, that managed in the same way and are attended by the same people. It is essential to understand that not everything is simply “a new ticket”, which not all have the same procedure to give a solution, and that response times must also be different based on whether it is an incident or a service request .

An incident is an event that happens periodically to different users, which can occur constantly, for different reasons or reasons. Having a catalog of services that allows the user to identify and correctly categorize each order, if we know when and how often happen these events, we can have information of forensic, real and credible character with which we can scan for a possible cause. Then we will be able to change what is causing this error and find a definitive solution to this, we are directly attacking the virus and not a symptom of the disease before it becomes a problem. This type of information about orders, will detect behavior patterns of errors that require a second level analysis to definitively resolve the errors, and step by step go achieving a continuous improvement in the service provided.

Service Order vs. incidents

There is a clear difference between what a service request and incident comprise two universes of things that will determine the response time and resolution should be estimated for each type of request. For example, we know well what the procedure for the purchase of a new team, who are the people involved in that process, and what are the steps and estimates each stage of the process time process. Instead, when an incident occurs, it is an unexpected event, we do not know what caused it and we must investigate the source to find a solution.

The company shall organize the way they work so that you can measure and identify what are the things you can start processing and differentiate an incident to give the corresponding treatment are. If the organization does standardize their processes, you will be ready to optimize their level of service, providing timely and appropriate attention to each order, which is summed up in a good perception of the service by the user.

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Cloud offering models: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.

These three concepts already seen in previous posts, are fundamental and are the basis for understanding the different offers that we will find on the market. Start with IaaS and PaaS natural evolution continue along and finally with SaaS.

In a model of IaaS provider which delivery is as its name says, infrastructure. Therefore, here we work closely with the virtualization layer and have access to all the capabilities that gives us the orchestrator or user panel.

The objective sought in these services is to have the ability to design and work on your own virtual platform hardware level. They are usually projects in which the user needs to create their own servers, install and manage. Also certain resources, which of course must be included within the service, as can be firewalls, managing backups, monitoring, etc. will be needed In this case, the user has a somewhat technical profile and is especially suitable for projects where there are very specific requirements that do not offer more standard solutions.

In this mode, if for example the user wants to mount a web platform, you will have to make an analysis of initial requirements, install servers, configuring networks, firewalls, installing applications, database, and whatever else you need for the project. Despite all these tasks, you will enjoy all the advantages of scalability, flexibility, automation and other technology offered by the Cloud.

IaaS is always counted as the first phase of adoption of Cloud because it is the closest thing to the way of working that has been followed in companies so far, but if you look, we are still far from that main objective, which was abstracted from the hardware layer.

The next step for natural evolution, is to look for some standardization in any of these items and then jump to PaaS. This model proposes a software environment in which a developer can create and adapt or customize solutions within a context of tools that the platform provides. In a PaaS model customers can interact with the software to enter or retrieve data, perform actions etc., but they have no responsibility to maintain or design the hardware that supports this software layer.

As service platforms allow web applications developer forget the storage management database, balancing between machines, bandwidth, scalability, peak demand stability. In short, the platform on which you create your Web application is not the responsibility of the user, is the service that you hire and also pay in pay-per-use.

This allows focus on the application and save costs: are the two immediate advantages of the platforms as a service.

 And finally, and now with total abstraction of physical elements, we turn to SaaS. This is the most comprehensive service model because, software and hardware is offered as a joint service.

SaaS can be described as software that is deployed to a provider in a hosting service for example, and can be accessed globally via the Internet using a browser. Here, all technical aspects than the interaction itself with the application are transparent to the user. The clearest example and we work for a long time, is email. When accessing our platform online mail, we do not worry about if we need more hard drive, if one or three servers, directly we access through a browser to a service and as this platform has a cost, then pay a subscription that can be monthly or yearly, by the use of this service.

This offers important advantages summarized below:

Total abstraction of technical elements

The software is available globally through internet and on-demand at any time

The maintenance of the platform is the provider’s responsibility

They are usually multi-user platforms and high availability

We Always  work with latest versions

This service model typically aims to reach small and medium enterprises, and is the most simple, fast and direct way to access software without worrying about the technical layer. The catalog of applications currently on the market SaaS is huge, and as the technical user discover the advantages of this embodiment will be even greater.

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Cloud business models.

The need to reduce costs in the company boost to European SMEs gives. At present, most companies are forced to study cost reduction projects allow them to adjust that budgets and save as much as possible. one of the most affected areas by these decisions are often the systems management departments, support, it in general; businesses cannot afford while in many cases reduced budgets that directly affect their field of work, trying to economize in departments: such as HR and IT.

That is why in regard to technology, more and more willing to listen to new proposals, sometimes far from offered by large multinationals those that have traditionally governed the field. Today’s offer is so broad technological services (hosting, web design, email, data protection, etc.) and evolves so rapidly, companies seek greater adaptability to their needs. Because of this, they are beginning to gain strength small and medium suppliers and service publishers. According to high prices and prefixed packages by large companies in the industry, SMEs offer these services with more competitive prices; being reliable having better adaptability to the needs of each client, it can reduce costs to the maximum without reducing the quality of service.

The model, which began many years ago, became very popular especially in the last five years thanks to improved technology that already integrates and the economic crisis, which has led to “cloud” as a perfect model for a time when keep costs under control and provide mechanisms to make flexible IT management is key. Very authoritative statistics and market sources predict that “in a short time, all companies will use the cloud, just as email or pc were adopted in the past.” why? There’s no doubt: “because cloud computing enhances productivity and competitiveness.”

The traditional IT delivery model has changed completely in Spain with the arrival of cloud and technology as a service. Now, almost any computing resource can be understood as a service and in a few years has gone from a first offer solutions in the basic cloud, as could be the email to other solutions with many more features and virtually wrap all operational of the company, as it can be a server or management of a data center in the cloud for business applications. This has greatly facilitated the supply and provision of IT resources within organizations. For example, in the case of Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), you previously had to buy servers, firewalls, configure, manage, test, etcetera.

Now, with cloud, it is not necessary meet those initial investments in hardware acquisition and all that technical capacity is managed from the internet, from the cloud: we have the resources we need when we need them, without obsolescence, oversizing or underutilized resources. experts believe that the offer cloud is mature and “continues to evolve on a basic structure based on the principles of the model (ease of use, pay per use and monitoring of consumption, flexibility and elasticity, easy to access via internet …), and this it is constantly incorporating new functions in a transparent manner, because IT does cloud providers., moreover, the adoption of cloud in enterprises is growing above expectations.

The search for competitiveness and greater efficiency is leading, even the most reluctant to adopt the cloud as a priority to continue to develop its business on a model IT clearly strengthens its competitiveness. As for the type of companies that are best embracing the cloud model are those that implement new projects and choose to do so directly in this model from the start. A clear example are the “start-ups” who have no prior infrastructure and choose to manage their resources directly in the cloud, without even conceive of doing it on a traditional architecture can be inefficient that. The large initial appeal model is the cost savings usually that can mean for businesses, mainly by its pay per use model and because it avoids the initial investments. However attractive the most important, often IT should be to adapt the near real-time flexibility to actual needs. Therefore, there are already many firms which choose the cloud by another of its great advantages: the multiplier effect of productivity as it makes available to any enterprise IT resources that were previously only available to large corporations and with a speed of own implementation model as a service. Unlike the traditional model, companies can now have new servers in less than 10 minutes, when he had previously wait weeks to choose the system, negotiate the price, wait we serve, install software and operating systems, concept testing… those weeks gained are weeks of productivity because they allow us, for example, ahead of competitors in strategic business decisions.

[techniqs]

Image: smartdatacollective.com

Could Big data threaten competitiveness?

Margrethe Vestager - Commissioner of Competition in the European Commission - intends to look at the market data solutions and assess whether these technologies are not used in operations in breach of EU competition rules. The Commissioner claims that so far she did not come into contact with any pathological practices and this problem does not require any special regulations - but in her opinion it should be examined.

“Using big data technology (analysis of large data sets) to monitor the company’s operations and consequently reduce costs and create better services tailored to the needs of customers - is of course something positive. However, we can imagine a situation in which only a few companies control the information you need to provide customers with better services and cut costs - it would give them a position strong enough to supplant the market competition. A restriction of competition can cause the company to lose the motivation to use big data to improve its offer.”- explained Margrethe Vestager.

Concerns about the potential problems associated with the use of analytics and Big Data technologies are becoming increasingly frequent. It may be noted in a report recently published by the US office of the FTC showing similar doubts. For now, however, they are only a general warning for which with any concrete actions.

The European Commission representative explained that the question of the risks associated with the reduction of competitiveness is often raised by the committee. During the procedure of giving opinions on planned corporate merger - to assess the impact of the merger of two entities on the market a very important issue is how much data control both companies, as well as whether the data are available from other sources. This criterion was crucial eg. when assessing the acquisition of DoubleClick by Google six years ago whether to buy WhatsApp by Facebook two years ago.

In the case of Google / DoubleClick it seemed that it was this issue could result in the suspension of the transaction - as you know, Google controls huge amounts of data from many areas, and DoubleClick had a huge impact on your market segment (Internet advertising). “In this case it was considered, however, that there is no reason for concern for customers and competitors, because even though the merger of two companies still were many alternative sources of the necessary information” - explained Vestager.

It is worth recalling that, although the Commission has not blocked the acquisition of DoubleClick, it raised objections to the effects of the transaction - including how Google promotes its own service in your browser. The EC also examines whether it is compatible with the competition rules is the “packaging of” Google advertising services with other companies (eg. Applications and the Android operating system).

“Control over unique data resources not only gives companies the ability to negatively influence the actions of competitors - at the same time can allow them to block entry of potential competitors. So we have to make sure that new ideas and projects have a fair chance of entering the market. Powerful companies can not block new ideas and initiatives ”- explained Margrethe Vestager.

According to the Commissioner, the big data is the same “business tool” like any other - because they are not in this market segment need any additional regulations. “Excess is there a new, separate code. We did not need it after all if the market were placed first fax machines, credit cards or PCs ”- said Vestager

It is also known that the European Commission does not plan to take any action against companies because they operate in the field of big data - will be crucial here is how these companies operate. “If we see that an organization uses the data in a way that adversely affects competition and disadvantages associated with their use outweigh the benefits, then we can intervene and restore the balance of the market. But we can not take action just because a company controls a large amount of data - because it does not automatically mean that it threatens the competitiveness”- added the representative of the European Commission.

It is eg. by Google or Facebook, which have gigantic resource of information about the market and users - this is due simply to the nature of their business (both companies provide their services free of charge, as it were acquiring in exchange customer data). “For the Facebook or Google customer information is simply currency they receive in exchange for their” free “service. Using this new currency means a completely new challenge - this type of commercial transactions is not clearly communicated, the messages do not appear “exchange rates”, so it is often difficult to assess how much data actually handed“- said Vestager.

An additional problem is that after the "deal” - the transfer of data on a company - the relationship between it and the customer does not end there. You have a real reason to worry about how their data are used and whether they are adequately protected. As cited by Margrethe Vestager statistics show that only one in four web surfer has no reservations as to how services and companies, whose services are used, they treat the data. Despite this, the European Commission does not plan to introduce any regulation in this segment - the Commissioner apparently intends to rely, rather, on the standard market mechanisms.

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DEFINITION OF THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE

The infrastructure consists of a set of physical devices and software applications required to operate across the enterprise. However, the infrastructure is also a set of services across the enterprise, budgeted by management, covering both human and technical capacities. These services include the following:

The services that a company is able to provide its customers, suppliers and employees are a direct function of their IT infrastructure. In Ideally, this infrastructure should support the business strategy and information systems of the company. The new information technologies have a powerful impact on business strategies and IT, as well as services that can be offered to customers.

computing platforms that are used to provide computing services that connect employees, customers and suppliers within a coherent digital environment, which includes large mainframes, desktop computers and laptops as well as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and devices Internet.

telecommunications services that provide connectivity data, voice and video to employees, customers and suppliers.

data management services that store and manage corporate data and provide capabilities for analyzing data.

Services software applications provide capabilities across the enterprise, as systems of enterprise resource planning, management of customer relations, management chain sumininstro and knowledge management, which are shared by all business units.

Management Services physical facilities that develop and manage the physical facilities required for computer services, telecommunications and data management.

IT management services to plan and develop infrastructure, coordinate IT services between business units, handle accounting IT spending and provide project management services.

Services IT standards that give the company and its business units policies that determine which information technology is used, when and how.

IT training services that provide employees with training in the use of the systems and managers, training on how to plan and manage IT investments.

Research and development IT company that provide research on IT projects and investment potential that could help the company to differentiate itself in the market.

This perspective of “service platform” facilitates understanding of the value of businesses that provide infrastructure investments. For example, it is difficult to understand the real business value of a fully equipped personal computer running at 3 GHz and cost around $1,000 or a high-speed connection to the Internet without knowing who will use it and what use will be given. However, when we look at the services we offer these tools, its value becomes palpable: the new PC enables a high-cost employee who earns $ 100,000 a year to connect to all major enterprise systems and public Internet. The service High-speed Internet saves this employee about an hour a day waiting for information from the Internet. Without the PC and the Internet, the value of this employee to the company could be halved.

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Insurance CRM Software

The biggest challenge for insurance companies today is attracting customers. CRM solutions exist that allow you to optimize this task, know what features must have adequate and specific solution for the insurance industry.

The crucial aspect is to provide excellent customer service, whose relationship with the insurer typically occurs when you have a problem and needed to use the coverage your policy.

Solving these problems efficiently and with good care to the insured not only help us keep them loyal and leave in search of a better price, but will attract new customers and avoid harming the reputation of the company, a very important aspect when we know that many potential customers base their decisions on opinions in Internet searches. Equally, it will identify dissatisfied customers and competitive threats, providing necessary corrective actions in situations like these.

These are the key features:

Segmentation and market knowledge and customers.

Holistic view of the customer interaction history, policy information, renewal dates and opportunities to sell additional products and services.

Identify high-value customers and develop appropriate campaigns, targeted marketing.

Workflow to set the optimum processes in the company, and standardize the procedures for agents and brokers.

Process automation to simplify administrative tasks.

Communication platform with efficient, fast and flexible customer, marketing campaigns “One to One” perfectly targeted.

Integration with business intelligence tools and create them from dashboards and reports productivity dynamic agents, brokers, performance indicators, claims management and other activities.

Easy-to-learn and use.

Quick and easy access to implement legal changes and new regulations.

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IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL, SET A PRIVATE CLOUD UP

When we talk about the cloud in the company one of the main problems that arise is the loss of security and control of data. At the end of the cloud does not exist, we are simply using a third party server. But in these cases we have the opportunity to work without losing control now riding a private cloud.

It is to have the server located in our office, but allows us to access applications from any location we need. It is available from any location to put the applications that you have installed on the server and allow remote access to those resources. Private cloud that has long been underway

If we refine a little longer process, we should look for applications that have adapted their design to mobile browsing or had an app that can be configured to access them from a smartphone or tablet, something essential if we mobile users and less If you only want to access from other locations.

WORK AND ALWAYS CONNECTED MOBILE FORCES FROM OTHER FACILITIES FOR EMPLOYEES.

The problem is that often this is only possible through access Terminal Server where the user connects to the server to work, the connection is slow and in some cases forced to install on the server a number of resources that would not be needed to work locally. Thus it is best to have only one server to help us manage these remote connections.

Of course this requires us two fundamental issues. For one more maintenance and management of the services the company provides workers to connect remotely, and on the other, have a bandwidth contracted with adequate speed, both speed downstream and upstream .

While security systems both in controlling access of workers and what they can do each remote is one of the points to consider. We also have an added hardware or infrastructure spending, but also in software for the connections are made securely.

Yet perhaps the weakness of our own cloud montarnos is on mobility management, where many applications will not be comfortable, even for data query. Working with small dimensions screens designed for desktop can be very unproductive applications.

Everything depends on the type of applications you use our company. If we start from scratch you can find an application that can be accessed through the web browser, with your username and password, without relying on nothing more than Internet access.