In the early days of a business, a few folders on a shared drive or a handful of personal accounts usually get the job done, but as your team grows, so does the "digital friction." You’ve likely felt it: searching for a file you know exists but can't find, or realizing two people have been editing different versions of the same proposal for three hours.
The cloud has proven to be an extremely useful tool for the modern business. Not only does it provide anywhere-anytime access to applications, processing, storage, et al; it also delivers those products as a service, allowing you to budget for recurring costs rather than major upfront ones. This provides your organization with functional, supported, and secure computing environments that eliminate a lot of the support costs that traditional computing environments require. It sounds like a perfect scenario for small and large businesses alike, but things aren’t always what they seem, as a lot of cloud users have found that they have incurred several hidden costs by using cloud platforms. Today, we take a look at these hidden costs.
A study from Research In Action polled 468 CIOs about their cloud usage and the costs associated with them. Many admitted that cloud investment was one of the largest expenses their organization would have from a technology point of view. The study went on to find that while a majority of CIOs considered the “hidden” costs of this technology, much of the concern is alleviated by the reputation of their vendors. Some of the potential problems they considered include:
Having to put forth more effort to properly manage vendors, and their corresponding Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Bottlenecking and the impact poor cloud performance could have on brand perception, productivity, and customer support.
The increased cost of solving complex problems inside cloud environments.
Are these concerns justified? Sure, but they are hard to measure. Many businesses just haven’t developed a system to properly quantify the perceived loss in revenue tied to cloud inefficiency. In fact, most companies don’t have updated, automated methods in use to track and manage their cloud performance.
Many organizations also run into cloud cost overruns when dealing with the scale of their cloud platforms. Costs associated with over-provisioning (buying too much), under-provisioning (buying too little), management, and administration of cloud hosted environments present costs that may not look significant up front, but over time can have negative effects on the overall profitability of a business. Understanding the amount of space/processing you’ll need to meet your organization's needs is almost always going to be a fluid situation, but understanding how they affect your business’ bottom line is crucial to mitigate unwanted monetary responsibilities or cost overruns associated with the cloud platforms you utilize.
Cloud platforms are nice, but you don’t have to look much further than your personal situation to see how the ease of use these platforms provide can get expensive pretty quick. For the individual, costs add up quick thanks to cloud-based streaming media and other platforms that come in a subscription model. You’ve got Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, and many, many more that are relatively cheap. Microsoft Office 365 is exceptionally useful and affordable, providing unparalleled value for about any computer user. The more you subscribe to, the more costs add up, which is why you’ll want to design, and stick to a dedicated plan to avoid overextending yourself, or your organization.
Utility computing in the cloud, whether it be applications, storage, processing, or some other form, is extraordinarily valuable, but only if you understand how to avoid paying more than you should for your cloud assets. The knowledgeable technicians at Coleman Technologies can help you come up with cloud deployment strategy, while also helping you avoid cost overruns typically associated with these assets. Call us today at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.
Do your employees have a hard time with the technology that you’ve provided them? Are your digitization efforts lagging behind? Are the systems your business is using coming up on their end of support date? Old technology can cause major problems for a business. In this week’s blog, we go through some of the signs that you may need to upgrade your business’ technology.
One of the most frustrating things any employee can deal with is a work computer that takes significantly longer than their personal computer to load up and function. The longer a computer is used, the slower it will become. If your computer is approaching the five-year mark and the person using it is constantly complaining that it is a hindrance to their ability to be productive (not to mention run more advanced applications that your business may use), it is probably time to consider an upgrade of that particular machine.
For more centralized computing, you should keep in mind that we recommend that you start considering your server refresh at the four-year mark. While you can probably continue using that technology for years after that, you need to start considering a server upgrade because it takes some time to pull the trigger on large technology expenses and services.
If your company is experiencing a boom in growth, getting technology into your employees’ hands comes with the territory; and, it can start to become an issue. Not only do your employees need different types of technology, as your business grows this will become an even bigger issue, as presumably the array of different job-related tasks will diversify.
Another issue is that if you’ve found success with older software (often called legacy), you may find it more difficult to purchase new hardware that is compatible with the older software. Of course, there are options to rent server space in the cloud to accommodate this demand, but there are other issues you then have to consider. Most businesses that maintain an upward trajectory find ways for their technology to grow with their business.
Managing a remote workforce is a lot different than managing people that come to a central location five days a week. It becomes an issue to get everyone on your team the technology they need. In this case, obtaining resources in the cloud makes a lot of sense. Today, you can get nearly any computing your company needs through cloud-hosted offerings.
Since the average cloud platform cuts computing and support costs by around a third, it creates a situation where an organization that has distributed employees will prioritize cloud computing due to the ease in which they can deploy required resources, the ability for access from nearly anywhere, and the built in management and support that you get when you purchase SaaS applications.
Ultimately, new technology can allow you to do more, build a more efficient and productive business, and do so with whatever workforce you feel comfortable utilizing. At Coleman Technologies, our IT experts can help you procure and integrate your new technologies and help you manage your entire business IT infrastructure. Give us a call today at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.
Most businesses who utilize the cloud report that they have managed to cut costs while still getting the resources they need to perform to spec. Businesses can use the cloud for processing and storing data, as well as application deployment, making it a very dynamic solution to a business’ needs. However, you cannot make decisions based on cost alone. Here are some other factors to consider.
The benefits of cloud computing are many, with the cost of using it being perhaps the most important one. Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, is the most common way people use cloud computing with its global market being worth around $230 billion in 2022—a number that is increasing at this moment. It’s estimated that cloud growth sits at around 12-15 percent year to year, showing just how valuable businesses find these tools and possibilities.
To explain SaaS a little more in-depth, consider the following example. You might have purchased a software license to use a particular application in the past, renewing it year to year for the privilege of its continued use. Now, with cloud computing and SaaS, you pay what’s essentially a subscription fee for access to the latest version of the cloud-based software. You don’t have to outright purchase the solution and maintain it yourself—the provider handles that part for you and hosts it themselves on their own internal hardware.
There are other ways to use the cloud too, and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
There are great benefits to cloud computing, and the cost savings from using it are just the tip of the iceberg. Cloud computing might be more expensive on the surface compared to a single software license, but that cost also includes flexibility that saves you money in the long run. It also saves you from having to manage and maintain the solutions yourself, which can be costly and time-consuming in its own right.
More than 92% of businesses use services that are connected or run through the cloud, establishing it as a crucial part of business operations both now and in the future. Here are some of the other benefits that your company can take advantage of through moving some of its computing tasks into the cloud:
Now, there are some reasons you should be at least a little wary of the cloud, despite its many benefits. Just like any other technology solution, you need to know what you’re getting into before committing to it. The deployment method itself requires a high-speed Internet connection, and it must be reliable and safe to boot. Most cloud platforms have security features built into them, which is why over 90 percent of businesses have no qualms with using it, but it’s best to be aware of the risk, however small it might be.
Coleman Technologies can help your business with its cloud computing needs. To learn more, call us today at (604) 513-9428.
Other than the innovative jump from tape, data backup hasn’t seen too many great leaps forward, so to speak. Sure, businesses don’t have to worry about resource-intensive manual backups anymore, but the standard approach is so rock-solid that innovation isn’t necessarily needed at this point. Today, we are exploring the backup and disaster recovery process and how modern-day solutions have made an effective tool even better.
Did you know that nearly two out of five small and medium-sized businesses don’t have a backup solution in place?
This might surprise businesses that fully use their Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) platform. Despite our industry’s best efforts to educate and inform business owners of the importance of such a solution, what do these businesses do when they face a disaster or data loss incident?
Thankfully, most businesses with a system in place use BDR, and not tape.
BDR works by taking incremental backups. The solution then pushes a copy to an off-site location, typically a data center or the cloud. With BDR, you can rest easy knowing that your data is fully redundant. You’ll have a copy of your data in the cloud, on-site, and secure in an off-site location for whenever you need to deploy it.
BDR embraces the redundancy expected in today’s world of cyberattacks, user error, and natural disasters, and your business needs to do the same.
Certain technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, can make data backup more efficient and reliable.
Efficiency is the name of the game with artificial intelligence.
Through automation, AI can eliminate human error from your data backup solution. This makes your data backup system significantly more reliable and efficient. With data protection, you can’t take any risks, so this is an important trait to have.
AI can also help your data solutions integrate with your other business IT systems to improve redundancy further.
You might know the blockchain from its integration with cryptocurrency, but it’s also helpful for various parts of the backup process.
The blockchain is an immutable ledger distributed over various systems to ensure the reliability of its data. The data on the blockchain cannot be altered without creating a new node. In essence, this means that the blockchain is a powerful solution for security.
It’s not a perfect solution for data backup, but it can ensure that your backups are stored securely and reliably.
For assistance with setting up a secure BDR solution, contact Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428 today.
One option a business can take is by adding in a cloud productivity suite. Options like Google’s G Suite and Microsoft’s Office 365 can bring a business a lot of value, without the typically massive capital outlay the yearly software license would command. Besides, you probably already need licenses for a word processor and spreadsheet app anyway. Inside the software there are integrated collaboration options that allow your team to work on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations together in real time.
Efficient collaboration is not possible without strong communications. Today, there are options out there where an organization doesn’t necessarily need to invest huge sums in replacing their normal communications strategy to get the benefits that innovations made in the solutions can bring. By utilizing instant messaging, web-based conferencing, and cloud-based email companies can improve their top-to-bottom communication without taking on a lot of extra cost.
New innovations in communication software are now available that provide advanced collaboration options. Developed like a forum, but with direct communication options, and integrations with third-party applications, collaboration apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams have a lot of options to help drive team productivity forward.
If you are looking for ways to improve your organizational productivity, call the IT experts at Coleman Technologies today at (604) 513-9428.
It’s the cloud.
Specifically, software-as-a-service (SaaS).
In order to understand SaaS, you definitely need to have a cursory understanding of the concept of cloud computing. Basically—for you that don’t know—cloud computing is the use of servers hosted in data centers to provide your business (or individuals) the computing they need through the Internet. It’s as simple as that. Companies create data centers where any business can get the processing, the data storage, the services, and the software utilities they need. Software-as-a-service represents the last part of that. Basically, if you need a piece of software, you can now get it in the cloud.
If you are going to buy software, why not buy a physical copy of the software? Well, you obviously still can, but in order to run the software, you will also need the infrastructure in place that can handle the dissemination and computation of data; you need reliable and continuous IT support to ensure that the hardware is maintained, the software is patched, and that any issues that come up are handled, if not proactively, quickly. You also need to ensure that the people using your software are networked together, which can be extremely costly to perfect and secure.
Software-as-a-service comes with all this. Not only does your business get the software it needs, it does so without having to take on the responsibility of maintenance, utility costs, and other detriments to having a centralized computing infrastructure. In most cases with a SaaS offering, the cloud provider will handle all of the hosting and maintenance costs and bake them into the cost of the service.
SaaS platforms are simple to set up and are completely scalable. This means that if you need five licenses for a certain program and 40 for another, you can get them. Better yet, you can add or remove users from any of these platforms for any monthly subscription cycle, allowing you to control your business’ computing costs more accurately than if you are trying to maintain multiple servers.
Users will sign in using a login and a password, and many of these offerings today come with two-factor authentication (2FA) as an additional security option. At Coleman Technologies, we recommend using 2FA on as many online accounts as you can. Once in, they have full access to the software. Users can select the storage they want to use to save and export files created with this software, giving them full control over their work.
Your business uses a lot of software, and if you could avoid paying for software upfront and turn your computing into an operational expense, it might just open up more available capital that you can use to invest in your vision.
If you would like more information about cloud computing or software-as-a-service, or you would like help implementing solutions that will help your business be the best it can be, call us today at (604) 513-9428.
The cloud provides a myriad of options for any-sized business. In the cloud, you can host applications, communications, storage, and even full-platform infrastructure. With so many options available, your business can get the computing power and tools it needs, when needed.
User Tip: When trying to determine which cloud platforms are right for you, you may find the cost/benefit analysis won’t give you the definitive answer you are looking for. Your best bet is to prioritize which information systems would work best hosted onsite and which one brings the most value hosted in the cloud. The best decision for your business’ bottom line may not be the best decision.
One of the most important aspects of cloud computing is the possibility that it provides a modern business. With all of the options the cloud presents, a business can pick and choose how to leverage them to produce increased productivity. Of course, the computing platform itself isn’t going to produce more, but with the data and application accessibility and the collaborative options the cloud provides a business, they are able to get more done, faster.
User Tip: Cloud computing may provide the ability for your team to collaborate better, but it isn’t going to produce anything on its own. One tip to ensure for efficient collaboration and enhanced teamwork using cloud interfaces is to assign one person to manage the files and data inside your cloud solution so that everyone knows who to go to if they need answers. Running a project is a lot like running a basketball team, one person has to run point.
Implementing cloud computing can absolutely help save a business money off the bat. A shift to the cloud works to eliminate huge capital costs. Say you need a server. If you bought, powered, and supported the hardware yourself, you are looking at a bill that’s likely in the five-to-six-figure range. If you choose a cloud, you can fire up a new server for a monthly fee that gives you a lot of the same computing power your business commands, without the waste of computing resources and the upfront expense you would see by running your own hardware.
User Tip: The cloud may help you transfer cost, but if you jump in with both feet it can get pricey quick. That’s why it is important to migrate your processes, data, and infrastructure to the cloud in small, incremental steps. It keeps operational costs down and keeps your IT administrator sane.
At Coleman Technologies, we understand the value of cloud computing, but we also recognize that the cloud isn’t right for every situation. If you would like to meet with our knowledgeable consultants about a shift to the cloud, call us at (604) 513-9428 today.
With communication rising to the top of many businesses’ priorities list, it’s no wonder that Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is one of the most powerful ways to revitalize your company’s communications infrastructure. If you’re still using your old traditional telephony solution, buckle up because you’re about to find out how to ditch it for good.
VoIP uses your Internet connection rather than a traditional telephone line to make and receive calls, making it a cost-effective, dynamic, flexible, and scalable solution that can quickly pay for itself. But what do you need to know when implementing it for the first time? Let’s go over the best way to implement VoIP for SMBs.
Before you commit your business to a particular VoIP solution, assessing your business’ specific needs is important. Consider how many users you have and whether or not they are remote, in-office, or a mixture of the two, as this will determine the hardware you need to procure for them. Also worth considering is what kinds of features you need and whether or not you would benefit from more advanced ones. Most VoIP solutions come packed with all their capabilities right out of the box, so it’s more about picking the right provider. With all of this in mind, you can confidently approach implementing a new solution.
Once you know what you need, it’s time to find a solution and a provider that offers just that, customized to suit your organization's specific requirements. You’ll want to work with a provider who has a proven history of reliability, security, and excellent customer support. The right provider should be able to help you answer questions regarding the services offered, the features of their solutions, pricing plans, and options to scale. Also, consider how well your new VoIP solution will integrate with your existing systems and how it will contribute to your company’s continued success.
Finally, you can begin the implementation process of getting your VoIP solution set up. Depending on how you want to set up your solution, it could be as easy as installing smartphone applications and creating accounts or as involved as installing new handset hardware and integrating with your CRM and other communications platforms.
Does your business want to implement VoIP, but you’re worried about making all of the right choices yourself? Thankfully, you can have Coleman Technologies explore your options. We can help you take a relatively hands-off approach to VoIP implementation. We’ll help you determine the best path forward, implement it, and maintain it for you so that you can focus on running your business. Learn more about how we can support your business by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.
It may seem pretty simple, but there really are a lot of variables to consider. How important is uptime to your business? How much capital are you willing to spend? What are you using the server for? These questions (and more) need to be addressed before you decide which way to go with your IT.
The physical server option brings with it some substantial benefits. Firstly, it gives you physical control over your infrastructure, and therefore keeps all data in one central location. It also provides a way for administrators to eliminate third-party access of server resources. Secondly, you have several networking options. It is the only time that the Internet is not necessary, as all inhouse servers can use wired or wireless networking to transmit data over internal network. For the small business, an in-house server can be the most cost effective.
The biggest detriment of the in-house server is the upfront capital outlay. In order to have an effective IT infrastructure set up, your company will need to fork over thousands of dollars to purchase the hardware. Then, once it’s set up and working, you will need to pay to maintain it, so without a structured IT department or a managed IT service agreement, you won’t have any uptime guarantees.
Hosted solutions can be right for your business, but first you have to understand what exactly you are gaining. Firstly, unlike in-house servers, you don’t have to have a pile of cash dedicated to build a cloud server. Moreover, when your business grows, you won’t have to worry too much about scaling the hardware, you can just purchase all the computing that your organization requires.
Most cloud servers come with all the support that is needed as well as full redundancy, a consideration that has to be made no matter what type of infrastructure you choose to implement.
The main detriment of the cloud server is that, over time, it will be more expensive than in-house servers. Another potential deal-break for some organizations is that if they absolutely demand to have control over their hardware, most cloud platforms will not abide. Storage costs can also be substantial, especially for businesses that have a lot of media.
Of course, with the technology as it is today, companies can start with a reliable in-house computing structure and expand into the cloud for more productivity-fueled endeavors. One thing is for sure, to keep your business’ data safe, you need to have solid and consistent management of your servers.
If your business needs some expert help selecting the computing construct that will help you run your business effectively, don’t hesitate to reach out the IT technicians at Coleman Technologies at (604) 513-9428.
Running a business has definite highs and lows. When things start spiraling seemingly out of control, it’s important to maintain the confidence that with the right decision-making and conscientious action, you can get through any problem that a business faces. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss some of the technology that can help you get through tough situations.
One of the best technologies available for businesses today is cloud computing. It allows organizations to access technologies they typically couldn’t afford and allows them to be much more flexible with many strategies, including where their employees are located. With so many benefits, you’d wonder why businesses wouldn’t want to gain the myriad benefits cloud-based systems can present.
One of the best tools for keeping employees engaged and informed is collaboration apps. Not only do they allow employees to consistently engage with each other, but they can also function to keep them on task. Many of these apps also come with several integrations that can enhance operational efficiency, push projects forward, and allow for quick communication and scheduling.
For the retail business, online presence can keep businesses selling products when foot traffic is low. Today’s e-commerce platforms are secure and provide many reliable ways for customers to interact with your business.
When things don’t seem to be going well, it can really benefit an organization if it is able to make solid business decisions based on measurable metrics. By taking the guesswork out of business, an organization can push the right products and services to the right customers and improve revenue generation when it is needed most.
Businesses that control their inventory and supply chain best tend to waste less capital than organizations that use antiquated means to manage them. Having information about how products and components are managed and how they fit logistically into your business can prove useful in the overall management of your business.
Technology can be a huge benefit for businesses that, for whatever reason, are having some troubles. If you would like information about how Coleman Technologies technicians can fit technology into your business’ game plan, give us a call today at (604) 513-9428.
Microsoft has as good of a handle on the nature of cybersecurity as any other major software company. The sustainability of their business and the effectiveness of their products are dependent on it. If their security software didn’t work well, there is no way they could sustain their place as the world’s most important software company, right?
One problem they are running into is that their security is SO effective, that hackers had to shift the ways they tried to infiltrate networks and steal data. The establishment of phishing is a social engineering term for duping a victim into downloading software that’s only purpose is to gain access to their personal data, which leads to data and identity theft, and in the case of business computing, access to much more.
Today’s business has to deal with a lot of different security issues. First, they are responsible for having the technology protections connected to each part of their computing infrastructure. This can be as simple as having the router-supplied firewall and an antimalware program loaded on their server. It’s likely, however, that the average business will need more coverage over their network to secure it, and the data stored behind those security platforms.
Next, and maybe most crucially, it is the business’ responsibility to train its staff on what kind of issues to look out for. Today, most malware infections and other infiltrations are the result of a mistake made by a person that has credentials and access to data. If your organization doesn’t properly train your staff on how to eliminate these threats, there is a fair chance that your network will be inundated with some type of malware at some point.
Microsoft, acknowledging the need for an enterprise product that combines the power of their Windows 10 operating system, the productivity options presented from Office 365, and powerful security and compliance controls, has launched Microsoft Office 365. The cloud-based solution presents the core computing resources that any business could use in a product that is available right now from Coleman Technologies.
Our knowledgeable technicians can help you find the right security platform for any of your business’ computing needs. Call us today at (604) 513-9428.
Let’s say you are with three people and you need to get someplace and don’t have access to a car. You all could call an Uber or a taxi that would cost you $20 or so. If you are going to the same place, you could all share the cost of a ride for $7 each. You all get to the same place for a fraction of the cost.
This is a lot like how cloud services work. Since you are paying for access to storage, processing, or application deployment on an outside computer, you are just paying rent for the privilege. This means that you can get the computing resources your business needs at a substantial cost savings. This is because you are often not the only one using these resources.
Just like you pay less if you split your transportation costs, cloud service companies allow for substantial cost savings by virtualizing computing resources and making them available at attractive rates.
The combination of leasing these virtualized computing resources, while taking on a majority of the management of these resources, provides substantial value for businesses and individuals.
Let’s say that, to continue the rideshare metaphor, you decide to lease a car from a local dealership. One day the car breaks down. You’ve spent a premium amount of money trying to get a reliable ride to work, but if you don’t have access to your car, your investment isn’t cost effective. This is the same experience a business has that purchases hardware and has issues with it. Outsourcing the computing resources (or the management) ensures that you have continuous, reliable access to them.
Finally, just like ordering a shared ride, cloud services allow you maximize productivity. With cloud computing you can even work from anywhere with an Internet connection and utilize your time reliably. Turning to cloud computing resources is a great way to free yourself from the costs of purchasing expensive hardware, while giving you the resources your business needs to get where you want to go.
If you would like more information about cloud services and how they can improve your business, call the It experts at Coleman Technologies today at (604) 513-9428.
Microsoft 365 is a bundle containing Office 365, the Enterprise version of Windows 10, along with Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility + Security. Microsoft 365 is comprised of all of these solutions, meaning your business will benefit from all of the features that come with these solutions, with just one package. So, what does this package include exactly?
Here are all of these solutions you could or should be taking advantage of with Microsoft 365:
Here at Coleman Technologies we understand this list is extensive. However, it is worth viewing as there could be solutions your business could benefit from. Coleman Technologies has the technicians needed to help you procure, implement, and manage the right solutions for you. Reach out to us at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.
Software makes or breaks businesses, so your software strategy should be implemented with sound logic in mind. One of the ways you can make the most out of your limited resources and budget is to consider cloud-hosted Software as a Service offerings. With SaaS, you can implement better software that is more accessible, flexible, and manageable than the traditional method of hosting.
We want you to know that we have your back and can help you implement any technology solutions you decide would work well for your business. All you have to do is call us at (604) 513-9428 to get started. Now, let’s dive into the many benefits of SaaS applications for small businesses.
Many employees are now going about their everyday tasks while out of the office, so accessibility is a major factor that plays into companies’ consideration of SaaS solutions. The cloud makes for a great way for your team to access their solutions, giving them the ability to get work done whether from the comfort of the home or from the office itself. If the application can be hosted in the cloud, the only thing you need is a stable Internet connection to get work done.
Your infrastructure is likely to undergo significant changes as your business grows and evolves, and so too will the stress you place on your company’s network. The scalability and flexibility that comes from SaaS solutions is extremely helpful here, as you can add or remove accounts and users as you need to. You’ll have greater control over your company’s capital by being able to remove accounts that no longer see any use.
For example, you can create an account for a temporary worker, then cancel the account after the employee leaves your business. This means you’re not purchasing an entire license for a short-term arrangement.
If you use SaaS solutions, you’ll be relieved to know that you aren’t going to be the one managing and maintaining the solution. This will be done by the cloud service provider, and on top of that, they will also patch and update their services so that you’re always using the most up-to-date versions of your software. It’s great for businesses that have limited resources for managing IT.
Coleman Technologies can help your business implement SaaS solutions and best utilize your available resources. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.
We have not been shy about expounding upon the benefits of the cloud for businesses, as these benefits are both considerable and accessible. That being said, not even the cloud is completely perfect, and there are security errors that can easily be made.
Let’s go through these security errors to see if any sound familiar to your situation.
Here’s the thing: if your cloud resources are open to anyone, nothing in them can be considered secure. This is why proper access controls—ideally supported by multi-factor authentication—are so important to have.
The data and processes that the cloud can help you support are valuable to your business. Frankly, they’re critical. Leaving them exposed thereby puts your business at risk. Implementing access controls to limit access to your cloud resources to only the team members that actively need them is therefore necessary—and this access should also require multi-factor authentication requirements (identify authentication measures that go beyond just the username and password combination) to be met before it is granted.
Today’s businesses have various options available to them, in terms of how they put the cloud to use. Many will elect to utilize public cloud resources that are maintained and managed by an external provider, many will host and maintain their own cloud infrastructure within their business, and many will use a hybrid model that incorporates both for different purposes.
Regardless of the type of cloud you use, it is important that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Remember, the cloud is just another server that you are able to access remotely. What if something were to happen to the cloud infrastructure you were relying on?
This is precisely why it is important that you have backups for all of your cloud data—especially for that which you use a private, self-hosted cloud to store. And while it is true that most reputable cloud providers will actively store your data in numerous physical locations as a form of protective redundancy, it is always best to get this in writing in case the worst winds up happening.
Of course, backups are just one element of keeping your data safe. Again, while most public cloud providers are relatively very secure, data leaks and theft are not unheard of. Furthermore, data needs to travel back and forth between the user’s endpoint device and the cloud infrastructure, giving an enterprising cybercriminal the chance to take a peek while said data is in transit.
In this context, avoiding a breach will require you to keep your cloud data encrypted, which scrambles it to anyone who tries viewing it without the proper decryption key. This measure is actually required by many regulations that businesses of assorted kinds must abide by, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), making noncompliance a direct detriment to your business in general.
In fact, we can say the same for all of your business’ critical technology. Here to provide British Columbia with the best that the managed services model of technology support has to offer, we’re hoping to get the opportunity to assist you and your business in accomplishing more. Find out what we could do for you by reaching out to us at (604) 513-9428.
There are a few kinds of vendors, offering various things to businesses like assorted supplies, equipment, and services. One kind of vendor that has grown increasingly crucial in particular, is that which delivers cloud services to businesses. Due to the expansion of the cloud’s utility in all kinds of business purposes, the choice of a vendor has also expanded in importance.
How to Select the Right Vendor, for Cloud Services and Otherwise
This is going to require some preemptive research and consideration of your own goals. Once you’ve determined your priorities in both the short and long-term, you and your IT resources should examine your available options to see which vendor is most compatible - and that’s in more ways than one.
Not only should your vendor offer what you need at a reasonable rate, there should be some consistency in the goals that your organization and theirs have. You also need to be able to trust your vendor to attend to the services agreed upon, whether that’s a managed agreement or a simple equipment procurement.
How Cloud Services are Different
However, your vendors for your cloud services should be held to a somewhat higher standard - after all, your data is going to be at stake. Therefore, it is important that they be graded differently than your other vendors would be.
Before committing to a cloud service provider; or a cloud strategy in earnest, there are two considerations that must be examined. First, what data is your vendor going to be able to access, and second, what applications can your vendor access as well?
After this initial consideration, you need to also take other factors into account, like how business-critical a said process is, how compliant they are to certain policies, and how much risk is involved in a given action. From there, you can establish if a particular cloud vendor is a good fit or not.
At Coleman Technologies, we can technically be considered a vendor ourselves, as we provide our managed services to other businesses. As such, we’d like you to consider us a candidate for your IT needs. Give us a call at (604) 513-9428 for more information.
Wish One: Security Awareness
Some IT professionals feel like their job never ends, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity. They might feel that training employees to be aware of their actions is an uphill battle that just never stops. Increasing awareness of security is one of the key roles that an IT department plays for your organization, and if you can make their lives easier by shifting any of this responsibility from them, they’ll greatly thank you for it.
Wish Two: More of the Cloud
The cloud is a great way for organizations to get more out of their technology as it allows them to access services that might be exceptionally time-consuming to manage in-house. Saving this time is something that your IT department would relish, as they likely have their hands full with their current responsibilities. The cloud alleviates many of these pains, as it improves operations by enabling your business’ employees to access solutions on any device they want. The cloud gives your organization the opportunity to eliminate waste and deliver assets in a much more convenient and accessible way.
Wish Three: Improved Working Relationships
IT often has to deal with much more than just keeping your business running; it also involves communicating with other workers in your office. To put it in simple terms, the IT department is going to be on the receiving end of all your employees’ frustrations. You can give your IT the gift of a policy in which they must hear IT out. This gives them the ability to learn a little bit about the process, and it could potentially save several contacts with the IT department, meaning more time for them to spend on other initiatives. An outside perspective is helpful for helping people understand each other.
Does your business need the gift of managed IT? Coleman Technologies can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.
There are rules for doing business that most people understand. That status quo has been around for a long, long time, but as technology advances, it does more than connect parts that weren’t connected before; it can break down some of the old notions about the ways businesses are run and give people who think outside the box a leg up going forward. Let’s look at three ways business leaders are innovating how they do business.
Many small businesses have started to leverage cloud-based collaboration tools to enhance communication and productivity. These apps provide a centralized space for teams to collaborate in real-time, regardless of where they work. This streamlines communication and allows for efficient project management and file sharing.
Due to customer demand, small businesses have increasingly adopted e-commerce platforms and developed mobile apps. This strategy enables them to tap into online markets that grow each year. These apps facilitate features such as online ordering and digital payments while providing personalized customer experiences.
For years, enterprises have used data analytics tools to gain valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiency. Today, small businesses are just beginning to utilize these technologies. By collecting and analyzing data—usually with the help of AI-fueled systems—companies can make informed decisions, optimize processes, and tailor their products or services to meet customer needs more effectively.
Technology is not just changing the way that we live, it is also changing the way the world operates. The IT experts at Coleman Technologies can help you determine what technology is right for your business and get you in a position where you don’t have to deal with adverse situations such as data loss and downtime. Give us a call today at (604) 513-9428 to learn more.
Cloud computing has become a common tool, especially Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Hosted software provides robust options that make sense to all companies, including anytime-anywhere availability, scalability, and provider management of the underlying hardware. In today’s blog, we want to discuss a couple of tips people can use when working with cloud computing.
Every business should back up its platforms, no matter where they are hosted. For cloud platforms, businesses need to automate regular backups. Since most cloud platforms offer scheduled backups, you’ll want to take advantage of these to protect critical files and databases. Since data loss or corruption can be catastrophic to your business, automating backups ensures you always have a recoverable version, minimizing downtime and disruption.
The cool thing about many cloud platforms is their ability to integrate with others. To get the most out of your cloud solutions, you’ll want to maximize productivity by combining your cloud software with other tools you use, such as CRM, project management, or marketing platforms. Look for APIs or built-in integration features to streamline processes across different software. Cloud services are built to work together with other platforms, and integrating them helps promote automation to reduce errors and improve efficiency.
Security always has to be a priority. Always enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for any cloud-based software. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification in addition to the traditional password. Since cloud software is accessible from anywhere, it can be more vulnerable to unauthorized access. MFA significantly improves security by protecting your accounts from being compromised, even if your password is stolen.
Controlling costs is always important in business. You need to monitor and manage your cloud storage usage. Archive old data and files rarely accessed to cheaper, long-term storage options and set up alerts for when you approach your storage limit to avoid unexpected costs. As your business grows, so do your data and cloud storage costs. You can optimize your storage by shifting infrequently accessed data to lower-cost options, which helps control expenses while ensuring important files remain accessible when needed.
If you want to talk to one of our IT professionals about making the cloud work for you, call us at (604) 513-9428.
Coleman Technologies has been serving the British Columbia area since 1999, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses. Our experience has allowed us to build and develop the infrastructure needed to keep our prices affordable and our clients up and running.
Get the Knowledge You Need to Make IT Decisions
Technology is constantly evolving, and keeping up can feel overwhelming. Whether you want to understand cybersecurity threats, explore automation, or learn how regulations like PCI DSS impact your business, we’ve made it easy to access clear, straightforward insights on key IT topics.
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