Coleman Technologies Blog

Of course, moving to a cloud-based email solution might seem a little intimidating--especially if you’ve never dealt with a cloud-based service before. We’ll help you make the jump with four tips and tricks to consider for this process.

How is Your Email Being Hosted?
First, you’ve have to determine whether the solution will be hosted in your own personal on-site cloud or if a service provider will host it. If you opt out of managing your own cloud-based email solution, you’ll have to determine if a public cloud is the best place for your email, or if you’d rather have it hosted privately by a managed service provider like Coleman Technologies.

Be Sure to Include Archiving and Backup
If you’re not taking advantage of archiving and backups for those archives, you could be putting your business in jeopardy. What if you ever have to refer back to past emails to determine who said what in the event of a disaster? You should be sure that you are routinely archiving your emails, as well as backing up those archives to make sure they are always available when you need them.

Don’t Forget About Security
If you’re storing your organization’s email infrastructure online in the cloud, you’ll have to worry about the security of it. Make sure that it’s protected--a firewall, antivirus, and especially encryption. With the amount of sensitive information found in most inboxes, you need to keep it secure.

Consider the Devices Used
When choosing an email solution, you should think about which devices will be accessing it. Most of the common email applications out there, including Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, and so on, will have mobile applications that can be downloaded to devices for on-the-go access. After all, if you’re implementing cloud-based email to improve access, you want to make sure your employees actually have access to it.

To learn more about how your business can take advantage of cloud-hosted email solutions, reach out to us at (604) 513-9428.

The types of cloud storage are:

Public
A public cloud is the most accessible form of cloud storage (and cloud computing) for most individuals and small businesses. It comes equipped tied to productivity, management, and other utility applications and is relatively affordable compared to all other types of computing/storage, coming in at just cents per gigabyte. Whatever gains you get from the public cloud, it typically loses in terms of flexibility and customization, as many providers charge a flat rate per user or have static service levels that must be adhered to.

Private
Private clouds differ in that the management of the cloud platform is delegated to your business (or to an outsourced provider like Coleman Technologies), which means that if you’re not taking care of it, nobody is. On the other hand, since your business is the one in control, you have freedoms that you wouldn’t have otherwise, including complete and total control over your cloud infrastructure.

Hybrid
A hybrid cloud storage system is one that takes the customization and flexibility of the private cloud and combines it with the accessibility and ease of use of the public cloud. Since some aspects of your business’ computing need more diligent care than others, hybrid cloud storage melds the cost-effective computing of the public cloud with the more hands-on private cloud to create a computing infrastructure that works the way your businesses needs it to work, while allowing for a pretty significant cost reduction in the places where it’s possible.

The Benefits
The main benefit of cloud computing is always going to be accessibility. You can get access to the files you need from anywhere in real time. Public cloud solutions allow your organization to forgo burning your available capital on the often-enormous upfront hardware costs, while adding the benefit of scalability. You can purchase the storage space you need and scale down and back as needed, but, as mentioned above, with public cloud solutions this benefit may be broken in to static tiers of available space.

The best way to take advantage of this is by working with a managed service provider like Coleman Technologies who can host and manage the cloud on their own infrastructure. To learn more, call us today at (604) 513-9428.

According to Walters, there are three trends which we can expect from the cloud for modern businesses:

• Algorithms will replace certain workflows.
• Mobility in the office will grow.
• Access to data will improve.

Automation Simplifies Tasks and Workflow
In several industries, there are positions which require monotonous repetitive actions, like assembly line workers and phone support. Instead of paying these people for being physically present for these tasks, these positions can simply be fulfilled with algorithms and technology based in the cloud.

Walters compares this trend to electronic payment systems. Prior to these automated processes, humans had to stuff envelopes with checks and send them through the mail. Furthermore, instead of taking down credit card numbers and processing the information manually, we now have machines that process all of the information for us. While people still have to manually input information on occasion, the point stands that the majority of the time, automated tasks are far easier and more efficient.

Leave the Office Behind
Technology has progressed so far that mobility is the key to business. It enhances productivity no matter the work environment. Previous generations had to work in the office, but with the increased prevalence of mobile technology, we are no longer limited by the boundaries of the office. According to Walters, "Business cycles will still be normal, 24/7 affairs, but we'll be selling from the beach, presenting from the living room, and securing shipments in the den. These traditional office functions will not need an office presence."

Break Down Data Barriers
Data will be much easier to access in the future, all thanks to cloud computing. The boundaries which previously limited access to data will all come down, allowing access whenever it is needed. Information will be located within the cloud, rather than what Walters calls "information silos," where individuals can easily access it.

Employees might no longer need to partake in tasks which waste time and energy that could be better spent somewhere else. According to Walters, "It would be a sea [of] change in how workers see themselves. We would no longer work for a single company, yet have a profession, working with many companies at the same time - a sort of hypercharged freelancer."

The cloud is a powerful business tool today, but can you imagine how valuable cloud technology will be in the future? Coleman Technologies can help your business take advantage of all the cloud has to offer. We can equip your business with productivity solutions to help your business access information both on-the-go and in-house. For more information, contact us at (604) 513-9428.