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Blog posts tagged cloud computing
Why you’ll never buy another PC again
April 18, 2012
I run a small IT company and I make no apologies for making my customers keep their hardware up to date. I feel it makes a real difference to the productivity of their staff. Modern, reliable, stable hardware returns investment many times over. It’s all about keeping your staff able to do their jobs and not waiting around to get problems fixed.
About five years ago we took on a client with about 40 computers. It soon became apparent that their hardware was flagging and that their computers would need to be replaced.
We put together a replacement schedule and upgraded a couple of machines each month to make sure we didn’t blow the IT budget. As a smaller business this worked for our client, and gradually things improved.
Upgrade time again!
Productivity improved and their people started to think differently about IT. But, of course, several years later we we’re about to run into the same marathon again. The customer wanted to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010 and their new line of business application required a little more memory than the standard 2GB that most of their computers had.
Upgrade time again! The trouble was that this time we needed everyone to get up to speed quickly to fall in line with the new application. That worked out at a cost of about £10,000 for new computers.
Obviously we didn’t want to spend all that cash but knew that in order to maximise the investment in software we would need to do something. Up steps thin client computing.
What is thin client computing?
Thin client computing means your software and applications are run on a server. Your PC only handles the screen, keyboard and mouse movements. Most of the computing power is centralised. In other words, the server does all the hard work so the client PC doesn’t need to be upgraded.
There are lots of business advantages to thin client computing:
- People can connect to the system and use their software from anywhere, as long as they have internet access.
- We only need to maintain one copy of the software for everyone as it’s essentially installed once on the server.
- It’s fast and scalable, because you only have to upgrade the server, not individual PCs.
- It costs less. For the client I’m dealing with at the moment, using thin clients will cost half what new computers would.
- It’s secure. The security is my personal favourite. Without thin clients you have users roaming around with laptops carrying the company’s data. But now - because everything’s done by the server - the laptop they use doesn’t hold any data.
So there you go. I see this as a win-win situation, and as a result I’m sure there will be a big push towards thin client computing over the next five years. In fact, Dell is so confident about this that at the start of this month they announced they had acquired Wyse, a PC manufacturer which specialises in thin client terminals.
Thin client is the perfect accompaniment to cloud computing. It’s a technology that has been around for years. However, the next two years are when it’ll really shine.
Lee Wrall is founder and MD of Everything Tech, an IT support and service provider based in Manchester
Data loss kills businesses
March 08, 2012
Your data and IT infrastructure play a key role in the continued success of your business, regardless of the size of your company.
That’s underlined by a statistic I came across recently from the Department of Trade and Industry revealing that 70% of UK businesses that suffered a catastrophic data loss were closed within 18 months.
Bad IT is disrupting business
At Dell, we’ve just published a report in conjunction with Intel which looks at the server and storage needs of small businesses in Europe. We commissioned the research because we wanted to learn more about the attitudes of smaller companies towards servers and storage.
The report reveals that two-thirds (66%) of European small businesses are heavily dependent on their IT and almost a third (32%) of these say it is critical to their business. And most businesses are miles off achieving a failure-free IT system with 93% of respondents indicating that they have experienced IT problems which inhibited their ability to continue doing business.
We asked about how often disruption occurs, too: 17% claim it happens at least once a week (that must cause some serious problems), but the better news is that 40% say it only happens rarely.
Can new tech improve things?
We also looked at small business’ attitudes towards new technologies such as cloud computing. Our findings suggest adoption rates are low, but it would be interesting to investigate how many companies use cloud services without even realising it.
According to our research, only 17% of small businesses said they had started using cloud computing and 28% said they had no intention of moving their infrastructure to the cloud. Security and privacy were the most commonly cited concerns, although performance and availability were also significant.
You can read the full report, Manage Your Changing IT Needs, at Dell’s new online portal for European small businesses, Dell’s Small Business Centre.
Grow your business on a budget with the cloud
February 22, 2012
Starting up is undoubtedly the hardest part of any business. Finding funding, scoring that all-important first client and managing on meagre cashflow are all difficult but important steps for any new enterprise.
But after a while - assuming you’re successful - you’ll be established with a stable client base. You might even be turning a profit. What’s next? If you’re ready for another challenge, it could be time to scale!
Reduce costs with the cloud
In the past, scaling often meant buying costly new equipment, paying a small fortune in software licences and employing a dedicated IT staff to manage it all. Nowadays, with modern cloud computing becoming more widespread, many of those costs have been eliminated. This means scaling your business - although still not without risk - is significantly more achievable.
Google Apps, for example, can take the place of your traditional Microsoft Office desktop suite, offering web-based email, calendar and productivity tools. Best of all, Google Apps is completely free for companies with up to ten employees.
Cloud software can pay dividends in other ways too. Without hefty applications weighing down your office computers (all you need is a web browser) you can do without expensive top-of-the-line computers. And because maintenance is managed by the cloud software provider, you don’t need the same level of in-house IT support.
Cloud computing to try for yourself
Cloud software is becoming so pervasive that new services are springing up every day to offer a cheap, hassle-free alternative to desktop software. Some of the more successful cloud software services are:
- Salesforce. A powerful-as-can-be customer relationship management suite that can scale from a micro-business all the way up to a large corporate. Salesforce has rapidly become the industry standard and sports so many add-ons that it can run your entire business.
Visit the Salesforce website >
- ZenDesk. This is a cloud-based helpdesk system which allows your employees to raise IT issues and interact with your support team. You can also populate it with help articles, tutorials and video content to help your staff help themselves
Visit the ZenDesk website >
- Dropbox. A fantastic tool for keeping yourself and your team in sync, Dropbox is like the shared network drives of old, but accessible absolutely anywhere. That includes computers, tablets and smartphones. The basic version is completely free!
Visit the Dropbox website >
- Crunch. There are a number of cloud accounting tools to help with your bookkeeping. One example is Crunch, my own company. It’s aimed at freelancers and micro-businesses and helps with all your invoicing, bookkeeping and expenses before submitting your tax return. It also shows your real-time tax liability and provides support from accountants.
Visit the Crunch website >
Which cloud computing tools does your business rely on? Have they made it easier for your company to grow?
- Cloud computing services to get you started
- Are you ready for cloud computing?
- Is cloud computing green computing?
Darren Fell is MD at Crunch.
Why 2012 is when businesses will embrace the cloud
February 06, 2012
Was 2011 the year of cloud computing? Whatever your view, there’s certainly no denying that it created a lot of hype.
I like to say it was the year when businesses discovered the Cloud. It’s during 2012 that we’ll see a bigger movement towards it.
Cloud computing has been around for years, but it was only last year that the technology and marketing hit that critical point where businesses could start to fully understand what it is.
This year, 2012, will be the real year of the cloud. This is why:
- We get cloud computing. Most businesses now understand cloud computing. In March 2011 we ran a Twitter poll which found only 64% of people who answered had heard of the cloud. The same question asked in January 2012 saw the figure jump to 91%. (This year’s poll also revealed that although only 27% of respondents were using the Cloud, 75% said they would be considering it for 2012.)
- We like cloud computing. The cloud’s credibility has increased significantly. Along with other major companies, Apple can probably claim much of the credit for that, because it incorporated its own cloud service into advertisements for the new iPhone.
- It’s going to get social. Social networks show no signs of losing their popularity and the cloud is already starting to become more social, which makes it more appealing. Because cloud computing stores all your data centrally, it makes sharing and collaborating much easier. Take Salesforce: it’s taking this further with the introduction of Chatter, a private social network for employees.
- New jobs will emerge. Despite initial speculation that cloud computing would reduce the number of IT jobs available, 2012 will see new job titles emerging. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation recently announced that its members expect demand for staff with IT skills to increase in 2012. Job roles like ‘cloud transformation officer’ barely existed in 2011 and yet the number of roles available is set to grow this year.
- We trust it. Trust has always been a major issue with the cloud. People worry about where their data is stored, how safe it is and what the chance are of it getting lost. In response, cloud computing providers are addressing this issue, tightening security and demonstrating how the cloud often involves less risk than storing data locally.
At SpiderGroup, we are already seeing an increase in cloud popularity. We believe 2012 is, without doubt, the year of the cloud. And we promise not to say the same thing next year.
- Q&A: cloud computing security
- Cloud computing services to get you started
- Are you ready for cloud computing?
This guest post was written by Kerry Hale from SpiderGroup.
10 cloud apps to help you work anywhere
January 12, 2012
Photo credit: Camdiluv
Cassette tapes. Floppy disks. CD-ROMs. Is your hard drive heading the same way? Not yet... But you don't have to wait for your hard drive to die to imagine it in storage heaven. Businesses are already looking to the skies to store critical data and run applications, using what's called the cloud.
cloud com·put·ing: working with files and software on the Internet, rather than on your hard drive
Not only does working in the cloud keep your files and apps backed up and on the internet, it allows you to work anywhere. You don't have to be at your desk or even be at a desk at all.
Here are 10 cloud-based apps that can help you work wherever you like:
- Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud app with wow-factor: for people new to working in the cloud especially, it's very impressive. It's a folder that sits on your computer, like any other folder, but the difference is its contents are stored remotely and synced across other computers and devices that are signed into your Dropbox account or sharing folders with you.
In summary, it could do to the USB stick what the MP3 did to the MiniDisc.
Because it looks like any other folder on your computer, it can also turn regular apps into cloud apps by hosting files and settings. For example, I use typing shortcut utility TextExpander. I put its settings file in my Dropbox so that my shortcuts sync across my desktop computer at home and my laptop when I'm on the move.Dropbox Basic is free and includes 2GB of storage; other account types are available.
- Evernote. Evernote is sort of like Dropbox for your brain. It helps you ‘remember everything’ by allowing you to capture notes and ideas, photos and screen grabs, sounds and links, sync them automatically to the cloud and access them from practically anywhere.
Evernote is available through your web browser, Windows and Mac desktop apps and mobile apps for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry and Web OS.
Evernote is free; Evernote Premium is $5 per month or $45 per year.
- Google Docs. Google Docs might not be ready to take over Microsoft Office just yet, but it's edging ever closer. It includes apps for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings and forms.
You can upload files from your desktop to get started, access documents from connected computers and smart phones and collaborate in real-time with colleagues.
Google Docs is free.
- Gmail and Google Calendar. More from Google now, and I include them really as a reminder that if you work on the move it is essential to have hosted email and calendar that you can access from anywhere. In particular, mobile email is the lynchpin of any cloud computing system.
Google's solution is a good one, and it'll sync with your Android phone, of course, and with your BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows and Nokia phone using Google Sync.
Gmail and Google Calendar are free.
- Hootsuite. Power users will tell you that TweetDeck is the only way to manage your social media presence, but I disagree. I find its interface a bit grim, to be honest.
HootSuite, on the other hand, runs in your browser, on your smart phone and tablet device, does everything TweetDeck does and more, and it's better looking. Oh, and The White House (@whitehouse) uses it too.
HootSuite Basic is free; HootSuite Pro is $5.99 per month.
- Delicious. It looked like it was all over for Delicious when Yahoo dropped it, but fans and YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen bought it and have kept it going. What is it worth it? Yes!
Delicious is a bookmarking service that keeps all of your important links in the cloud, so you can get to them from any computer.
Delicious is free.
- Instapaper. Ever get sent a link to an article that you don't have time to read right now? 'Read later' with Instapaper by clicking a bookmarklet in your web browser. Instapaper reformats the article so it’s easy to read on your chosen device.
And then it syncs up so the article is ready to read on its website or offline on your iPhone, iPad or Kindle - perfect for when you do have time to read, like when you're travelling.
Instapaper is free.
- Toodledo. It's not the best-looking to-do app, but it works really well. Get tasks out of your inbox by forwarding them to your Toodledo email address, organise them by folders, tags, context and subtasks, and sync them with your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry device.
Better-looking alternatives include Flow and Wunderlist.
Toodledo is free; Toodledo Pro is $14.95 per year; Toodledo Pro Plus is $29.95 per year.
- Salesforce. Salesforce is CRM software that sits in the cloud, allowing you to take your customers' details with you on the move.
Salesforce starts at $2 per month and can cost up to $250 per month, depending on what you need.
- Basecamp. Basecamp is project management software that's perfect for remote teams, allowing you to share files, deliver projects on time and - crucially - keep communication organised and out of your inbox (no-one needs more email, right?).
There's a free version of Basecamp; other plans can cost up to $149 per month, depending what you need.
- Cloud computing: a new horizon for small firms
- Online tools every freelancer should try
- Is IT the fifth utility?
All prices shown are in US dollars - you'll pay the equivalent in pounds charged by your credit card issuer.
San Sharma (@WorkSnugSan) is Community Manager at WorkSnug (@WorkSnug), a free mobile app and website that helps you find laptop-friendly workspaces, like coffee shops with Wi-Fi.
How did our 2011 tech predictions turn out?
December 08, 2011
We gazed into our crystal ball this time last year. (Image: Frogman! on Flickr.)
Regular readers might remember that about a year ago we asked some of our IT Donut experts what trends we'd see in small business IT in 2011.
Twelve months on and we figured it would only be right to tot up the scores and see how accurate our experts' predictions were. So, how did they do?
Prediction one: it'll be easier to run your business using free services
Paul Lewis from Moo told us he thought we'd see more useful 'freemium' tools appearing in 2011. These are services like Dropbox and Huddle which offer useful, basic features for free and then charge if you want to access additional functions.
Even a year ago freemium services were fairly common. The idea has been around for a good few years, ever since the term was popularised by author and Wired magazine editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson.
Freemium services go hand-in-hand with cloud computing, because many cloud services follow the freemium model. As cloud computing has grown in 2011, so have the number of useful, free tools available. We rounded up five of the best a couple of months ago.
Verdict: there's a greater choice of freemium services than ever before, but most businesses are a way off being able to do everything for free. 8/10.
Prediction two: Quora to be the social media star of 2011
Tech and PR blogger Phil Szomsor reckoned question and answer social network Quora would prove its worth to businesses as a PR and customer service tool.
But after an initial burst of publicity, Quora seems to have faded somewhat from view, even though it does have an active community of users. In particular, questions about starting and running a company seem to attract a lot of answers - suggesting Quora can be a valuable source of advice for business owners.
But the site also attracts more trivial questions. That's no bad thing, but suggests perhaps Quora will find a niche as a kind of giant Notes & Queries.
Verdict: Quora has become a good place to go for business advice, but it's nowhere near as widely used by companies as other networks like Facebook and Twitter. 5/10.
Prediction three: potential customers will expect an instant response
David Hill from Cloudnet Telecommunications said he thought potential customers would get more impatient in 2011. Driven by the growing use of smartphones and expecting immediate responses through social media, he reckoned businesses would have to get better at providing the right information to customers at the right time.
He's certainly right in that a growing proportion of people are using smartphones while out shopping to look up information, compare prices and research products. A recent survey found that 24% of consumers have used a smartphone while shopping - often to check product details or competitor prices.
And email guru Monica Seeley confirms that we've become accustomed to getting near-instant replies when we send emails - which makes David's prediction look fairly accurate.
Verdict: better mobile internet access means more people expect they should be able to look up the information they need, immediately. 7/10.
Prediction four: you won't pay for software in one lump sum
This prediction had a clear connection to cloud computing too. Ciaran Kenny, from IT support firm Macnamara, told us that the traditional model of paying for business software all in one go would become less popular. Instead, companies would start to pay for software on a subscription basis.
Certainly, subscription software has gained ground since Kenny's prediction. Most notably, Microsoft launched Office 365 in June. It's a version of Microsoft Office that you pay for by the month and access over the internet.
But have we seen the death of traditional software that's paid for in one go? Not a bit of it. Microsoft still sells this version of Office too - and the shelves of PC World aren't likely to be empty of software anytime soon.
Verdict: there are more subscription-based packages available than ever, but businesses are only slowly starting to embrace them. 6/10.
Do you agree with our assessment? And what technology has made a real difference to you this year? Leave a comment to let us know.
Is Apple's iCloud any good for business?
August 19, 2011
Apple’s hyped-up iCloud service will store all your ‘content’ - including files, music, emails, apps and so on – in the cloud.
This means you should be able to log in over the internet and access all that information from any device. Mobile, laptop computer, desktop ... it won’t matter.
iCloud is due to launch in mid-September, and could be of real benefit to anyone who’s always forgetting to copy files across to their laptop or never has the music they want on their iPod. But does it have any business potential?
It’s just Apple’s take on the cloud
The iCloud offers nothing really new. The whole idea of cloud storage has existed for a while now, and services like Dropbox already help you keep copies of all your files on different computers and in different places.
The difference is that this time it’s Apple doing the cloud. This, remember, is a company which doesn’t always bring things to the market first, but does tend to make existing technologies easier to use.
Take the iPod. There were plenty of MP3 players around when it launched, but it took Apple to push them into the mainstream and make them really easy to use. Some analysts will be wondering if iCloud do the same for cloud computing.
Using iCloud for business
Just like other cloud services, iCloud will let you access files and data anywhere. It could be useful for people who tend to work when they’re out and about, because they’ll have their files on hand no matter if they’re on the office PC or their smart phone.
iCloud may even be a good way to back up files. If it’s as effortless to use as other Apple products, it could be a straightforward way to supplement on-site backups.
But hold on! Great as that sounds, iCloud has some disadvantages for business use. The most significant is that it looks impossible to have multiple users on a single account. That’ll make sharing and working on files together a challenge. Providers like Box.net and Dropbox are likely to offer far more flexibility in this area.
There’s also been no word from Apple about any kind of service guarantee or service level agreement. That’s going to be a real stumbling block. If you’re going to entrust critical data to iCloud, you need a contract that guarantees you’ll be able to access it when you need it.
For businesses that already use Apple
Although iCloud will work on Windows PCs too, these limitations make me think it will be most popular with companies that already use Mac computers and iPhones. If you’ve bought into the Apple way of doing things then iCloud might be a natural next step. In fact, if iCloud is tightly integrated into other Apple software then it might be hard to avoid.
But let’s not write off iCloud for the rest of us just yet. The cloud computing market is growing, and surely Apple will want a slice of that business. Look out – it probably still has some tricks up its sleeve.
- Learn more about cloud computing
- Is it time to start treating business IT as a utility?
- Cloud computing security Q&A
This is a guest post from Integral IT, a Yorkshire IT support company.
Is cloud computing green computing?
August 17, 2011
Can cloud computing reduce carbon emissions? (Image: Aske Holst on Flickr.)
More businesses than ever are moving some of their IT to the cloud. In fact Microsoft’s SMB Cloud Adoption Study 2011, which surveyed more than 3,000 businesses worldwide, showed that 39% expect to use at least one cloud computing service by 2013.
As concerns over global warming increase, cloud computing is being hailed as green computing too. But can this really be true? Is the cloud the easiest way to move to green computing?
What is green computing?
Green computing is computing which uses electricity efficiently.
According to a 2001 study (PDF link), an office of 10 typical PCs, storing data locally and saving documents on a server, consumes an average of 215 kWh of electricity per working week. Those PCs also produce a lot of heat, which may mean you need air-conditioning, using even more power.
In its most extreme form, cloud computing replaces your business PCs with ‘thin clients’ which contain no software, no disk and no moving parts. They connect to a remote server which stores data and does the actual work. Everything you need, you access remotely.
This can significantly cut the amount of energy you use in your office. On average, the same size office would consume 133 kWh per working week. That’s a big difference: in terms of carbon emissions, it’s like driving 9.000 fewer miles in a new car. Even allowing for improvements in PC efficiency since that 2001 study, you’re still likely to see a saving.
So it might mean you have green computing on your premises. But are you just shifting the environmental impact elsewhere?
Green computing doubts
Some environmental organisations have questioned how green the cloud really is. After all, cloud computing requires lots of servers, kept in vast datacentres which consume huge amounts of power.
Greenpeace has been particularly vocal in dampening the cloud’s green computing credentials. Their supporting report suggests IT energy consumption will triple by 2020. But could this just be down to the growing use of technology rather than the cloud?
After all, the use of home computers has been on the rise for years and 35% of homes now have more than just one computer.
The Greenpeace report does recognise that IT companies look to locate their datacentres in places that minimise the environmental impact. For instance, HP put a datacentre in Newcastle because then they could use the sea air to cool servers naturally. And Yahoo uses hydroelectric power in its New York datacentre.
The cloud and green computing conclusions
The environmental performance of cloud computing really depends on how you use it and which equipment you choose.
Older computers were not built to be environmentally friendly, so if you’re simply hooking a cloud computing service up to a five-year-old PC then you’re not doing a lot to move to green computing.
In contrast, combining the cloud with a modern, more energy efficient computer can almost certainly reduce the amount of energy your IT uses.
Check out the Google Chromebook. Almost nothing is stored on this laptop. All you have is a web browser, through which you have to do everything. This is perhaps green computing in its purest form, showing how cloud computing can help to create a greener technological future.
At SpiderGroup, we say cloud computing is green computing, and as it seems the cloud is here to stay, we think it can only get greener.
Does green computing matter to your business? Do you even care about being environmentally friendly? Let us know by leaving a comment.
- See common ways businesses use cloud computing
- How to tell if you're ready for the cloud
- Looking for space in the cloud? Get reliable web hosting
This guest post was written by Kerry Hale from SpiderGroup.
Cloud computing legal dos and don'ts
August 02, 2011
Justice in the clouds? (Image: Ariaski on Flickr.)
When businesses use cloud computing, it often means they don't need to buy or install software, or run their own servers. The benefits can be compelling, but cloud computing also presents some interesting legal issues.
Contracts, data protection and copyright
Because cloud computing services involve storing data outside your business, usually on servers operated by another company, there are some contractual, data protection and copyright issues to be aware of:
- The risk of concluding contracts inadvertently. For example, if one of your employees signs up to a cloud-computing service using a computer at work for a purpose related to their employment, then your company could be bound by the terms of that cloud computing service - even if the employee acted without consulting anyone.
- The risk of data protection compliance. If your employees input personal data held by your business into the cloud, your company must comply with its data protection obligations - including those relating to the transfer of data.
- The risk of intellectual property infringement. Your business could be liable if staff post defamatory or copyright-infringing content into the public areas of cloud-computing services. Appropriate policies, procedures and training must be given to employees.
Licensing and software use
A software licence is the set of terms and conditions you agree to before you start using a piece of software or a cloud computing service. Software licensing can be confusing at the best of times, and there are some specific things to remember when you're choosing and using cloud computing services:
- You must have appropriate licences. Some cloud computing services are only licensed to be used at certain computers. So if any of your staff use them at computers without a licence, they commit copyright infringement.
Also, licence terms can be narrow and may limit you to using the service only for your company's own purposes - so check your sub-contractors and business partners can use it too, if they need to. - Using open source software. Many cloud computing services are built on open source software. However, some open source software requires software based upon it to be distributed under the same terms - i.e. made freely available. This could have consequences for your business, if you want to retain the software just for your use.
- Intellectual property indemnity. A cloud computing operator may not always own the intellectual property rights in the software used by their service. If that's the case, that operator has to sub-licence the software to its customers, or arrange a direct licence between its customers and the relevant software company. Check this has been taken care of, or your business could be liable for using unlicensed software.
International implications
It can be hard to tell where cloud computing services actually operate from. Even those that price their services in pounds may be based outside the UK. And if you are dealing with a UK company, they may still store your data on servers in other countries.
In most cases this isn't a problem, but it's wise to aware of the issues that can arise:
- Unexpected obligations. You need to make sure that foreign law does not result in unexpected and binding non-contractual obligations for your business. For example, in some countries you may have duties of good faith in negotiations which do not exist under English law.
- What happens if things go wrong? A cloud computing provider based in the EU can be sued in all the jurisdictions in which it provides services to its customers.
But when a cloud computing provider is based outside the EU, it can be harder to enforce court orders against the company. It's usually best if the governing law of the contract is the local law of the cloud computing provider.
This article is for general purposes and guidance only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.
Is IT the fifth utility?
July 07, 2011
Is IT as important as electricity to your business? (Image: Ixsocon on Flickr.)
The past 20 years have seen IT become absolutely essential to businesses. For many companies, it's every bit as important as their electricity, water, gas or telephone service. And as the technology has developed, so too has the pattern for using and paying for it.
IT on the meter
The last couple of years have seen a shift away from the capital purchase of computing equipment, like the ‘office in a box’ solutions popular in the late '90s. Instead, companies are moving towards cloud computing services.
This means many businesses are purchasing IT as if it's a utility. They pay a 'metered’ cost determined by usage and demand. The price can fluctuate, just as the cost of energy changes between the summer and winter - although many providers offer fixed prices.
Can IT as a utility save money?
Treating IT, and especially cloud computing, as a utility can be an attractive consideration. Many companies spend a lot on servers only to run them at 10% - 20% capacity.
Small businesses look for opportunities to maximise their IT capabilities, while spotting where they can make savings. They also want to avoid over-investing in IT resources like unnecessary hardware and software, and reduce the time staff have to spend maintaining and upgrading equipment.
The balance between cost and reliability
However, although it's important to ensure your IT is cost-effective, you also need to ensure you have taken precautions in case problems occur.
While you may have a plan should the electricity cut out in the office, can the same be said of your IT? Considering that so many of today’s businesses are built on and around digital capabilities,you need to think about this business continuity issue.
Indeed, according to Aviva’s February SME Pulse, half of small business owners asked about business continuity said they had no plan. Even more worryingly, 16% believed they didn’t need one.
However, a third of participants estimated it would take a week to get back up and running following a significant problem. What impact would five days of downtime have on your company's finances and reputation? The answer to that question probably brings home how crucial IT is to your company.
It's absolutely fundamental
For some companies, cloud computing (buying IT as if it's a utility) can make it possible to recover more quickly in the event of problems.
For many businesses, IT is the fifth utility, because it's absolutely fundamental to their survival. And with the right IT support it can be as straightforward and reliable as any other essential office service.
Adrian Smith is MD of Flexsys.
Does Google's Chromebook take the cloud too far?
June 09, 2011
Google's first Chromebook (Image: karlnorling on Flickr)
If you keep your fingers on the pulse of technology (so to speak) then you've probably already heard about the Chromebook, Google's latest attempt to take over the world change how we think about computers.
A Chromebook (there will eventually be several models, from different manufacturers) looks just like a bog-standard netbook. It's basically a small, light-ish laptop that's thin and has a good battery life. So far, so-so.
The Chromebook is a web browser
The real difference comes when you turn the thing on. According to reports, it starts up superfast (we're talking under ten seconds) and the first thing you see is a web browser. With the Google homepage on, we assume.
Other software? There isn't any. All you have is your web browser. And - of course - your internet connection, which is about to become more important than ever. Because with the Chromebook, everything is stored online, in the cloud.
You access everything on the internet. Your files, your applications, the lot. Want to check your email? Forget about installing Microsoft Outlook; you'll need to log in to your Gmail account (or your preferred email service).
Need to work on a document? Google would prefer you to use Google Documents, though you could also use Microsoft's Office 365 beta.
If you've ever been confused about what cloud computing means, the Chromebook is a great illustration of it in action. Virtually everything you do with it, you'll do online.
The Chromebook's weak link is your connection
You've probably spotted the flaw by now: what happens when you're not connected to the internet? Well, Google's own Chromebook page is keen to point out that not all is lost: 'many apps keep working, even in those rare moments when you're not connected'.
'Rare moments'? I wonder. Sure, some Chromebooks will have a built in 3G connection which means you don't need to be in a Wi-Fi hotspot to get online. But this costs extra - and as many netbook users will know, there are parts of the country where you'll struggle for any sort of signal at all, never mind a fast one.
Is the Chromebook right for business?
So, with all your files stored online, all your programs accessed online, and your web browser the only way you have of doing anything, is this taking cloud computing a little too far - especially for business use?
Well, although more and more companies are relying on the cloud to provide various aspects of their IT, it's rare to find one confident enough to move everything to the cloud. But that, effectively, is what the Chromebook does.
There are big management advantages. As Google's co-founder Sergey Brin puts it: "The complexity of managing your computer is torturing users. It's a flawed model fundamentally. Chromebooks are a new model that doesn't put the burden of managing your computer on yourself."
He has a point. I'd dearly love to never see another stupid dialog box urging me to update and restart my computer now. But I'm not sure I'm ready to sacrifice the control I have over my own data just yet. And I suspect a lot of other businesses will be feeling the same.
But then maybe they don't have to. As Google explains, you can 'run your browser-based apps instantly, whether in the cloud or behind your firewall, as well as apps virtualised through technologies like Citrix'. In simple terms, that means you can hook a Chromebook up to servers that you own or operate (your own 'private cloud', in effect). Any more tempted?
Chromebooks should be available from Amazon and PC World soon. We can't find UK prices yet, but they'll start at $350 in the US.
What do you think of the Chromebook? Would you use it in your business?
If Amazon can't make the cloud work, can anyone?
May 20, 2011
Inside a data centre. Photo from Neospire on Flickr under Creative Commons.
You might have read about problems last month with Amazon’s web hosting service. These affected many well-known websites, including Q&A social network Quora, Foursquare and Reddit.
The outage sparked some debate about how far businesses can rely on cloud services, especially if they’re unable or unwilling to commit to services offering a high level of security and backup.
Don’t let Amazon cloud your decisions
’The cloud’ has been billed as the be all and end all, but like any other business-critical service, you can only count on it if it’s backed up by solid business continuity planning.
Reading between the lines, the Amazon customers least affected by the outage were those with budgets big enough to afford the company’s premium service. They get the peace of mind of knowing that their data’s stored in more than one location.
However, many start-ups and small businesses use cloud services in order to benefit from low up-front costs and manageable ‘pay as you go’ charging. For some, this means they invest in a bottom dollar package from a mass market provider.
But if you don’t choose wisely, taking this route can end up compromising business continuity. What’s more, you may eliminate one of the main reasons for taking the cloud computing route in the first place: complete assurance that your data and systems are protected in every eventuality.
Multiple locations matter
If your chosen cloud computing supplier can only offer hosting from a single location – also called a ‘data centre’ - within your budget allowance, it’s usually worth shopping around. A niche provider that caters specifically for smaller businesses like yours may understand and meet your requirements more effectively.
The key thing is the number of places where your data is stored. Without at least two data centres, you leave yourself at higher risk of service interruptions and failures. Having all your applications and data stored at one site may be no safer than sticking your server in the corner of the office.
True, cloud services have expert engineers available to fix problems quickly, but if your data’s hosted in at least two separate locations it is highly unlikely that both environments will be affected at the same time. So if there’s a problem, you can keep working as normal.
Do remote networks right
My message to companies out there that are questioning cloud technologies after the Amazon outage is to take heed: remote networks are more secure than many traditional systems and, moreover, easier to reinstall should onsite disaster strike.
However, this only applies if you’ve got the right provisions in place. Make sure your cloud provider has more than one data centre, and examine their business continuity plans in detail.
Adrian Smith is MD of Heywood-based IT services provider Flexsys.
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