Like many software applications these days, Microsoft’s flagship office suite is now being offered as a cloud-based service. User files can be stored on OneDrive, making them available online. There are other online and collaboration features as well. But is Microsoft online Office really a better alternative to the on-premise MS Office we’ve all been used too? What are the possible reasons why Microsoft took this path?
Server virtualisation has been a viable IT strategy for some time. Virtualisation has its origins as a technical concept in the 1960s, but it is more recently that the virtualisation of servers has become commonplace, and it is a matter of priority for many IT managers: the 2017 Spiceworks State of IT survey suggests virtualisation is at the top of the list for software investment. The reason for this is simple: by making use of virtual server hosting UK companies are saving on expenditure and seeing the implementation and management of software applications becoming much more flexible.
The prevalence of cloud computing is continuing to grow dramatically – the Synergy Research Group reports that cloud computing revenues grew 25% across 2016. In fact, throughout last year several information technology sectors started to see the dominance of cloud technology as a delivery method for technology services. The reason for this is simple: cloud computing makes good business sense and it is often cost savings that are the major driving force.
Forrester Research expects the global private cloud solutions market to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 11% from 2016 to 2021. While this is certainly small compared to the growth rate of public cloud solutions, it still means there are enterprises out there who are interested in using private clouds. But when would you likely choose a private cloud over a public cloud?
The ever growing number of personal computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets in the enterprise can present serious challenges in costs, maintenance, security, compliance, and productivity. But many of these challenges can now be addressed by employing hosted desktop. You may not be aware of them yet but there are actually several business benefits of moving toa hosted desktop. Here are some of them.
Just like many cloud solutions, hosted desktop enable you to save on hardware costs. Instead of using desktop computers in your offices, you can use thin clients instead. These are lightweight machines that don’t require certain built-in components like hard disks, CPUs, or RAM. That means, they’re substantially cheaper than the average desktop computer.
Being cautious is not a bad thing. But if you’re overly cautious of a perceived risk that’s actually non-existent or not as bad as you think, it can prevent you from taking advantage of opportunities. Cloud computing offers huge opportunities through increased cost-savings, business agility, and availability. But because of fear-mongering, some businesses are unfortunately holding back on cloud migration and missing out on those opportunities.
In this post, we discuss some of the fears surrounding cloud computing that are really based on myths. By debunking these myths, we hope you can have a more positive outlook on cloud technology and be able to take advantage of the many benefits it can offer your business.
Companies who require high levels of availability need a reliable disaster recovery strategy. For many organisations, that usually means adhering to the 3-2-1 backup rule, where the 1 refers to keeping 1 backup copy offsite. Traditionally, that copy is stored in a dedicated, company-owned and/or managed disaster recovery infrastructure. Lately, however, businesses have started turning to cloud-based disaster recovery solutions. This article explains why that strategy is better.
The 3-2-1 backup rule is a highly recommended backup strategy that says you must:
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are almost inseparable these days. Some people even use them interchangeably. But did you know that, while they’re closely related, they’re actually not one and the same?
Knowing the difference between business continuity and disaster recovery is important. You’ll need it when you set out to address risks to your business’ availability and uptime. Will you be needing a business continuity plan? Or just a disaster recovery plan? Before seeking support from management or the board of trustees for your BC/DR project, you need to know exactly what you’re talking about.
What if your firm was asked to improve productivity by 5% this year? To achieve that level of productivity improvement, you need to know all of your options. Improving your technology capabilities by adopting cloud services is one of the best ways to improve your productivity as an accountant.
Let’s take a moment to define our terms before continuing further.
While there may be a few businesses that don’t need to embark on cloud migration, they’re really more the exceptions than the rule. If you’re still pondering on whether it’s already time to move to the cloud, here are some tell-tale signs your company is ready for it.