Feb 20, 2014 | SMB Technology
Your Computer Network is the information pipeline of your business. But what if your network goes down? If your computer network is not operating properly, you may lose access to critical applications and their data. If you are using mobile applications, software as a service, or other types of Cloud Computing, your computer network needs to be highly reliable and readily available. While reading this article, you will learn about information technology trends that impact your Computer Network. Cloud Computing and Your Network With Cloud Computing, your employees require consistent and reliable bandwidth over the internet to connect with the most popular cloud applications. As Cloud Computing is becoming more important in business, it is becoming increasingly necessary to protect your network. Cloud Computing is an undeniable trend. Most industry analysts forecast strong growth for The Cloud. From a September 2013 forecast from International Data Corp., worldwide spending on public IT cloud services is predicted to reach $107 billion by 2017, an increase from $47.4 billion in 2013. This trend in cloud computing is driving mega deals, such as the acquisition of Time Warner Cable by Comcast, as cable is a popular option for business class internet. Is your Computer Network ready for Mobile? A WiFi network is a practical way to connect laptops, convertibles, tablet PCs, and smartphones to your business. However, mobile devices can tax your computer network performance and security. To ensure smooth and consistent network connectivity, your computer network needs to accommodate the additional bandwidth requirements of those mobile devices. Additionally, mobile devices may be a source of virus, Malware, or phishing schemes on your...
Feb 13, 2014 | SMB Technology
It seems a majority of companies are adopting Cloud Computing as a significant portion of their IT infrastructure. According the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) 4th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing, sixty percent of companies surveyed, reported they rely on Cloud Computing for at least thirty percent of their IT infrastructure. Transitioning to Cloud Computing? Here’s How to Avoid the Turbulence. There are number of implementation challenges to cloud computing deployment. As a result, it is important that your cloud computing deployments are carefully planned and part of a holistic information technology roadmap. According to CompTIA, integration with existing technologies, changes required to IT policy and the learning curve of the cloud model top the list. Less than half of those surveyed cited, cost overruns, justifying the return on investment and transitioning from legacy systems as issues. In fact, the majority of business reported performance and availability levels were as expected from their cloud provider. What can a Business do to Avoid the Pitfalls When Transitioning to the Cloud? Cloud Integration There are a number of issues that can impact the success of your cloud computing deployment. Software as a Service applications (SaaS) rely on Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for integration. It is important to ensure your SaaS suppliers use common APIs so they can easily integrate with one another Understanding your requirements is key to identifying when integration can become an issue. IT Policies and Cloud Computing Keeping your IT policies and procedures up to date is also an important component of a successful Cloud Computing Deployment. Cloud Computing solutions can be rapidly deployed so it is easy...
Oct 11, 2013 | SMB Technology
Online Backup is one of the more popular deployments of cloud computing. Online backup can be a cost effective part of your data protection strategy. Many businesses have achieved benefits by leveraging cloud computing for secure and affordable remote data storage and cloud file sharing technologies. In some cases, business owners do not even realize they are using Cloud Based Online Backup services. For business owners there are a number of important considerations for your Online backup strategy. Industry and Regulatory Compliance Some industries, such as health services, have strict regulations on how data is managed and protected. Some online backup vendors comply with these strict requirements, while others do not. It is important to carefully select your online backup supplier and ensure their Service Level Agreements (SLA) meets your business needs and comply with your industry regulations. Online Backup Recovery Time Online backup can be a secure and affordable option for offsite data storage and cloud sharing capability. If you are considering remote backup for your business continuity and disaster recovery plans, it is important to consider recovery times in the event you need to to restore your data. Some online backup services provide great value for easy access to data, while other services are optimized for rapid recovery of your most critical information. You should weigh costs and risks when deploying online backup for your disaster recovery scenarios. How Secure is Your Online Backup There are many online backup vendors providing a secure solution that is equally or more reliable that tape storage or other data vaulting solutions. In fact, the cloud infrastructure for your data may...
Aug 26, 2013 | SMB Technology
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is expected to release their fourth Annual Cloud Computing Trends research study this week. This cloud computing research is based on a survey of over 500 IT and Business Professionals collected in June 2013. The Fourth Annual CompTIA Cloud Computing Trends report is expected to reveal cloud computing trends and buying patterns, benefits and challenges related to cloud computing use by businesses. In addition, over 400 IT firms were surveyed on how the cloud is changing the IT technology channel. Here are some anticipated highlights of cloud computing trends: Cloud Computing Trends: Cloud is an Increasing Component of IT Architecture According to the research, 90% of companies are using cloud computing architecture in their business. The research indicates “as cloud components are becoming more prevalent in IT architectures, more companies are relying on cloud computing for business processes such as storage (59%), business continuity/disaster recovery (48%), and security (44%). This strong usage and strong market indicators show that cloud computing is becoming a default part of the IT landscape.” Top Benefits of Cloud Computing As Cloud Computing becomes more mainstream a range of business benefits are reported. While no single reason stands out, businesses report a broad range of benefits by adopting cloud computing technologies: Cloud Computing Reaches Maturity The research indicates that more than half of those delivering, managing, integrating and supporting cloud computing solutions feel their cloud computing businesses are mature and strategic. Integration Remains the Top Cloud Computing Challenge According to the cloud computing study by CompTIA, integration remains at the top of the list for all companies....
Dec 7, 2012 | SMB Technology
2013 IT Trends There are a number of driving factors that will influence 2013 IT trends. These trends include Mobility, Cloud Computing, Disaster Recovery and IT Security. These 2013 IT trends will influence IT budgets and plans, while enabling companies to take advantage of mobile computing, enterprise infrastructure, software as a service (SaaS), social networks and more. Here are some predictions for 2013. Mobility A top 2013 IT Trend is Mobility. Mobility and mobile device management go hand in hand. Most IT industry analysts agree market growth of smartphones and tablet computers will outpace PCs in 2013. The IT Industry research firm IDC is now projecting that 172.4 million tablets will ship in 2013. Mary Meeker, former internet analyst turned venture capitalist noted 24% of Black Friday shopping occurred on a smartphone or tablet in 2012. Microsoft also hopes to get a large share of the tablet PC market with its recent release of Microsoft Windows 8 RT Tablet. This trend in mobility will drive the greater need for Mobile Device Management and mobile security as more corporate data will reside on and be accessed by mobile devices than ever before. Cloud Computing Another 2013 IT Trend is Cloud Computing. In 2012 many companies turned to the cloud to access enterprise class infrastructure, remote support, online backup and software as a service (SaaS) for critical applications, such as email, sales force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM). Expect additional growth in cloud adoption from managed security solutions for anti-virus and anti-malware protection, as well as other data protection services. IT research firm Gartner predicts by 2015 ten percent...
